A lacklustre Butterfly at Holland Park

By Roger Smith, 12 June 2013

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Reviewed at Holland Park Theatre, London on 8 June 2013

Puccini, Madama Butterfly

Anne-Sophie Duprels, Cio-Cio-San (Madama Butterfly)

Patricia Orr, Suzuki

Joseph Wolverton, Pinkerton

David Stephenson, Sharpless

Chloe Hinton, Kate Pinkerton

Paul Higgins, Director

Manlio Benzi, Conductor

Opera Holland Park Chorus

Confusion clouds any central critique in Clément's Don Giovanni

Nick Boston, 12th November

Strong musical performances in a flawed and confused production revived for the autumn season at Glyndebourne.

***11

Bargain booze and questionable quackery: L'elisir d'amore at the ROH

Dominic Lowe, 22nd September

A triumphant house debut for Nadine Sierra in the latest revival of Laurent Pelly’s production of Donizetti's joyous village rom-com.

****1

Buffa or bullying? Don Pasquale on Glyndebourne Tour

Dominic Lowe, 10th October

Not quite as innocent an account of opera buffa as others, but for quality of musicianship, Glyndebourne Tour's revival of Mariame Clément’s production of Donizetti's comedy hits all the right notes.

****1

A rare outing for Stanford's Travelling Companion

John Johnston, 30th November

Charles Villiers Stanford's The Travelling Companion is performed at Cadogan Hall by New Sussex Opera.

****1

Clément’s cruel Don Pasquale strikes a sour note

Mark Pullinger, 10th October

Mariame Clément’s Glyndebourne production of Don Pasquale, revived here for the 2015 Tour, delivers its lesson particularly harshly.

***11

A frivolous Così fan tutte: English Touring Opera at Hackney Empire

Emily Owen, 2nd March

Mozart’s Così fan tutte is a comic opera filled with deceit, disguises and betrayal, all carried along by a breathtaking score and witty lyrics. What better way to start ETO’s Spring 2013 season than with a new rendering of this timeless work, in a brilliantly clever English translation by Martin Fitzpatrick.

****1

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Roger Smith

Roger Smith was born in London and studied for BA in Music at Kingston University, followed by an MMus in Music Theory and Analysis at Goldsmiths College. He studied opera at Birkbeck College, the City Lit and Morley College.