Britten: Death in Venice
Royal Opera, 21st November 2019
“Britten doesn’t sell.” Until Deborah Warner’s impressive production of Billy Budd last April, The Royal Opera hadn’t put any Britten on the main stage since Richard Jones’ (admittedly naff) Gloriana in 2013, the composer’s centenary year. A planned revival of Willy Decker’s Peter Grimes was scrapped because it was feared it wouldn’t put bums on seats. And although Sir David McVicar’s new staging of Death in Venice sees the work return to Covent Garden for the first time in over 25 years, it’s only been given five performances. Is this a house that believes in Britten?
Gerald Finley (Gondolier) and Mark Padmore (Aschenbach)
© ROH | Catherine Ashmore
Click here to read the full review on Bachtrack.