One-shot saloon: Operalia triumph for the ladies

By Mark Pullinger, 19 July 2015

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Reviewed at Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London on 19 July 2015

Rossini, Il barbiere di Siviglia: Largo al factotum

Bellini, I puritani: Qui la voce sua soave... Vien, diletto, è in ciel la luna

Gounod, Faust: Quel trouble inconnu… Salut! Demeure chaste et pure

Gounod, Romeo et Juliette: Amour, ranime mon courage

Donizetti, Lucia di Lammermoor: Il dolce suono

Rossini, Il barbiere di Siviglia: La calunnia e un venticello

Donizetti, Lucia di Lammermoor: Tombe degl'avi miei

Verdi, La traviata: È strano... Ah, fors' è lui

Verdi, La traviata: Sempre libera

Donizetti, La Fille du régiment: Ah! mes amis

Wagner, Tannhäuser: Dich teure Halle

Chapí, Las hijas del Zebedeo: Carceleras

Serrano, La Dolorosa: La roca fria del calvario

Moreno Torroba, La Marchenera: Tres horas antes del día

Fernández Caballero, Château Margaux: No sé que siento aquí

Kiandra Howarth, Soprano

Julien Behr, Tenor

Pene Pati, Tenor

Lise Davidsen, Soprano

Ioan Hotea, Tenor

Bongani Justice Kubheka, Bass-baritone

Vuvu Mpofu, Soprano

Hera Hyesang Park, Soprano

Andrea Carroll, Soprano

Tobias Greenhalgh, Baritone

Edward Parks, Baritone

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden

Plácido Domingo, Conductor

The Royal Ballet’s Mayerling: violent, feral, tortured dance

Graham Watts, 30th March

In this latest revival of Kenneth MacMillan’s Mayerling, The Royal Ballet presents a roster of powerful and vivid interpretations across the board.

****1

The Turn of the Screw at RBO Linbury: Darkness and denial

Eleanor Knight, 26th March

Natalie Abrahami’s mesmerising new production of Britten’s ghostly tale of sexual abuse is very dark indeed.

*****

A riveting Rigoletto revival at the Royal Opera House

Dominic Lowe, 25th March

Sir Mark Elder celebrates 50 years at Covent Garden by returning to his first opera there in 1976 – Verdi's Rigoletto – in a revival of Oliver Mears' excellent 2021 production.

****1

Siegfried at the RBO: Kosky and Pappano surprise and delight

David Karlin, 17th March

A revelatory orchestral performance and a cast led by Andreas Schager, Christopher Maltman and Elisabeth Strid make this a Siegfried for the record books.

*****

A new Albrecht makes a polished Giselle shine even brighter

Deborah Weiss, 7th March

A last minute injury to Natalia Osipova does not mar the magic of Sir Peter Wright's Giselle as Marianela Núñez steps in to partner Patricio Revé.

****1

The RB: Peter Wright’s Giselle is as near perfection as you can get

Amanda Jennings, 14th February

Sir Peter Wright’s Giselle was given a well-deserved, thunderous ovation on opening night. A near perfect rendition of the ballet from all quarters of the Company was deeply satisfying.

*****

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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.

One-shot saloon: Operalia 2015 a triumph for the ladies