The Arts Desk have picked out Puccini and Carl Maria von Weber as the star players in the world of grand opera this week.
Instead of the traditional Beethoven's Ninth, the penultimate night of the BBC Proms was devoted to the astonishing grand opera 'Der Freischtz' by Carl Maria von Weber. Hugely influential in the 19th century with its dark, dramatic Gothicism, the piece enjoys an impressive reputation but a slightly less grand performance history.
Using the score rearranged by Berlioz, the great classical archaeologist Sir John Eliot Gardiner and his Orchestre Rvolutionnaire et Romantique performed a semi-staged version here. The music is so energetic, so attention-seeking, so packed with masterful orchestration that it did not matter that the semi-staging was lacking.
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.
Royal Opera principal conductor Antonio Pappano and maverick director Richard Jones created a winning partnership, which helped the production. The detailed conducting of Pappano ensured there were plenty of weepy moments, as well as Jones's masterstroke 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.
Instead of the traditional Beethoven's Ninth, the penultimate night of the BBC Proms was devoted to the astonishing grand opera 'Der Freischtz' by Carl Maria von Weber. Hugely influential in the 19th century with its dark, dramatic Gothicism, the piece enjoys an impressive reputation but a slightly less grand performance history.
Using the score rearranged by Berlioz, the great classical archaeologist Sir John Eliot Gardiner and his Orchestre Rvolutionnaire et Romantique performed a semi-staged version here. The music is so energetic, so attention-seeking, so packed with masterful orchestration that it did not matter that the semi-staging was lacking.
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.
Royal Opera principal conductor Antonio Pappano and maverick director Richard Jones created a winning partnership, which helped the production. The detailed conducting of Pappano ensured there were plenty of weepy moments, as well as Jones's masterstroke 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:
As an arts writer in London, Steve Alexander has a good knowledge of the best grand opera in the capital. Visit theartsdesk.com for lots of information and overnight reviews on all the latest opera London performance.
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