Here’s a quick round-up of some things that have been happening this month. Culture-wise this is promising to be a good year – I have tickets booked to hear the OAE play some Beethoven with Marin Alsop, Stephen Beresford’s adaptation of Fanny and Alexander starring Penelope Wilton opens for previews in February, later in the … More New Year’s things
The Otello at the ROH is proper Big Event Opera – the most famous, revered singer of his generation making his debut in one of the biggest roles in the repertoire. The announcement of Jonas Kaufmann in this production set off months of internet frenzy, many people fearing or expecting (and some, I’m sure, even … More Tonight at the opera: Shakespeare edition, vol. 2
I saw Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, directed by James Macdonald at the Harold Pinter Theatre, during the last week of previews, and have a ticket to see it again in April; I’d like to say that I’m sophisticated enough to pick such dates so that I can compare the performances etc. but … More Lately, or Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf
On Friday week ago I went to London to do two things – to see the pre-Raphaelite paintings in Tate Britain, and to hear Angela Gheorghiu sing. I have been reading Kathryn Hughes’ book Victorians Undone, and was in the middle of the chapter on Fanny Cornforth, one-time or the other the model, muse, lover, … More Tonight at the opera
New year, new-ish season. I had originally decided against booking Der Rosenkavalier – it was too close to Christmas holiday etc. But as the ROH public booking opened, I ended up grabbing a £20 standing ticket to what turned out to be Renee Fleming’s farewell performance at the Royal Opera (she will retire from the … More Der Rosenkavalier
This past Sunday I went to Salisbury Cathedral for their famous Advent service. This is the Church of England at its ceremonial grandest, a procession of clergy and choirs, with the staffs and crosses, even the embroidery on the gonfalons* sparkling in the candlelit darkness, designed for maximum impact. As the clock struck, the lights … More It was a very cultured week
For the last two Saturdays I have trekked to London to see Bellini’s Norma at the Royal Opera; the first round was a bit of a lucky windfall – a friend, who had the tickets, couldn’t go and so I got to go and have a proper outing; museums and shopping, and drinks on the … More Norma, or my mad-ish autumn of opera
Now, this is opera. Il Trovatore is one of the major works by Verdi, a smash hit from the get go – within the first three years of its 1853 premiere, it had been performed thousands of times, in over two hundred different productions. I have heard it being described as a hit parade in … More My mad summer of opera, Part 4: Il Trovatore
Verdi, the Shakespeare of operatic composers, wrote 37 operas (counting second – and, in some cases, third – versions of some of his works), and like Shakespeare the playwright, it took him about ten attempts to achieve the maximum artistic quality (with Macbeth, no less). Nabucco is the attempt number three, and of the somewhat … More My mad summer of opera, Part 2: Nabucco
Shakespeare for absolute beginners 