Monthly Archives: May 2017

From the Auvergne to St Petersburg: a travelogue with the Orchestre de Paris

Posted on May 19, 2017 by Mark Pullinger

Ravel, Canteloube, Mussorgsky: Orchestre de Paris/Hengelbrock *** Philharmonie de Paris, 18th May 2017 How fluent is your Occitan? Joseph Canteloube’s Chants d’Auvergne, his arrangement of folksongs from central France, are in the local language, not dissimilar to Catalan. They mostly … Continue reading →

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Poisoned with absinthe: Ravel dances with death at the Garnier

Posted on May 18, 2017 by Mark Pullinger

Ravel: La Valse; En Sol; Boléro Ballet de l’Opéra de Paris, Palais Garnier, 17th May 2017 The spectre of death loomed large over this Ravel triple bill at the Palais Garnier. Erich Kleiber once described La Valse as “poisoned with absinthe”, an … Continue reading →

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Netrebko in majestic form as Tatyana in Paris Onegin

Posted on May 17, 2017 by Mark Pullinger

Tchaikovsky: Eugene Onegin *** Opéra de Paris, Bastille, 16th May 2017 The operatic merry-go-round is a strange beast. In April, Peter Mattei and Anna Netrebko were starring together in Deborah Warner’s production of Eugene Onegin at the Metropolitan Opera, the final … Continue reading →

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Royal Opera’s Don Carlo revival fails to ignite

Posted on May 13, 2017 by Mark Pullinger

Verdi: Don Carlo *** Royal Opera, Covent Garden, 12th May 2017 “What a day, what a day for an auto-da-fé” sings the chorus in Bernstein’s Candide, “It’s a lovely day for drinking and for watching people fry!” The Royal Opera … Continue reading →

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There’s no place like Rome: Pappano and the Santa Cecilians dazzle in Respighi

Posted on May 12, 2017 by Mark Pullinger

Rossini, Tchaikovsky, Respighi: Wang; Santa Cecilia/Pappano **** Royal Festival Hall, 11th May 2017 All roads lead to Rome. Last night however, the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia brought the Eternal City vividly to London in the form of two of … Continue reading →

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