Rex tremendae majestatis: Stravinsky at the Baltic Sea Festival

By Matthew Rye, 22 August 2017

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“Rarely have the Alleluias over Stravinsky’s rolling, tolling bass sounded as cathartic as here”

Reviewed at Royal Swedish Opera, Stockholm on 21 August 2017

Stravinsky, Oedipus Rex

Stravinsky, Symphony of Psalms

Royal Swedish Opera

Esa-Pekka Salonen, Conductor

Peter Sellars, Director

Dunya Ramicova, Costume Designer

Violeta Urmana, Jocasta

Joseph Kaiser, Oedipus

Joshua Stewart, Shepherd

Davóne Tines, Creon, Messenger, Creon / Messenger

Helene Siebrits, Costume Designer

Ladies of the Gustaf Sjökvists Kammarkör

Royal Swedish Orchestra

Orphei Dränger

Ladies of the Sofia Vokalensemble

Stemme leads an explosive Jenůfa at Royal Swedish Opera

David Karlin, 25th October

Janáček’s drama of infanticide is delivered at full power by Nina Stemme and Agneta Eichenholz in Annilese Miskimmon’s well-crafted production. The orchestra, however, are just too loud.

****1

Overpowering Candide at Royal Swedish Opera

David Karlin, 25th October

Ole Anders Tandberg's edgy take on Bernstein's satirical operetta is lifted by some good performances but marred by an overpowering orchestra.

***11

A dark, brutal Don Giovanni in Stockholm

Laura Servidei, 28th March

The Royal Swedish Opera revives Tandberg’s 2014 production with a solid cast of Swedish singers.

***11

Swedish première of Szymanowski’s King Roger in Stockholm

Laura Servidei, 19th March

Elin Rombo shines in a co-production of King Roger with the Royal Swedish Opera and Teatr Wielki, in Warsaw

***11

Anne Sofie von Otter dominates the scene in Stockholm's Carmélites

Laura Servidei, 6th February

The Royal Swedish Opera revives Garpe’s production of Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites with a committed cast.

***11

Carmen meets Tosca at the Royal Swedish Opera

Laura Servidei, 19th January

A semi-successful production with an interesting underlying idea and a solid cast brings Bizet’s masterpiece back to Stockholm.

***11

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Matthew Rye

Matthew read music at Oxford and worked in music journalism for 30 years as a writer, critic and editor. He wrote numerous programme and CD booklet notes, spent 13 years as a Daily Telegraph critic, worked at BBC Music Magazine and was reviews editor of The Strad. He also wrote for The Wagner Journal and Opera and blogged at ferneklang.blogspot.co.uk. He was general editor of 1001 Classical Recordings You Must Hear Before You Die (Cassell Illustrated, 2007) and was the author of a new series of eBooks, Masterpieces of Music (Erudition).

Rex tremendae majestatis: impressive Stravinsky at the Baltic Sea Festival in Stockholm