Category Archives: DVD/Blu-ray

A curious, ghostly Onegin from Mariusz Trelinski

Tchaikovsky: Eugene Onegin (C Major Blu-ray) *** Kasper Holten faced something of a critical backlash (not from these quarters) for his use of dancer doubles in his recent Royal Opera production of Eugene Onegin, yet their use in this opera … Continue reading

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Pountney points the Finger of Fate: La forza del destino from Vienna

Verdi: La forza del destino Zubin Mehta/Wiener Staatsoper (C major) Who would have guessed that Verdi’s La forza del destino is an opera filled with coincidental encounters, fickle fate and sheer rotten luck? If you miss that point in David … Continue reading

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Fish out of water: Martin Kušej’s nightmarish Rusalka in Munich

Dvořák: Rusalka **** C Major Blu-ray 706504 Fairy tales usually have dark undercurrents – witches, wolves and wicked stepmothers destined to give children sleepless nights before eventually arriving at a Happy Ever After. There’s no happy ending to Rusalka, but … Continue reading

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Primary colours and childish charm: Cherevichki

Tchaikovsky: Cherevichki (Opus Arte) *** Last Christmas, the Royal Opera staged Tchaikovsky’s Cherevichki as its seasonal ‘family show’; a curious piece of marketing as I doubt that the opera would necessarily appeal to children. Its staging brought forth a touch … Continue reading

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