Tag Archives: Michele Pertusi

Darkness and grandeur in Christophe Honoré’s staging of Don Carlos for Opéra de Lyon

Verdi: Don Carlos **** Opéra de Lyon, 17th March 2018 Verdi was obliged to cut music from Don Carlos so the Paris première finished before midnight, allowing the public time to catch the last trains home. Why didn’t he simply request an … Continue reading

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

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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Rossini’s Thieving Magpie doesn’t quite take flight at La Scala

Rossini: La gazza ladra *** Teatro alla Scala, Milan, 12th April 2017 Everyone knows the overture to La gazza ladra. It’s the one that begins with a pair of snare drums snarling across opposite sides of the orchestra which then … Continue reading

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Hellfire and damnation as Noseda and the LSO blaze through Verdi’s Requiem

Verdi: Requiem **** LSO/Noseda, Barbican, 18th September 2016 Verdi’s Requiem brings with it a huge sense of occasion. Turned to at times of national tragedy, it communicates an emotional power where the words of politicians frequently fail. It is also … Continue reading

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