Mozart with a French accent at Wigmore Hall

By Mark Pullinger, 16 November 2016

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Reviewed at Wigmore Hall, London on 15 November 2016

Mozart, Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), K492: excerpts (Arr. Alfredo Bernardini)

Mozart, Serenade no. 10 in B flat major for Winds, “Gran Partita”, K361 (K370a)

Mozart, Don Giovanni, K527: Fin ch'an dal vino (Arr. Alfredo Bernardini)

Le Concert d'Astrée

Emmanuelle Haïm, Conductor

Semele at Dutch National Opera: myth, desire and fantasy

Mengguang Huang, 23rd January

Guth’s Semele turns myth into a contemporary domestic drama, where desire becomes obsession and illusion consumes reality. Handel’s music remains the true engine, driven by a thrilling, physically intense ensemble.

****1

Gods 1 – 0 Mortals in Staatsoper Berlin's Baroque Days festival

Zenaida des Aubris, 5th November

Àlex Ollé directs a rare version of Idoménée in Berlin, in which the staging fares better than the singing.

***11

Peeping Tom's Dido and Aeneas overflowing with imagery in Geneva

Edward Sava-Segal, 3rd May

How can one focus on the music? Purcell’s music is interspersed with contemporary interludes by Atsushi Sakaï in an overly busy staging.

****1

Handel’s Rodelinda: A strong season opening at Opéra de Lille

Laura Servidei, 6th October

A great cast of exciting singers seals a success in Lille, despite a new production which fails to convince.

****1

Leclairs Scylla et Glaucus in Zürich: Dreiecksgeschichte im Internat

Thomas Schacher, 27th March

Emmanuelle Haïm mit ihrem Concert d’Astree und Claus Guth garantieren am Opernhaus Zürich für die erfolgreiche Wiedererweckung dieser vergessenen Tragédie en musique. Ob sie ins Repertoire eingehen wird, ist ungewiss.

*****

Brillantes Emmanuelle Haïm y Le Concert d'Astrée en Ibermúsica

Leonardo Mattana Ereño, 3rd December

Emmanuelle Haïm y Le Concert d'Astrée ofrecieron una interpretación rigurosa, rica de detalles y cuajada de gestos de buen hacer de un programa a medio camino entre la hondura religiosa y la humanidad del barroco italiano.

****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.

Mozart with a French accent: Emmanuelle Haïm and Le Concert d'Astrée at Wigmore Hall