An unforgettable Pelléas et Mélisande at the Southbank

By Katy Wright, 28 November 2014

Loading, please wait...

See full listing

“The Philharmonia sounded fantastic, bringing both clarity and voluptuousness to Debussy's score”

Reviewed at Royal Festival Hall, London on 27 November 2014

Debussy, Pelléas et Mélisande (opera in 5 acts)

Esa-Pekka Salonen, Conductor

Sandrine Piau, Mélisande

Stéphane Degout, Pelléas

Laurent Naouri, Golaud

Chloé Briot, Yniold

Dame Felicity Palmer, Geneviève

Jérôme Varnier, Arkel

Darren Jeffery, A Doctor

Philharmonia Orchestra

Philharmonia Voices

Irish National Opera’s new Rusalka intrigues more than it convinces

Andrew Larkin, 22nd March

Netia Jones’ modern reimagining intrigues more than it convinces, but still makes a strong case for Dvořák’s dark fairy tale.

***11

Magnifying Glass: a magnificent Les Enfants terribles in Lille

Elena Luporini, 20th March

A new production of Les Enfants terribles at the Opéra de Lille drags the audience into a terribly marvelous labyrinth, courtesy of conductor Virginie Déjos and directors Matthias Piro and Lisa Moro.

*****

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.

*****

Opera Australia’s Eugene Onegin shines musically

Sandra Bowdler, 17th March

Eugene Onegin returns to the Sydney Opera house in Kasper Holten’s slightly awkward production but the singing and orchestral playing are exemplary.

****1

Hedging its bets: La finta giardiniera at the Royal College of Music

Dominic Lowe, 16th March

Mozart's teenage comedy is more complicated then Figaro but is easy on the ear, with many opportunities for a young cast to shine.

***11

Washington National Opera marches onward with a joyous Treemonisha

Sam Jacobson, 15th March

A vibrant new production of Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha at Washington National Opera underscores the opera’s enduring message of education, community and social justice.

****1

More reviews...

Katy Wright

As News Editor at Rhinegold, Katy contributes news pieces and longer features to publications including Classical Music, Music Teacher and International Piano (both digital and print editions). She writes on a freelance basis for publications including Sinfini Music and TEMPO.