Monthly Archives: March 2017

Broken wings: Ermonela Jaho a devastating Madama Butterfly at Covent Garden

Puccini: Madama Butterfly **** The Royal Opera, 27th March 2017 Ermonela Jaho sure likes to put herself (and us) through the emotional wringer on Covent Garden’s stage. Her characters usually meet with a sticky end: Violetta and Mimì both succumb … Continue reading

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Mediterranean heat: a scorching Daphnis et Chloé from Altinoglu and the LSO

Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Ravel: LSO/Altinoglu **** Barbican Hall, 23rd March 2017 It’s over twenty years since I last saw Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé danced by the Royal Ballet, yet every step of Sir Frederick Ashton’s choreography is imprinted on my memory: Stuart … Continue reading

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Betrayal, vengeance and a Scottish fantasy: Verdi’s rarity Aroldo staged by UC Opera

Verdi: Aroldo UC Opera, Theatre Royal Stratford East, 20th March 2017 Two Verdi operatic rewrites within four days! But whereas Jérusalem (reviewed in Liège on Friday) was a proper revision of I Lombardi for Verdi’s first Paris Opéra commission, Aroldo … Continue reading

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A Verdi pilgrimage to Liège for Jérusalem

Verdi: Jérusalem **** Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège, 17th March 2017 Asked to list Verdi’s operas, even the most knowledgeable may come a cropper over Jérusalem. Even Parma’s infamous “Club dei 27”, whose members each take the name of an opera, … Continue reading

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