| Date and venue | Title |
|---|---|
| 30-Mar-2012 Royal Opera House, Covent Garden | Rigoletto at the Royal Opera |
 Verdi's Rigoletto is a work of contrasts. The Duke is equally at home in a glittering palace or a tawdry brothel (a historically accurate characterisation of King Francis I of France, on whom his character is based); his romantic ballads are juxtaposed with the musical depiction of violent storms. Pretty courtly dances share the stage with powerful orchestral evocations of impending doom.Read full review... | |
| 18-Sep-2011 Royal Opera House, Covent Garden | A star-studded Faust at the Royal Opera |
 CATHERINE ASHMORE.jpg) In this Royal Opera production of Gounod's Faust, there's no question about who's in charge. Not only does the devil get all the best lines, but he bosses the show from beginning to end. Clad in feathered hat, long curly wig and reminiscent of the Laughing Cavalier, René Pape plays Mephistopheles quite superbly, alternating between mercurial bouffe comic lines and extreme sardonic nastiness. His voice was smooth and controlled and his whole presence radiated command.
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| 18-Mar-2010 Opernhaus | The Tales of Hoffman at Zurich Opera |
 We spent last night in Zurich, where we had the chance to see the Zurich Opernhaus production of Offenbach’s Tales of Hoffmann. It’s the first time I’ve been to the opera house here and the first time I’ve seen Offenbach on stage, so interesting on both counts.
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