The Demon: Botstein sheds light on another neglected opera

Efim Zavalny (The Demon)

Olga Tolkmit (Tamara)

Olga Tolkmit (Tamara) and ensemble

By Edward Sava-Segal, 30 July 2018

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“a demon... furtively moving in the shadows rather than throwing around mighty lightning bolts”

Reviewed at Richard B Fisher Center for the Performing Arts: Sosnoff Theater, Annandale-on-Hudson on 27 July 2018

Rubinstein, The Demon

SummerScape Opera

Leon Botstein, Conductor

Thaddeus Strassberger, Director

Paul DePoo, Set Designer

Kaye Voyce, Costume Designer

American Symphony Orchestra

Bard Festival Chorale

Yefim Zavalny, Demon

Olga Tolkmit, Tamara

Nadezhda Babintseva, Angel

Ekaterina Egorova, Tamara's Nurse

Pavel Suliandziga, Courier

Alexander Nesterenko, Prince Sinodal

Andrei Valentii, Prince Gudal

Yakov Strizhak, Sinodal's servant

Almost rescued from tyranny: Smetena's Dalibor stuns at Bard

Robert Levine, 27th July

Bedřich Smetana’s patriotic opera Dalibor is given a rare outing at Bard College, directed by Jean-Romain Vesperini and conducted by Leon Botstein.

****1

Damning with faint praise: Berlioz at Bard

Cameron Kelsall, 18th August

As part of a festival considering the composer's oeuvre, Leon Botstein leads a concert performance of La Damnation de Faust lacking in French style.

**111

The fat knight sings in Bard Festival's Sir John in Love

Cameron Kelsall, 13th August

A two-week Ralph Vaughan Williams retrospective closed with his gentle, folksy spin on Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor.

***11

Saint-Saëns rarity Henry VIII takes the crown at Bard SummerScape

Cameron Kelsall, 21st July

Conductor Leon Botstein and director Jean-Roumain Vesperini treat this Tudor soap opera with appropriate grandeur, while a top-notch cast deliver the vocal goods.

****1

Strauss' Silent Woman makes a grand noise at Bard

Robert Levine, 24th July

Bard’s always courageous Music Director, Leon Botstein, never one to shy away from a challenge, presents Strauss' comedy uncut.

****1

Bard Musical Festival presents a thrilling Die tote Stadt

Cameron Kelsall, 18th August

American singers Clay Hilley and Sara Jakubiak offered performances of distinction in two fiendishly difficult roles.

****1

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Edward Sava-Segal

Edward has been living in New York for the last 25 years, one of the reasons being the extraordinarily rich cultural life in this city. He has studied piano and classical music in his early years. He switched later on to computer science and data architecture but he kept an unwavering interest in following the classical music phenomenon here in New York and in his travels. Edward occasionally reviews fine arts events for the most prestigious literary magazine in Romania, his home country.

The Demon: Leon Botstein sheds light on another neglected opera at Bard