Staging, spectacle, singing: three-card trick at Savonlinna

By Roy Westbrook, 11 July 2018

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“vocal honours were snatched by Konstantin Shushakov’s peerless account of Yeletsky’s romance”

Reviewed at Olavinlinna Castle, Savonlinna on 10 July 2018

Tchaikovsky, The Queen of Spades (Pique Dame)

Alexander Vedernikov, Conductor

Jere Erkkilä, Director

Jani Uljas, Set Designer

Melis Jaatinen, Polina

Elena Guseva, Lisa

Misha Didyk, Herman

Elena Zaremba, The Countess

Kiril Manolov, Tomsky

Konstantin Shushakov, Yeletsky

Heikki Halinen, Chaplitsky

Koit Soasepp, Surin

Ilkka Hämäläinen, Chekalinsky

Jouni Kokora, Narumov

Savonlinna Opera Festival Choir

Savonlinna Opera Festival Orchestra

Savonlinna Opera Festival Children's Choir

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Mark Pullinger, 7th June

Despite excellent vocal performances, David Alden’s production of Giulio Cesare in Egitto aims at irreverence but overplays the comedy.

***11

Mozart blows a fuse : Entführung at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées

Laurence Vittes, 6th June

Jessica Pratt lights up the Parisian skies with her Konstanze in Florent Siaud’s new production of Mozart's Singspiel at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées.

***11

Elin Pritchard leads a fine cast in Grange Park’s Don Carlo revival

Roy Westbrook, 6th June

Jo Davies’ 2016 staging is revived at the Theatre in the Woods, given a bold execution, led by a regal Elisabetta.

****1

Jetske Mijnssen’s Boccanegra a coup for DNO season finale

Eleanor Knight, 4th June

Everything about this production is fresh and wonderful.

*****

Tavener’s Krishna fails to convince in world premiere

Nick Boston, 4th June

John Tavener’s “mystical pantomime” proves a disappointment, despite strong performances from singers and orchestra in David Pountney’s production.

***11

Antonia Bembo’s Ercole amante wins hearts at the Opéra de Paris

David Karlin, 2nd June

Leonardo García-Alarcón's exhumation of Bembo's work proves a winner, in a hyper-quirky staging by Netia Jones with Julie Fuchs as the pick of the fine singers.

****1

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Roy Westbrook

Roy Westbrook gained a diploma in music history at London University (Morley College) and was for some years the head of music day schools at Oxford University, where he also led music summer schools. After some years leading the University's business school he has returned to music teaching and writing, and recently took part in the Arts in Residence courses on Bruckner, Mahler and Bach He is co-author (with Terry Barfoot) of a history of opera, and has taught day schools on Sibelius in Oxford and elsewhere.

Staging, spectacle, singing: three-card trick at Savonlinna's new Queen of Spades