Tag Archives: Jakub Hrůša

From the Vltava to the Elbe: triumphant Bamberg in Hamburg

Hrůša/ Bamberg Symphony Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg, 28th May 2019 A pair of flutes flicker and ripple, soon joined by burbling clarinets, with pizzicato glints of sunlight on water. A string theme swells and falls, meandering on its way. Smetana’s Vltava must … Continue reading

Posted in Concert | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A rebellious Carmen: Kosky’s vaudeville flawed but entertaining

Carmen Royal Opera House, 6th & 8th March 2018 If Carmen contends that love is a rebellious bird, then Barrie Kosky is a rebellious director. He can take rarities such as Saul or The Nose and give it the full … Continue reading

Posted in Opera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Enchanted Wood: dream of a Dream at Glyndebourne

Britten: A Midsummer Night’s Dream ***** Glyndebourne, 11th August 2016 “Out of this wood do not desire to go!” Tytania orders Bottom. Glyndebourne’s revival of Peter Hall’s classic production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is eerily enchanting, weaving its spell right … Continue reading

Posted in Opera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Enchanted Wood: dream of a Dream at Glyndebourne

Circle of Life: Janáček’s Cunning Little Vixen returns to Glyndebourne

Janáček: The Cunning Little Vixen **** Glyndebourne Festival Opera, 12th June 2016 Seventy years before Elton John’s “The Circle of Life” graced The Lion King, Leoš Janáček celebrated nature’s cycle in The Cunning Little Vixen. His inspiration was drawn from … Continue reading

Posted in Opera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Circle of Life: Janáček’s Cunning Little Vixen returns to Glyndebourne

Sultry, fiery, coquettish: Stéphanie d’Oustrac’s Carmen has it all

Bizet: Carmen **** Glyndebourne, 23rd May 2015 “The very incarnation of vice” was how one critic described Célestine Galli-Marié’s Carmen at the opera’s 1875 Opéra Comique première. That description could equally be applied to Stéphanie d’Oustrac in Glyndebourne’s revival of … Continue reading

Posted in Opera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Sultry, fiery, coquettish: Stéphanie d’Oustrac’s Carmen has it all