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2024-03-29
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2021-07-27 07:37:49
Janacek's 'The Diary of One Who Disappeared' alongside his Moravian songs and Dvorak's 'Gypsy Songs' from Nicky Spence, Fleur Barron, Dylan Perez and friends at Opera Holland Park
Janacek collecting folk-songs on 19 August 1906 in Strání Janacek The Diary of one Who Disappeared, Dvorak Gypsy Songs; Fleur Barron, Nicky Spence, Charlotte Badham, Charlotte Bowden, Isabelle Peters, Dylan Perez; Opera Holland Park Reviewed by Robert Hugill on 25 July 2021 Star rating: 4.0 (★★★★) Forget the torrential rain, this vividly engaging evening of Czech song radiated warmth, energy and sheer joyOn Sunday 25 July 2021, Opera Holland Park hosted the first of a series of three song recitals, Opera in Song curated by baritone Julien Van Mellaerts [who was the Count in Opera Holland Park's recent production of Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro, see my review] and pianist Dylan Perez. On Sunday, Dylan Perez was joined by tenor Nicky Spence, mezzo-soprano Fleur Barron, mezzo-soprano Charlotte Badham, soprano Charlotte Bowden and soprano Isabelle Peters for a selection of Janacek's Moravian folk poetry in songs, Dvorak's Gypsy […]
2021-07-26 07:21:30
To focus on the journey, on the people and their stories: Julia Burbach directs Wagner's Die Walküre for the Grimeborn Festival
Wagner: Die Walküre - Evgeny Nikitin (Wotan) - Opéra National de Bordeaux (Photo Eric Bouloumie) Opera director Julia Burbach has been spending quite a bit of time with Wagner recently, specifically his Ring Cycle. In 2019 she directed the Grimeborn Festival's production of Das Rheingold [see my review], the first in what was hoped/planned to be eventually a full cycle based around Jonathan Dove and Graham Vick's reduced version of The Ring originally made for Birmingham Opera Company. And in 2019, Julia also directed Die Walküre for Opéra National de Bordeaux in a production that was planned to transfer to Icelandic Opera in 2020 but which has now been re-scheduled for 2022. And now, having just directed Mascagni's L'amico Fritz for Opera Holland Park [see my review], Julia directs Die Walküre for the Grimeborn Festival at the Hackney Empire conducted by Peter Selwyn on 4, 6 and 7 August […]
2021-07-26 07:19:43
A light touch, yet full of character: Mascagni's L'amico Fritz proves an engaging discovery at Opera Holland Park
Mascagni: L'amico Fritz - Opera Holland Park, 2021 (Photo Ali Wright) Mascagni L'amico Fritz; Katie Bird, Matteo Lippi, Paul Carey Jones, dir: Julia Burbach, City of London Sinfonia, cond: Beatrice Venezi; Opera Holland Park Reviewed by Robert Hugill on 24 July 2021 Star rating: 5.0 (★★★★★) Mascagni's lyrical comedy in a rare London outing which enables us to enjoy the work's engaging characterMascagni's opera L'amico Fritz was almost as famous and popular as his Cavalleria Rusticana during the composer's lifetime, but since his death in 1945 the opera's hold on the repertoire has waned, its appearances often restricted to famous tenors wanting to sing the 'Cherry Duet', the best-known moment from the opera. Opera Holland Park has kept faith with the piece (possibly the only major London company to have performed the work) and having produced it before (around 10 years ago and 20 years ago), they […]
2021-07-25 09:07:15
Janacek's forest could easily be on a London estate around the corner from the theatre: The Cunning Little Vixen at Opera Holland Park
Janacek: The Cunning Little Vixen - Jennifer France - Opera Holland Park, 2021 (Photo Ali Wright) Janacek The Cunning Little Vixen; Jennifer France, Grant Doyle, Julia Sporsen, dir: Stephen Barlow, City of London Sinfonia, cond: Jessica Cottis; Opera Holland Park Reviewed by Robert Hugill on 23 July 2021 Star rating: 4.0 (★★★★) An imaginative yet stripped down production in which Janacek's music is allowed to work its magicOpera Holland Park's new production of Janacek's The Cunning Little Vixen continued the company's exploration of Janacek's operas, and we caught up with the production on Friday 23 July 2021. Jessica Cottis conducted the City of London Sinfonia in Jonathan Dove's orchestral reduction, and Stephen Barlow's production featured Jennifer France as the Vixen, Grant Doyle as the Forester, Julia Sporsen as the Fox plus Ann Taylor (Forester's Wife, Owl), Charne Rochford (Schoolmaster, Mosquito), John Savournin (Priest, Badger), and Ashley Riches […]
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