Martinů's The Greek Passion: an opera for our times

By Mark Pullinger, 15 September 2019

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“Alden casts the refugees as... white plaster effigies – a silent minority”

Reviewed at Leeds Grand Theatre, Leeds on 14 September 2019

Martinů, The Greek Passion (Sung in English)

Opera North

Garry Walker, Conductor

Christopher Alden, Director

Charles Edwards, Set Designer, Lighting Designer

Doey Lüthi, Costume Designer

Nicky Spence, Manolios

Magdalena Molendowska, Katerina

Paul Nilon, Yannakos

Jeffrey Lloyd-Roberts, Panait

Stephen Gadd, Grigoris

John Savournin, Fotis

Richard Mosley-Evans, Kostandis

Lorna James, Lenio

Steven Page, Captain

Jonathan Best, Archon

Rhodri Prys-Jones, Michelis

Alex Banfield, Nikolios

Jeremy Peaker, Ladas

Amy Freston, Despinio

Dean Robinson, An old man

Campbell Russell, Andonis

Tim Claydon, Choreography

Chorus of Opera North

Orchestra of Opera North

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Mark Pullinger

Mark has been a Bachtrack editor since 2014. He is also an experienced critic, writing hundreds of reviews for the site, as well as a freelancer writing for other magazines and newspapers. He also writes programme notes and blogs on Substack. Mark has a particular passion for the operas of Verdi as well as Russian and French repertoire. Outside the concert hall and opera house, Mark enjoys cooking and travel and is probably at his happiest let loose in a French patisserie or a Viennese coffee house.