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

Richard Jones' clunky Samson et Dalila returns to Covent Garden

Dominic Lowe, 13th May

With Aigul Akhmetshina and Seokjong Baek in the title roles, there are reasons to be optimistic, but The Royal Opera's revival of Richard Jones' production is a mixed bag.

***11

Reality television: ENO’s Angel’s Bone in Manchester

Lawrence Dunn, 12th May

Kip Williams and ENO mount an extraordinary new production of Du Yun and Royce Vavrek’s multifaceted opera, with performances of great emotional directness broadcast live on camera.

*****

Sir Thomas Allen’s Figaro for Scottish Opera still entertains

David Smythe, 9th May

A traditional Marriage of Figaro entertains with a strong cast, eye-catching design and lighting, and Amanda Holden’s earthy libretto.

****1

Sasha Cooke brings sharp intelligence to Seattle Opera’s Carmen

Thomas May, 8th May

Sasha Cooke’s thoughtful role debut anchors Paul Curran’s visually and musically alert but dramatically uneven production.

****1

Rossini’s Cenerentola proves great fun in Adelaide

Sandra Bowdler, 7th May

Neil Armfield’s production for State Opera South Australia combines a sparkling night of entertainment with first class musical values.

****1

Welsh National Opera’s Dutchman docks in Birmingham

Rohan Shotton, 7th May

This bracing performance of The Flying Dutchman is a powerful reminder of the extraordinary musical standards which are at risk in the face of WNO’s subsidy cuts.

****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.