The (not so) Merry Widow in concert at the Liceu

By John Marten Barnard, 29 July 2017

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Reviewed at Gran Teatre del Liceu: Auditorium, Barcelona on 27 July 2017

Lehár, Die lustige Witwe (The Merry Widow) (Concert performance: excerpts)

Gran Teatre del Liceu

Josep Pons, Conductor

Angela Denoke, Hanna Glawari

Vanessa Goikoetxea, Valencienne

Bo Skovhus, Count Danilo Danilovich

José Luis Casanova, Baron Mirko Zeta

Ben Bliss, Camille de Rosillon

Emili Rosés, Raoul de St Brioche

Omar Jara, Vicomte Cascada

Coro del Gran Teatre del Liceu

Orquesta Sinfónica del Gran Teatre del Liceu

The starry trio of Davidsen-Hilley-Mälkki saves Tristan und Isolde

Maria Sánchez, 12th January

A highly unbalanced premiere, its opportunity to become one of the Liceu's historic productions prevented by the contrast between dramaturgy and music.

****1

Àlex Ollé's La bohème gets an unfair reception at the Liceu

Maria Sánchez, 14th June

Contrasting sensations at the Liceu, where the audience punished a production of La bohème with boos and gave rapturous applause to a cast that performed at half throttle.

*****

Aleu's video brilliance powers a dystopian Liceu Turandot

David Karlin, 8th October

Fine musical performances blend with staggering video artistry in Aleu's spectacular science-fiction setting.

*****

Thomas’ Hamlet in concert at the Liceu

John Marten Barnard, 10th March

Ambroise Thomas’ Hamlet in concert in the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona is enthusiastically conducted by Daniel Oren.

****1

Vocal sparkle but a dull staging in the Liceu's Puritani

John Marten Barnard, 11th October

I puritani returns to Barcelona’s Liceu with Annilese Miskimmon’s production. Javier Camerena and Pretty Yende lead the inauguration of the season with a fine example of romantic bel canto.

****1

A forlorn Manon Lescaut arrives in Barcelona

John Marten Barnard, 7th June

Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu stages Puccini’s first great success as an operatic composer, Manon Lescaut with the stage direction of Davide Livermore.

***11

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John Marten Barnard

John Barnard has lived and worked for over 25 years in Barcelona. Originally from Kent in England, after university graduation he decided on a radical change in lifestyle, taking the decision to become a corporate English language trainer in Spain. He became involved in the world of opera several years ago when he offered language training services in the Gran Teatre del Liceu opera house in Barcelona. Since then has been a season ticket holder with his wife, attending opera on a regular basis in Spain and internationally.