Tag Archives: Stéphane Degout

Faust finds salvation thanks to jump-in soprano at The Royal Opera

Posted on April 12, 2019 by Mark Pullinger

Gounod: Faust Royal Opera, 11th April 2019 Mandy Fredrich’s plane from Hanover landed at London City Airport two hours before curtain up. The German soprano should have been heading to Bonn, preparing for a jump-in as Fifth Maid in Theater … Continue reading →

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Carthage carnage: Tcherniakov’s Trojans flops at the Bastille

Posted on January 26, 2019 by Mark Pullinger

Berlioz: Les Troyens ** Opéra de Paris, 25th January 2019 What if, after the Fall of Troy, Énée doesn’t end up in Carthage, courting Didon, but washes up in a residential home for war victims suffering Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder instead? … Continue reading →

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Swans, severed heads and a deerstalker: 2018 in review

Posted on December 30, 2018 by Mark Pullinger

“Wow! That’s some year you’ve had!” was a message written in one of this year’s Christmas cards. “Aiming to top it in 2019?” I’m not sure I have the energy! My outstanding operatic experience of the year was easily Salome at … Continue reading →

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“A very palpable hit”: Degout and Devieilhe star in Hamlet revival at the Opéra Comique

Posted on December 18, 2018 by Mark Pullinger

Thomas: Hamlet **** Opéra Comique, Paris, 17th December 2018 «Être ou ne pas être…» What’s this? Hamlet in French? With an ending where the Prince lives and is crowned king? Sacré bleu ! Ambroise Thomas’ operatic take on Shakespeare has always taken a bit … Continue reading →

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

Posted on March 18, 2018 by Mark Pullinger

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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