The Better Bizet
“I much prefer it to Carmen,” I heard the lady in front of me say as we left the auditorium. I think so, too. Of Bizet’s operas, I’m not entirely sure why Carmen is the most performed.
Browsing: Music
Ariadne auf Glyndebourne
“There’s something about donning black tie, dusting off one’s dress shoes and slipping on a silk scarf that seems synonymous with the way opera can be appreciated in a manner befitting it as an art form.”
Death in Venice at the ENO
“The current revival of Death in Venice at the ENO is a beautiful portrayal of this haunting opera. Deborah Warner’s direction is particularly stunning.”
Opera Holland Park 2013
Win a pair of top price tickets to Madama Butterfly at Opera Holland Park, including a pre-show backstage tour with producer James Clutton, meet the cast, and sip champagne in the interval!
Garsington Opera Festival 2013
Win a pair of top price tickets to the exclusive Garsington Opera festival! Put your best frocks forward, straighten those bowties, and sip champagne in the early evening light of the Buckinghamshire countryside, at the UKs best dressed opera at the Wormsley Estate in the Chiltern Hills.
Merrily We Roll Along
“Actress-turned-director Maria Friedman has taken this production through a run at the Menier Chocolate Factory, where it won the 2012 Critics’ Circle award for Best Musical before transferring to the West End.”
Jonathan Miller’s La bohème at the ENO
“Unlike many directors who have tried and failed to grasp the true subtleties of the work, Jonathan Miller brings a sensitivity that entrances the entire audience.”
David Bowie is…
“The V&A’s latest blockbuster exhibition pays tribute to one of the most successful British musicians of living memory by exploring Bowie’s own influences as a creative genius.”
Let’s Face the Music: A Chorus Line
“A Chorus Line is a proper musical. It has glittery top hats and everything. Yet it is unlike any other musical since it shows the ugly side of its own business…”
A Cut Above: The ENO’s Barber of Seville
It was a pleasure to see that the ENO haven’t entirely turned their backs on the more traditionally staged productions, even if they do only appear to have confidence in those Jonathan Miller has had a hand in.
The Drapes of Wrath: La Traviata
The 1852 novel by Alexandre Dumas, La dame aux Camélias is a story of two…
Paco Peña Flamenco Dance Company: Quimeras at Sadler’s Wells
“It was the press night of the Paco Peña Flamenco Dance Company’s Quimeras . The journalist seated beside me whooped at any opportunity, sobbed during the second half, and was the first one to her feet when it came to the standing ovation.”