The root of all evil: The Miserly Knight

By Mark Pullinger, 22 January 2015

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“Leiferkus’ flinty baritone is in remarkably good shape and he makes every word of the text count”

Reviewed at Royal Festival Hall, London on 21 January 2015

Wagner, Das Rheingold (Excerpts)

Rachmaninov, The Miserly Knight (Semi-staged)

Vladimir Jurowski, Conductor

Annabel Arden, Director

Rowan Hellier, Wellgunde

Natalya Romaniw, Woglinde

Harriet Williams, Flosshilde

Peter Bronder, Froh, Moneylender

Vsevolod Grivnov, Loge, Albert

Sergei Leiferkus, Alberich, Baron

Albert Shagidullin, Donner, Duke

Maxim Mikhailov, Wotan, Servant

London Philharmonic Orchestra

Glyndebourne’s season opens with Rossini’s Barber of Seville

David Karlin, 16th May

Annabel Arden’s production provides joyous comedy, with vocal and orchestral performances of the very finest.

*****

Opera North’s “fleeing” Dutchman links to plight of asylum seekers

Richard Wilcocks, 1st February

Opera North’s The Flying Dutchman, directed by Annabel Arden, conjures up frightening storms and links the production to the plight of asylum seekers.

****1

Another joyful return for Glyndebourne's fizzy Elisir d'amore

Nick Boston, 11th November

Strong solo and ensemble singing from a solid cast – with a last minute addition for Act 2 – make for a joyful revival of this much-loved production.

****1

Bottled emotions uncorked in Glyndebourne's L'elisir d'amore revival

Dominic Lowe, 4th June

Strong singing and a punchy orchestral performance makes this latest revival of Donizetti's cheering village rom-com a hit.

****1

Satan in Manchester: Stravinsky from Elder, the Hallé... and friends

Roy Westbrook, 29th April

This interpretation by co-directors Annabel Arden and Femi Elufowoju Jr was intelligently conceived and brilliantly executed.

*****

Sun, sex and suspicious potions: L'elisir d'amore at Glyndebourne

Dominic Lowe, 13th October

Annabel Arden's superb production of Donizetti's classic makes a welcome return for the Glyndebourne Tour in a taut revival led by two excellent principals.

****1

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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.

The root of all evil: Jurowski and the LPO pair Rachmaninov’s Miserly Knight with Wagner’s greedy dwarf