Monthly Archives: June 2015

McVicar’s stylish Entführung emerges as a strong moral tale at Glyndebourne

Posted on June 14, 2015 by Mark Pullinger

Mozart: Die Entführung aus dem Serail **** Glyndebourne, 13th June 2015 “Too many notes, Herr Mozart,” was Emperor Joseph II’s response to the composer’s new Singspiel Die Entführung aus dem Serail. I feared “Too many words, Sir David,” would be my response … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on McVicar’s stylish Entführung emerges as a strong moral tale at Glyndebourne

Full throttle: finger crunching pianism from Alice Sara Ott and Francesco Tristano at the QEH

Posted on June 12, 2015 by Mark Pullinger

Ravel, Debussy, Stravinsky/Alice Sara Ott & Francesco Tristano **** Queen Elizabeth Hall, 11th June 2015 Apart from the crunching key change near the end, the only variation in Ravel’s Boléro comes through its dynamics and its brilliantly inventive scoring. Ravel … Continue reading →

Posted in Concert | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Full throttle: finger crunching pianism from Alice Sara Ott and Francesco Tristano at the QEH

Taking wing: Dove’s Flight a soaring success for Opera Holland Park

Posted on June 11, 2015 by Mark Pullinger

Dove: Flight ***** Opera Holland Park, 10th June 2015 Flight represents a brave new departure for Opera Holland Park. Jonathan Dove’s tale of airport life, which first took to the skies at Glyndebourne in 1998, is the first contemporary opera … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Taking wing: Dove’s Flight a soaring success for Opera Holland Park

Carte blanche: A muddled Queen of Spades from David Alden at ENO

Posted on June 7, 2015 by Mark Pullinger

Tchaikovsky: The Queen of Spades *** English National Opera, 6th June 2015 “What if there is no secret? And all this is but the vain delirium of my sick spirit?” Hermann’s lines as he steals into the Countess’ bedroom give … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Carte blanche: A muddled Queen of Spades from David Alden at ENO

Wedding chaos, deception and duplicity in Garsington’s Così fan tutte

Posted on June 6, 2015 by Mark Pullinger

Mozart: Così fan tutte **** Garsington Opera, 5th June 2015 Weddings bring out the cynic in me. They also bring out the cynic in Don Alfonso and it’s at a wedding breakfast that John Fulljames sets his production of Così fan tutte, … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Wedding chaos, deception and duplicity in Garsington’s Così fan tutte