A stormy reception for Rossini's Otello in Paris

By Mark Pullinger, 08 April 2014

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“Bartoli’s vocal fireworks, her bravura aria displaying her precision machine-gun coloratura”

Reviewed at Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Paris on 7 April 2014

Rossini, Otello

Jean-Christophe Spinosi, Conductor

Moshe Leiser, Director

Christian Fenouillat, Set Designer

Cecilia Bartoli, Desdemona

Barry Banks, Iago

Liliana Nikiteanu, Emilia

John Osborn, Otello

Edgardo Rocha, Rodrigo

Peter Kálmán, Elmiro

Nicola Pamio, The Doge

Ensemble Matheus

Patrice Caurier, Director

L’equivoco stravagante returns to the Rossini Opera Festival

Laura Servidei, 8th August

Rossini’s ill-fated farce finds new life in the intelligent and enjoyable 2019 production by Leiser and Caurier at the Rossini Opera Festival, featuring a great cast under the unwavering baton of Michele Spotti.

****1

A very human drama: Madama Butterfly at The Royal Opera

David Karlin, 14th March

With the help of excellent singing and acting performances from a cast led by Asmik Grigorian and Joshua Guerrero, Puccini’s tale of abandonment hits home.

****1

Unfaltering opera buffa: The Barber of Seville at the ROH

David Karlin, 2nd February

Two outstanding performances by young singers light up a splendidly crafted revival of Caurier and Leiser's colourful production.

*****

Maria Agresta captivates in latest ROH revival of Madama Butterfly

David Truslove, 12th September

A mixed bag of performances at Covent Garden, but with an outstanding Butterfly who brings ample rewards to an evening where the emotional temperature eventually soars.

***11

A subtly revised Madama Butterfly returns to the Covent Garden stage

Mark Pullinger, 14th June

Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier’s production has undergone a year of expert scrutiny before this well-sung revival.

***11

Outstanding performances in brothel-based Baden-Baden Pique Dame

Ako Imamura, 12th April

The Baden-Baden Easter Festival offers a memorable production of Pique Dame with excellent musical performances convincing in Leiser and Caurier's updating of the plot.

*****

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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.