Asmik Grigorian an extraordinary Butterfly in Stockholm

By Laura Servidei, 21 November 2018

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“her granitic belief in his return is a façade, a desperate charade that she plays to fool herself”

Reviewed at Royal Swedish Opera, Stockholm on 20 November 2018

Puccini, Madama Butterfly

Royal Swedish Opera

Ben Gernon, Conductor

Wolfgang Wengenroth, Conductor

Kirsten Harms, Director

Herbert Murauer, Set Designer, Costume Designer

Asmik Grigorian, Cio-Cio-San (Madama Butterfly)

Migran Agadzhanyan, Pinkerton

Ola Eliasson, Sharpless

Karl-Magnus Fredriksson, Sharpless

Katarina Leoson, Suzuki

Kristian Flor, The Bonze

Anders Blom, Prince Yamadori

Niklas Björling Rygert, Goro

Peter Haeggström, The Imperial Commissioner

Thorvald Bergström, The Official Registrar

Elisabeth Leyser, Kate Pinkerton

Radoslaw Rzepecki, Yakuside

Linda Bodin, Cio-Cio-san's mother

Royal Swedish Opera Chorus

Royal Swedish Orchestra

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David Karlin, 25th October

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****1

Overpowering Candide at Royal Swedish Opera

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Ole Anders Tandberg's edgy take on Bernstein's satirical operetta is lifted by some good performances but marred by an overpowering orchestra.

***11

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Laura Servidei, 28th March

The Royal Swedish Opera revives Tandberg’s 2014 production with a solid cast of Swedish singers.

***11

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Laura Servidei, 19th March

Elin Rombo shines in a co-production of King Roger with the Royal Swedish Opera and Teatr Wielki, in Warsaw

***11

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Laura Servidei, 6th February

The Royal Swedish Opera revives Garpe’s production of Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites with a committed cast.

***11

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Laura Servidei, 19th January

A semi-successful production with an interesting underlying idea and a solid cast brings Bizet’s masterpiece back to Stockholm.

***11

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Laura Servidei

Mathematician, science nerd, translator of popular science books, obsessed opera fan since the teen years. Day job: business analyst in a software house developing systems for the financial industry. Amateur choral singer. Main musical interests: baroque music and Italian opera. Originally from Italy, currently based in Sweden. I make a mean eggplant parmesan.