Tag Archives: Sally Matthews

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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McVicar’s stylish Entführung emerges as a strong moral tale at Glyndebourne

Mozart: Die Entführung aus dem Serail **** Glyndebourne, 13th June 2015 “Too many notes, Herr Mozart,” was Emperor Joseph II’s response to the composer’s new Singspiel Die Entführung aus dem Serail. I feared “Too many words, Sir David,” would be my response … 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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Round Britten: the operas on disc

Last week, I finally got my hands on the new 50 pence piece the Royal Mint issued to commemorate Britten’s centenary, inscribed with lyrics from his ‘Serenade for tenor, horn and strings’. It’s appearance in my sticky paws is nearly … Continue reading

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