The Latest Opera from Reviewer's at The Arts Desk
The latest opera has been reviewed by The Arts Desk this week from a quirky festival on the Irish coast to a group of Guidhall students to the ENO.
There were reservations about the English National Opera's production of Tchaikovsky's grand opera 'Eugene Onegin'. Despite boasting four strong singers, the traditional staging was rather inept at communicating the truth of Pushkin's great verse novel. The dramatic action was hampered by the long pauses between scenes which the video and image team could not amply distract from.
Provided some good roles for student singers was Otto Nicolai's 19th century comic opera, 'Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor'. In their current production, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama demonstrated this. All the parts were well sung and there were plenty of positives here, as Tom Rogers's costumes were fun and Clive Timms's conducting was cheery.
There were also some negatives however that included director Harry Fehr's baggy characterisation and the distinct lack of laughter in the audience. The overture and the moonlight chorus were the highlights musically though.
Rather than dealing in classics you might expect to find at the royal opera, the Wexford Festival Opera's 60th anniversary season concentrates on neglected, often unheard-of operas and Alexandra Coghlan was full of praise for it. Delivering three full-scale operas a year and housed in the unassuming but state-of-the-art Wexford Opera House, it's a jewel of a festival.
Marital love was the theme this year with Ambroise Thomas's 'bel canto' piece 'La cour de Climne' coming across as a well-balanced confection with a pleasing feminist plot. Roman Statkowski's family tragedy Maria provided the most interesting but also the most inconsistent show. Finally came one of Donizetti's lesser-known operas, Gianni di Parigi, which despite its fragile plot was given as much comic energy as possible.
There were reservations about the English National Opera's production of Tchaikovsky's grand opera 'Eugene Onegin'. Despite boasting four strong singers, the traditional staging was rather inept at communicating the truth of Pushkin's great verse novel. The dramatic action was hampered by the long pauses between scenes which the video and image team could not amply distract from.
Provided some good roles for student singers was Otto Nicolai's 19th century comic opera, 'Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor'. In their current production, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama demonstrated this. All the parts were well sung and there were plenty of positives here, as Tom Rogers's costumes were fun and Clive Timms's conducting was cheery.
There were also some negatives however that included director Harry Fehr's baggy characterisation and the distinct lack of laughter in the audience. The overture and the moonlight chorus were the highlights musically though.
Rather than dealing in classics you might expect to find at the royal opera, the Wexford Festival Opera's 60th anniversary season concentrates on neglected, often unheard-of operas and Alexandra Coghlan was full of praise for it. Delivering three full-scale operas a year and housed in the unassuming but state-of-the-art Wexford Opera House, it's a jewel of a festival.
Marital love was the theme this year with Ambroise Thomas's 'bel canto' piece 'La cour de Climne' coming across as a well-balanced confection with a pleasing feminist plot. Roman Statkowski's family tragedy Maria provided the most interesting but also the most inconsistent show. Finally came one of Donizetti's lesser-known operas, Gianni di Parigi, which despite its fragile plot was given as much comic energy as possible.
About the Author:
Steve Alexander has been writing about the latest opera in the UK. Check out theartsdesk.com for more information from the grand opera world.