Tag Archives: Marc Minkowski

Full of eastern promise: Mârouf, savetier du Caire at the Opéra Comique

Rabaud: Mârouf, savetier du Caire **** Opéra Comique, Paris, 23rd April 2018 Open Sesame! Ali Baba, Aladdin and the adventures of Sinbad have transfixed generations, but very few tales from The Arabian Nights have successfully crossed the footlights onto the operatic stage. In … Continue reading

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Marina Rebeka: a Violetta in robust health in Covent Garden’s Traviata

Verdi: La traviata *** Royal Opera, 18th May 2015 Twenty-one years, twelve revivals and umpteen casts later, Richard Eyre’s Royal Opera production of La traviata still has much to recommend it. Bob Crowley’s designs are handsome – the salon in … Continue reading

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On with the motley: Clowns, ruffs and a bullet with Ferrando’s name on it

Verdi: Il trovatore: DG*** BelAir*** To adopt sporting jargon, Il trovatore comes in for a ‘bit of stick’ in operatic circles. Its plot is frequently held up as an example of how ridiculous opera plots can be and it has … Continue reading

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Martin Kušej’s Idomeneo cast as gripping political power struggle

Mozart: Idomeneo **** Royal Opera, 3rd November 2014 “Here be dragons!” warned seafaring maps of yore, denoting uncharted territories. Martin Kušej, undertaking his first Royal Opera exploration, excised the sea monster from his vision of Mozart’s Idomeneo. Well, there was a … Continue reading

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A brace of ghost ships

Wagner: Der fliegende Holländer/ Dietsch: Le vaisseau fantôme (Naïve) *** One of the more enterprising celebrations to mark Wagner’s bicentenary last year now arrives on disc courtesy of Naïve. Conductor Marc Minkowski had been considering recording Die Feen, but opted … Continue reading

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