Progress thwarted: Stravinsky's Rake at the Elbphilharmonie

By Mark Pullinger, 30 May 2019

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“Rake needs plenty of neoclassical punch and crispness and Hannigan and Ludwig delivered”

Reviewed at Elbphilharmonie: Grand Hall, Hamburg on 29 May 2019

Stravinsky, The Rake's Progress

Barbara Hannigan, Conductor

Linus Fellbom, Director, Lighting Designer

Anna Ardelius, Costume Designer

Gyula Rab, Tom Rakewell

Sofie Asplund, Anne Trulove

Douglas Williams, Nick Shadow

Marta Świderska, Baba the Turk

Erik Rosenius, Trulove, Mother Goose

James Way, Sellem

Cappella Amsterdam

Ludwig

Royal Swedish Ballet's Julia and Romeo: surreal and modern

Graham Watts, 21st April

Ek’s vision of the romantic tragedy is seen through a distorted lens, sometimes fascinating, sometimes bemusing.

***11

A new Mats Ek Rite of Spring a leaving gift for ENB's Tamara Rojo

Graham Watts, 9th November

Ek's second, very different take on Stravinsky's Rite crowns an English National Ballet triple bill extolling the pure joy of dance and exposing the terror of forced marriage.

****1

WNO’s Figaro revival crackles with humour and exudes joie de vivre

Alice Hughes, 16th February

A solid Figaro in Cardiff, in which individual performances are a joy, and humour abounds.

****1

Click bait: an effective new Traviata at the Komische Oper

Hugo Shirley, 1st December

Nicola Raab's production doesn't quite provide the bold rethinking it promises, but stylish execution and a fine cast make for an effective modern Traviata.

****1

Handel’s Ariodante in Drottningholm's magical setting

Laura Servidei, 3rd August

A splendid cast led by Ann Hallenberg does justice to an integral version of Handel’s masterpiece under the baton of Ian Page.

****1

Vampires take centre-stage at Royal Swedish Opera

Laura Servidei, 28th October

A frightyfully enjoyable world premiere of Victoria Borisova-Ollas first opera, turned into a giant Halloween party, where the Kungliga Operan is invaded by an audience of vampires, emaciated Victorian ladies and sinister characters.

****1

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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.