Nixon in China lands in Dublin for triumphant Irish première

By Terry Blain, 14 May 2014

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“Luna negotiates Adams' cruelly vaulting intervals with insouciance, pings her high notes fearlessly”

Reviewed at Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin on 11 May 2014

Adams, Nixon in China

Wide Open Opera

Fergus Sheil, Conductor

Michael Cavanagh, Director

Erhard Rom, Set Designer

Parvin Mirhady, Costume Designer

Audrey Luna, Madame Mao, Chiang Ch'ing

Claudia Boyle, Pat Nixon

Hugh Francis, Mao Zedong

James Cleverton, Chou En-lai

Barry Ryan, Richard Nixon

John Molloy, Henry Kissinger

National Symphony Orchestra Ireland

Chorus of Wide Open Opera

Erraught's Rosina steals the show in Dublin

Andrew Larkin, 20th April

Stellar singing and excellent acting makes this a brilliantly satisfying and amusing 1970s take on Rossini's classic The Barber of Seville.

****1

The Last Hotel at the Edinburgh Festival

David Smythe, 8th August

The World Premiere at the Edinburgh Festival of The Last Hotel: a strange and haunting new chamber opera from post-minimilist composer Donnacha Dennehyna and acclaimed writer Enda Walsh with the Crash Ensemble generating exciting rhythmic pulsing energy in the pit.

***11

Mozart meets Gatsby in LA Opera’s new Così fan tutte

Laurence Vittes, 8th March

Michael Cavanagh's sleek new production, designed by Erhard Rom and conducted by James Conlon, transforms the 18th-century opera into a Broadway musical, score by Mozart.

****1

Aida returns to the Royal Swedish Opera with a new cast

Laura Servidei, 27th October

Carè, Katzarava and Treichl give committed performances in a reprise of Cavanagh’s production.

**111

Great Aida debut for Christina Nilsson

Laura Servidei, 26th February

The remarkable performance of young soprano Christina Nilsson does not completely rescue a mixed-bag cast and a lack of Personenregie at the Stockholm Royal Opera.

**111

Thoughtfully directed, superbly played

David Karlin, 29th October

A superb orchestral performance from Lawrence Renes and the Royal Swedish Opera Orchestra lights up Michael Cavanagh's well directed Nixon in China.

****1

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Terry Blain

Terry Blain is a freelance arts journalist who writes regularly on classical music, dance and theatre for a variety of publications, including BBC Music Magazine, Opera, Irish Theatre Magazine, Culture Northern Ireland, and the Belfast Telegraph. He is also a Specialist Tutor at the Open University.