Author Archives: Mark Pullinger

In Vienna, Lydia Steier stages Candide as a bawdy Broadway romp

Posted on January 26, 2024 by Mark Pullinger

Bernstein: Candide MusikTheater an der Wien, 21st January 2024 Opera? Operetta? Musical? Perhaps because Candide doesn’t slot into a neat category, it has struggled to find its niche in the repertoire. The work of a multitude of librettists – but … Continue reading →

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In Vienna, a Turandot without the clichés

Posted on January 15, 2024 by Mark Pullinger

Puccini: Turandot Wiener Staatsoper, 7th December 2023 Who is Turandot? An ice princess from Chinese fairytale? Forget that in Claus Guth’s outstanding new staging for the Wiener Staatsoper. Never one to deal in kitsch or cliché, Guth has no place … Continue reading →

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Cavalleria rusticana & Pagliacci: murder, lust and fiery singing

Posted on December 1, 2023 by Mark Pullinger

Mascagni: Cavalleria rusticana; Leoncavallo: Pagliacci Royal Opera House, 30th November 2023 Anna The verismo twins Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci are back, fatally entwined since 1893, when Pietro Mascagni and Ruggero Leoncavallo’s one-act operas first shared a double bill. Their deadly … Continue reading →

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A bloodless Salome at Staatsoper Hamburg

Posted on November 29, 2023 by Mark Pullinger

Strauss: Salome Staatsoper Hamburg, 29th October “I believe we must leave the killing out, when all is done.” Dmitri Tcherniakov seems to have taken a leaf from Starveling’s book in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. His Salome for Staatsoper Hamburg is … Continue reading →

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Rouen takes Carmen back to her opéra comique roots

Posted on November 25, 2023 by Mark Pullinger

Bizet: Carmen Opéra de Rouen, 30th September 2023 Opera fans allergic to dust mites may have approached Opéra de Rouen’s “new” Carmen with caution. In collaboration with the indefatigable Palazzetto Bru Zane, the house staged a production based on the … Continue reading →

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