Tag Archives: Emmanuel Villaume

Firing blanks: a disappointing Tosca at Covent Garden

Puccini: Tosca ** The Royal Opera, 11th January 2016 Nothing sweeps away the Christmas excess of multiple Nutcrackers like the biting chords denoting the villainous Baron Scarpia at the start of Tosca. I have a sneaking fondness for Puccini’s ‘shabby … Continue reading

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Blind faith: Netrebko stars in Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta

Tchaikovsky: Iolanta (DG)  How fortunes change! Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta began life as the more successful pairing in a double bill, premiered in St Petersburg in 1892 alongside his ballet The Nutcracker. Since then, it has fallen into obscurity outside Russia, whereas … Continue reading

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