Puccini and Carl Maria von Weber are the star players in the latest offering from the world of grand opera from The Arts Desk.
The astonishing grand opera 'Der Freischtz' by Carl Maria von Weber performed at the penultimate night of the BBC Proms instead of the traditional Beethoven's Ninth. With its dark, dramatic Gothicism, the piece was hugely influential in the 19th century and enjoys an impressive reputation but a slightly less grand performance history.
The Orchestre Rvolutionnaire et Romantique performed a semi-staged version here, with the great classical archaeologist Sir John Eliot Gardiner, using the score rearranged by Berlioz. Although in this respect, the semi-staging was lacking, it didn't matter, as the music was so energetic, so attention-seeking and so packed with masterful orchestration.
Home to Puccini's masterpiece - his triptych of one-act operas, 'Il Trittico' - the Royal Opera House proved that for impressive opera London is the place to be. Together 'Suor Angelica', 'Il tabarro' and 'Gianni Schicchi' follow a loose trajectory from hell through purgatory to paradise. Full of orchestral magic and tough choral writing, they form an emotional roller-coaster.
The production was helped by the winning partnership of Royal Opera principal conductor Antonio Pappano and maverick director Richard Jones. There were plenty of weepy moments, thanks to Pappano's detailed conducting and the masterstroke by Jones of setting the piece in a children's hospital.
Kept sharp and detailed, the ensemble comedy that is 'Gianni Schicchi' boasted the perfect line-up. Puccini's immaculate sense of comic timing was maximised to the full and the audience were left laughing more than they had ever done before in an opera house setting. In 'Il tabarro', Lucio Gallo was not quite hoary enough as the resentful Michele in this grim take on Parisian barge life, while Eva-Maria Westbroek overplayed the trashy element of his wife Giorgetta.
The astonishing grand opera 'Der Freischtz' by Carl Maria von Weber performed at the penultimate night of the BBC Proms instead of the traditional Beethoven's Ninth. With its dark, dramatic Gothicism, the piece was hugely influential in the 19th century and enjoys an impressive reputation but a slightly less grand performance history.
The Orchestre Rvolutionnaire et Romantique performed a semi-staged version here, with the great classical archaeologist Sir John Eliot Gardiner, using the score rearranged by Berlioz. Although in this respect, the semi-staging was lacking, it didn't matter, as the music was so energetic, so attention-seeking and so packed with masterful orchestration.
Home to Puccini's masterpiece - his triptych of one-act operas, 'Il Trittico' - the Royal Opera House proved that for impressive opera London is the place to be. Together 'Suor Angelica', 'Il tabarro' and 'Gianni Schicchi' follow a loose trajectory from hell through purgatory to paradise. Full of orchestral magic and tough choral writing, they form an emotional roller-coaster.
The production was helped by the winning partnership of Royal Opera principal conductor Antonio Pappano and maverick director Richard Jones. There were plenty of weepy moments, thanks to Pappano's detailed conducting and the masterstroke by Jones of setting the piece in a children's hospital.
Kept sharp and detailed, the ensemble comedy that is 'Gianni Schicchi' boasted the perfect line-up. Puccini's immaculate sense of comic timing was maximised to the full and the audience were left laughing more than they had ever done before in an opera house setting. In 'Il tabarro', Lucio Gallo was not quite hoary enough as the resentful Michele in this grim take on Parisian barge life, while Eva-Maria Westbroek overplayed the trashy element of his wife Giorgetta.
About the Author:
Steve Alexander enjoys writing about the arts world. For more information on grand opera in London, as well as the latest overnight reviews, visit theartsdesk.com.
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