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Writer: Hugo von Hofmannstahl Music: Richard Strauss Director: David McVicar Reviewer: Elizabeth Vile The Public Reviews Rating: This revival of the 2008 production at the London Coliseum of Der Rosenkavalier tells the comic story of a passionate young man, a beautiful young woman, a melancholic older woman and a rampant old man. Serious themes of arranged marriages, infidelity [...]

Baritone and Director: Thomas Guthrie Pianist: David Owen Norris Reviewer: Jeffrey Mayhew The Public Reviews Rating: Schubert’s brilliant and original song cycle achieved its final form in 1828 so, apart from Beethoven’s An die ferne Geliebte of 1816, was a very early example of the genre. The 24 songs are settings of Wilhelm Mϋller, originally for tenor but [...]

Composer: Rossini Librettist: Cesare Sterbini Translator: Robert David Macdonald Director: Giles Havergal Conductor: Simon Phillippo Reviewer: Ann Bawtree The Public Reviews Rating: The Welsh National Opera was in its usual excellent form at Southampton’s huge Mayflower Theatre on December 1st. Playing to a virtually capacity audience it has only one more performance of “The Barber of Seville” to [...]

Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Librettist: Lorenzo da Ponte Conductor: James Southall Director: John Caird Reviewer: Marina Spark The Public Reviews Rating: Last night The Mayflower Theatre was bussing with the anticipation and excitement that an opera invites. ‘Don Giovanni’, one of Mozart’s darkest masterpieces did not disappoint when it came to high tension, intrigue and drama. The set [...]

Writer: Peter llyich Tchaikovsky English Adaptation: by Neil Bartlett & Martin Packar Director: Neil Bartlett Conductor: Richard Farnes Reviewer: Dave Cunningham The Public Reviews Rating: Lisa ( Orla Boylan) is engaged to Prince Yeletsky ( Jonathan Summers) but loves Herman ( Jeffrey Lloyd-Roberts) even though he is her social inferior . Herman returns her affection but his motives [...]

Lyric scenes in three acts by Pyotr Tchaikovsky Libretto by Konstantin Shilovsky English translation by Martin Pickard Directed by Deborah Warner Reviewed by Elizabeth Vile The Public Reviews Rating: Based on Pushkin’s novel in verse of the same name, Eugene Onegin is the story of doomed love, regret, arrogance and poetry. The story centres on the relationship between [...]

Music: Rossini Director: Giles Havergal Reviewer: Emily Pearce The Public Reviews Rating: Rossini’s Barber of Seville is an opera that has truly stood the test of time.  Since its composition and first performance in 1816, it has been performed regularly internationally and has a reputation as one of the finest opera buffas ever written.  In Giles Havergal’s production, [...]

Music: Janáček Director:  Katie Mitchell (revived by Robin Tebutt) Reviewer: Emily Pearce The Public Reviews Rating: Katya Kabanova is a woman trapped in an unhappy marriage, living with her constantly berating mother-in-law. She falls in love with another man whilst her husband is away, with disastrous consequences.  A simple enough storyline, but one that was reflected in Janáček’s [...]