Tireless Herlitzius leads Walküre in Vienna

By Ako Imamura, 18 May 2015

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Reviewed at Wiener Staatsoper, Vienna on 17 May 2015

Wagner, Die Walküre

Vienna State Opera

Sir Simon Rattle, Conductor

Sven-Eric Bechtolf, Director

Evelyn Herlitzius, Brünnhilde

Martina Serafin, Sieglinde

Michaela Schuster, Fricka

Christopher Ventris, Siegmund

Tomasz Konieczny, Wotan

Mikhail Petrenko, Hunding

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Laura Servidei, 14th March

Ermonela Jaho returns to one of her signature roles as Cio-Cio-San, delivering a searing and deeply nuanced portrayal.

****1

Too much and too little: Jan Lauwers’ restless Clemenza in Vienna

Chanda VanderHart, 12th March

The creative team behind the new Staatsoper Clemenza is unwilling to trust that Mozart’s opera is interesting enough to stand on its own.

***11

An Idomeneo shattered to pieces at the Wiener Staatsoper

Orsolya Gyárfás, 23rd January

A committed cast struggles to lend a spark of life to Kasper Holten's static staging of Mozart's first mature opera.

**111

A holiday Bohème: Puccini, Zeffirelli and tradition in Vienna

Laura Servidei, 21st December

Giacomo Sagripanti conducts a luxuriant reading with a cast anchored by Juan Diego Flórez and Nicole Car, in Zeffirelli’s familiar, generous, unabashedly emotional production.

***11

Stikhina, Tézier and Tetelman outstanding in classic Vienna Tosca

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It may be on its 663rd outing, but Margarethe Wallmann's Tosca is a classic for a reason, as proved in this outstanding performance at the Wiener Staatsoper.

*****

Lise auf Naxos: Davidsen makes a triumphant return to Ariadne

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Norwegian soprano Lise Davidsen returns to Sven-Eric Bechtolf's lean but polished production with an outstanding cast, outstandingly conducted.

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Ako Imamura

Atsuko (Ako) Imamura is a retired investment banker in New York City. Born in Japan, she trained as cultural anthropologist in the US before turning to ﬁnance. She now spends her time attending opera and classical music concerts in New York and in Europe. Wagner is her favorite opera composer.

Tireless Herlitzius leads a memorable Walküre in Vienna