Rossinian Bake-Off: a delicious double bill at Wexford

By Mark Pullinger, 25 October 2019

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“Rachel Kelly’s coloratura dazzled, spinning notes up into soprano territory”

Reviewed at National Opera House: O’Reilly Theatre, Wexford on 24 October 2019

Synnott, La cucina

Rossini, Adina

Wexford Festival Opera

Michele Spotti, Conductor

Rosetta Cucchi, Director

Tiziano Santi, Set Designer

Claudia Pernigotti, Costume Designer

Máire Flavin, Bianca

Manuel Amati, Tobia Aiuto del fornitor, Alì

Emmanuel Franco, Camillo Aiuto cuoco , Mustafà

Sheldon Baxter, Zeno Fornitore

Luca Nucera, Alberto Famosissimo

Rachel Kelly, Adina

Levy Sekgapane, Selimo

Daniele Antonangeli, Califo

Simon Corder, Set Designer

Chorus of Wexford Festival Opera

Orchestra of Wexford Festival Opera

Delius’ The Magic Fountain disappoints at Wexford

Eleanor Knight, 19th October

Frederick Delius' gigantic score is worth a listen but Christopher Luscombe doesn’t circumvent the problems of directing this opera in 2025.

**111

Handel’s Deidamia a triumph for Wexford Festival Opera

Eleanor Knight, 18th October

A rare opportunity to see Handel’s final operatic work, Deidamia, conducted – and staged – by George Petrou at Wexford Festival Opera.

*****

Spanish Civil War Trouvère opens Wexford Festival Opera

Eleanor Knight, 17th October

The 74th Wexford Opera Festival opens with the French revision of Il trovatore that Verdi reforged for the Paris Opera.

***11

Orpha Phelan delivers farcical Donizetti at the Wexford Festival Opera

Andrew Larkin, 20th October

Superlative singing, hilarious antics and an energetic production make Donizetti's Le Convenience ed inconvenience an exhilarating success.

****1

Stanford's hilarious The Critic proves a Wexford knockout

Andrew Larkin, 19th October

Conor Hanratty's humorous production is a triumph from beginning to end, a must see at this year's Wexford Festival.

*****

Mascagni's Le maschere struggles to take flight in Wexford opener

Andrew Larkin, 18th October

Excellent singing, an amusing production and lively staging showcases Mascagni's Le maschere in the best possible light at Wexford Festival Opera.

***11

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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.