Butterfly's castle: Puccini soars at Savonlinna

By Roy Westbrook, 10 July 2018

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“a convincing passage from childish naivety to a tragic acceptance”

Reviewed at Olavinlinna Castle, Savonlinna on 9 July 2018

Puccini, Madama Butterfly

Kalle Kuusava, Conductor

Henry Akina, Director

Dean Shibuya, Set Designer

Anne Namba, Costume Designer

Sae-Kyung Rim, Cio-Cio-San (Madama Butterfly)

Gaston Rivero, Pinkerton

Claudio Otelli, Sharpless

Mareike Yankowski, Suzuki

Giorgi Kirof, The Bonze

Jussi Merikanto, Prince Yamadori

Dan Karlström, Goro

Maiju Vaahtoluoto, Kate Pinkerton

Raiko Raalik, Yakuside

Savonlinna Opera Festival Choir

Savonlinna Opera Festival Orchestra

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Phillip Richter, 1st April

The Berliner Philharmoniker’s much-anticipated return to Salzburg gets off to an impressive musical start. Kirill Serebrennikov’s staging raises numerous questions, but answers few of them.

****1

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***11

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Graham Meyer, 29th March

The Lyric Opera of Chicago's presentation of El último sueño de Frida y Diego brings the Mexican artists to life... or at least a life reminiscent of their real ones.

****1

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Zenaida des Aubris, 28th March

The Baroque confectionery of Herbert Fritsch's production of Handel's oratorio belies a serious core which is all too close to today's headlines.

****1

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Mengguang Huang, 28th March

Davide Livermore’s high-octane production transforms Handel into a lavish blockbuster. While the superstars shine, the relentless entertainment-first approach often sacrifices musical refinement and dramatic logic for Netflix-style spectacle.

***11

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Mark Pullinger, 28th March

Patricia Nolz makes an outstanding role debut as Christian Thielemann conducts a thrusting Rosenkavalier to open the Staatsoper Unter den Linden's Festtage.

*****

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Roy Westbrook

Roy Westbrook gained a diploma in music history at London University (Morley College) and was for some years the head of music day schools at Oxford University, where he also led music summer schools. After some years leading the University's business school he has returned to music teaching and writing, and recently took part in the Arts in Residence courses on Bruckner, Mahler and Bach He is co-author (with Terry Barfoot) of a history of opera, and has taught day schools on Sibelius in Oxford and elsewhere.