Vaudeville and validation in Ravel double bill

By Sarah Batschelet, 08 May 2017

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Reviewed at Theater Winterthur, Winterthur on 8 May 2017

Ravel, L'Enfant et les sortilèges

Ravel, L'Heure espagnole

Zurich Opera

Pavel Baleff, Conductor

Jan Essinger, Director

Sonja Füsti, Set Designer

Jeannette Seiler, Costume Designer

Dara Savinova, The Child

Carmen Seibel, Mother, Concepción

Claire de Sévigné, Fire, Princess, Nightingale

Sandrine Droin, The armchair, Bat, Shepherdess, Owl

Yulia Mennibaeva, China Cup, Dragonfly

Gemma Ní Bhriain, Cat (female), Squirrel

Dmytro Kalmuchyn, Clock, Cat (male)

Gyula Rab, Little old man, Tree frog, Torquemada

Trystan Llŷr Griffiths, Wedgwood teapot, Gonzalve

Ildo Song, Chair, Tree, Don Iñigo Gomez

Huw Montague Rendall, Ramiro

Members of the International Opera Studio Zurich

A Baroque Netflix evening: Zurich’s star-studded Giulio Cesare

Mengguang Huang, 28th March

Davide Livermore’s high-octane production transforms Handel into a lavish blockbuster. While the superstars shine, the relentless entertainment-first approach often sacrifices musical refinement and dramatic logic for Netflix-style spectacle.

***11

A Rosenkavalier in vivid hues opens the Zurich Opera season

Laura Servidei, 21st September

Lydia Steier stages Strauss’ masterpiece to open Zurich Opera’s first premiere under the new artistic direction – a triumphant success.

****1

Handel’s Serse as a quirky modern tale in Zurich

Laura Servidei, 29th September

Christophe Dumaux shines as Arsamene in Nina Russi’s enjoyable production of Handel’s masterpiece revived at the Opernhaus Zürich under the baton of Enrico Onofri.

***11

Anna Pirozzi shines as a queen bee Turandot

Laura Servidei, 3rd July

Anna Pirozzi and Piero Pretti bring Italian sunshine to Baumgarten’s confused production at the Opernhaus Zürich.

**111

A feast for the eyes and ears: Lehár’s Merry Widow in Zurich

Thomas Schacher, 20th February

Barrie Kosky stages the famous Viennese operetta as a whirlwind spectacle. Marlis Petersen shines in the title role vocally and theatrically. Michael Volle does not live up to expectations.

****1

Werther in the sky at Opernhaus Zürich

Laura Servidei, 23rd January

Benjamin Bernheim leads a very good cast in a revival of Tatjana Gürbaca's interesting 2017 production.

***11

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Sarah Batschelet

Sarah Batschlelet, long based in Switzerland, took a degree in Art History from Smith College, Northampton, Massachuetts, and lives as a freelance writer and editor near Zurich.

Vaudeville and validation: a double-bill of Ravel operas in Winterthur