| Date and venue | Title | Submitted by |
|---|---|---|
| 15-Dec-2012 Southbank Centre: Queen Elizabeth Hall | Gloom, doom, stormy seas, and a Dutchman flown over from Zurich: A concert Flying Dutchman in London | Carla Finesilver, silverfin.wordpress.com |
| Opera being a strongly visual art form as well as a musical one, the idea of a pure concert performance seems a little strange to those unfamiliar with the form. However, removing the necessity for singers to run around (often in uncomfortable-looking costumes), negotiate (sometimes uncooperative) props and scenery, and bodily convey their thoughts and feelings in a manner visible to amphitheatre Row W, allows for 100% concentration on the music, in particular the expression of character and emotion through voice alone. Read full review... | ||
| 30-Jul-2012 Haus für Mozart | Il rè pastore at the Salzburg Festival | Capriccio, capricciomusic.blogspot.com |
 Il rè pastore was the last operatic work that Mozart completed before Idomeneo, and though there is a clear shift in style and level of achievement in the six years that separate them, it is very interesting to compare the 19-year-old composer to the later operatic master that we are more familiar with. Written as a commission for a visit to Salzburg by the Archduke Maximilian Franz, Mozart chose a libretto by the then rather old-fashioned Metastasio on a pastoral theme very popular at the time.Read full review... | ||
| 12-Feb-2012 Opernhaus | Ariadne in Zurich | Andrew H. King |
 Richard Strauss’ outstanding catalogue of operas is part of the staple diet of opera houses around the world. From the musically and dramatically intense scores of Salome and Elektra to the romantically lush, emotional sweepings of Der Rosenkavalier, there is something in his canon for all manner of opera enthusiasts. Ariadne auf Naxos (first performed in Stuttgart in 1912) has had many popular revivals, though may still be counted amongst Strauss’ rarer performed works – any opportunity in which to hear it should be taken.Read full review... | ||
| 18-Mar-2010 Opernhaus | The Tales of Hoffman at Zurich Opera | David Karlin |
 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.
Read full review... | ||
