Bold music-making in Reisopera’s austere Butterfly

By Jenny Camilleri, 20 September 2015

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“a telling symbol of Butterfly's lonely hilltop existence”

Reviewed at Rotterdamse Schouwburg, Rotterdam on 19 September 2015

Puccini, Madama Butterfly

De Nederlandse Reisopera

Timothy Henty, Conductor

Laurence Dale, Director

Gary McCann, Set Designer, Costume Designer

Annemarie Kremer, Cio-Cio-San (Madama Butterfly)

Qiu Lin Zhang, Suzuki

Bruno Ribeiro, Pinkerton

Roderick Williams, Sharpless

Ruth Willemse, Kate Pinkerton

Robert Burt, Goro

Peter Brathwaite, Prince Yamadori

Niels Kuipers, The Official Registrar

Darren Jeffery, The Bonze

Vitali Rozynko, The Imperial Commissioner

Lodewijk Meeuwsen, Yakuside

Het Gelders Orkest

Consensus Vocalis

HET Symfonieorkest

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Clare Varney, 1st February

Juliana Zara and Annemarie Kremer lead the cast in a riotous, yet deeply touching, new production from Nederlandse Reisopera.

****1

Suck it and see: Powder Her Face premieres in the Netherlands

Eleanor Knight, 8th February

Sex, fame, luxury and envy meet in an irresistible cocktail as the Reisopera stages the Dutch premiere of Thomas Adès’ chamber opera.

***11

Nederlandse Reisopera’s Fidelio makes opera truly accessible for all

Clare Varney, 22nd April

This was opera which found expression using modern technology in a way that did not offend, intimidate or distract the audience, but rather enhanced the experience.

****1

A memorable Zauberflöte from Nederlandse Reisopera

Clare Varney, 20th January

A top-class line-up of international soloists produce an accomplished and polished semi-staging for the company's tour.

****1

An Orfeo of infinite beauty by Nederlandse Reisopera

Nicolas Nguyen, 9th February

The brainchild of opera director Monique Wagemakers, choreographer Nanine Linning and visual artist Lonneke Gordijn, this Orfeo by Nederlandse Reisopera is a thing of infinite beauty.

*****

Dutch Reisopera’s winning A Little Night Music

Nicolas Nguyen, 26th March

Programming Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music is quite a daring move in a country with no real tradition in musical. This production by Nederlands Reisopera shows that fortune favours the bold.

****1

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Jenny Camilleri

After completing her postgraduate studies in psychology at the University of Toronto, Jenny moved to Amsterdam, where she enjoys singing in amateur choirs. She loves all genres of classical vocal music, especially nineteenth and early twentieth century Italian and German opera and art songs.

Bold music-making in Nederlandse Reisopera’s austere Madama Butterfly