Tag Archives: Antonio Pappano

Pappano and the LSO bring the Italians out of the opera pit

Posted on March 4, 2019 by Mark Pullinger

Pappano/ London Symphony Orchestra Barbican, 3rd March 2019 Verdi, Puccini and Ponchielli don’t exactly get out of the pit much, Italian composers famed almost exclusively for their operatic output. Sir Antonio Pappano doesn’t get out of the pit much either, … Continue reading →

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Infernal Liszt: Alice Sara Ott, Antonio Pappano and a Faustian pact

Posted on November 27, 2017 by Mark Pullinger

Liszt: LSO/ Pappano **** Barbican, 26th November 2017 In all honesty, Goethe could have been referring to Liszt’s Faust Symphony which – at around seventy minutes – can feel like a very long work of art indeed. It formed the bloated climax … Continue reading →

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DiDonato leads the vocal pyrotechnics in a dazzling Semiramide at the Royal Opera

Posted on November 20, 2017 by Mark Pullinger

Rossini: Semiramide **** Royal Opera, 19th November 2017 Semiramide is a rare visitor to London. Opera Rara offered a splendid Prom in the Hanging Gardens of South Kensington last year, while the only time Rossini’s opera seria was presented in Covent Garden since … Continue reading →

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No moonlight, no magic: Richard Jones directs a vanilla Bohème for the Royal Opera

Posted on September 12, 2017 by Mark Pullinger

Puccini: La bohème *** The Royal Opera, 11th September 2017 New productions of La bohème don’t come around that often at the Royal Opera. John Copley’s venerable staging lasted for 43 years and the one before that – Peter Brook … Continue reading →

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A bronze-toned lion of Venice: Kaufmann debuts as Otello at Covent Garden

Posted on June 22, 2017 by Mark Pullinger

Verdi: Otello **** The Royal Opera, 21st June 2017 After all the hype, he sang. Speculation about whether Jonas Kaufmann would even turn up for rehearsals to sing his first Otello have kept both press and social media frenzied for months. Even … Continue reading →

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