Tag Archives: Richard Farnes

Great Britten: Death in Venice returns to Covent Garden in superb new staging

Britten: Death in Venice Royal Opera, 21st November 2019 “Britten doesn’t sell.” Until Deborah Warner’s impressive production of Billy Budd last April, The Royal Opera hadn’t put any Britten on the main stage since Richard Jones’ (admittedly naff) Gloriana in … Continue reading

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Goosebumps at Garsington: an outstanding, shadowy Turn of the Screw

Britten: The Turn of the Screw Garsington Opera, 1st July 2019 How do you tell a ghost story in broad daylight? That’s the challenge that faced Louisa Muller directing Britten’s operatic chiller The Turn of the Screw for Garsington. It’s … Continue reading

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Murder on the dance floor: an underwhelming Masked Ball from Opera North

Verdi: Un ballo in maschera ** Opera North, Leeds Grand Theatre, 3rd February 2018 If you had received an invitation to a masked ball at which there turned out to be no masks and no dancing, it’s understandable you’d feel … Continue reading

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Plums and turkeys: a musical voyage around 2016

Most people I know cannot wait to see the back of 2016. But in the year in which Brexit, Trump and the Grim Reaper were the big winners, I admit to having had a terrific twelve months. A whirl of … Continue reading

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Comic strip Trovatore a damp squib at the Royal Opera

Verdi: Il trovatore ** The Royal Opera, 4th December 2016 “Do you really want to see Trovatore on the stage with that story? Really?!” exclaimed Antonio Pappano to me recently. I can’t be sure the Music Director of the Royal … Continue reading

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