Dramatically powerful Siegfried in Hong Kong

By Alan Yu, 23 January 2017

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“Heidi Melton... earth-shattering and majestic”

Reviewed at Hong Kong Cultural Centre: Concert Hall, Hong Kong on 22 January 2017

Wagner, Siegfried

Jaap van Zweden, Conductor

Simon O'Neill, Siegfried

David Cangelosi, Mime

Matthias Goerne, Der Wanderer

Falk Struckmann, Fafner

Deborah Humble, Erda

Heidi Melton, Brünnhilde

Valentina Farcaş, Waldvogel (the woodbird)

Werner Van Mechelen, Alberich

Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra

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Laura Servidei, 25th May

In Barrie Kosky's hyperactive staging, Il viaggio a Reims becomes a birthday tribute to Cecilia Bartoli complete with rewritten text, extravagant costumes, sexual escapades and a giant cake.

***11

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***11

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****1

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As usual, Pinchgut lavishes musical excellence on an obscure Baroque work... but why stage an oratorio?

****1

Matthias Goerne strikes gold with Salome in Toulouse

Emmanuel Gaillard, 22nd May

Late step-in Nicole Chevalier, baritone-turned-director Matthias Goerne and conductor Frank Beermann combine their talents to create a landmark production at the Capitole de Toulouse.

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The Met’s Frida y Diego proves visually stunning, musically thrilling

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*****

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Alan Yu

The first concert Alan attended was Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde. For 7 years he presented classical music programmes for Radio Television Hong Kong, partly to pay his way through university. He attends concerts whenever he can and believes there is no substitute for the thrill of live performances. He writes here.

Dramatically powerful Siegfried as the Hong Kong Philharmonic continues its Ring cycle