Rossini’s great 1823 tragedy Semiramide, his last work composed for Italy before he based himself in Paris, was deemed a masterpiece in the 19th century, but fell out of fashion for much of the 20th. David Alden’s staging is the first at Covent Garden since 1887,...
Given its world premiere by English National Opera, Nico Muhly’s Marnie is drawn from Winston Graham’s 1961 novel of the same name, famously filmed by Alfred Hitchcock in 1964. The subject, Muhly argues, “screams out for operatic treatment”, and his heroine – a thief...
By: Tim Ashley for the Guardian (UK) Glyndebourne, Sussex Given its world premiere at Glyndebourne earlier this year, Brett Dean’s Hamlet, regarded by some as the most successful operatic adaptation to date of Shakespeare’s tragedy, has now entered the repertory for...
Hackney Empire, London English Touring Opera’s ambitious autumn programme features two baroque operas that both deal with sex and war and the private and the political. English Touring Opera’s autumn season centres on two great baroque works, Handel’s Giulio Cesare...
Coliseum, London Phelim McDermott’s new production for ENO features some virtuoso turns and preserves the tragedy’s air of mystery, but at times lacks cohesion English National Opera’s new production of Aida is the work of Phelim McDermott, whose previous stagings for...
Royal Festival Hall, London The anti-Freudian Oedipus opera may not flawless, but this performance with the LPO was a superb and beautiful achievement The London Philharmonic opened its new season with a concert performance of Oedipe, George Enescu’s only opera, first...
Grand Theatre, Leeds The company’s season of short operas is less adventurous than its previous iteration, but there is little to fault in the execution For its autumn season, Opera North is reverting to a format first used in 2004 with a programme of “Little Greats”...