Opera North
The week in classical: Alcina; Bajazet; Pavel Kolesnikov – review
In a tale of two 1735 works, Opera North miss a trick on Handel’s fantasy island while Irish National Opera explore every sizzling note of Vivaldi
Fiona Maddocks
12, Feb, 2022 @12:00 PM
Alcina review – Opera North clear clutter but there’s minimal magic on this enchanted isle
Handel’s opera is full of glorious music but its improbable plot makes it difficult to stage; Tim Albery’s intelligent production only fitfully succeeds
Martin Kettle
07, Feb, 2022 @12:55 PM
Rigoletto review – powerful update, led by stellar duo, is a revelation
Underlining the otherness of Verdi’s court jester by making him a black man is a masterstroke by Femi Elufowoju, the leads sung with potency by Eric Greene and Jasmine Habersham
Martin Kettle
23, Jan, 2022 @12:00 PM
Pamela Helen Stephen obituary
Mezzo-soprano who brought great dramatic insight to bear in operatic roles by composers ranging from Monteverdi to Britten
Barry Millington
19, Dec, 2021 @3:24 PM
Carmen review – Bizet’s opera goes on a camp bunny-hop with serious ambitions
Opera North’s colourful production zeroes in on female agency with Chrystal E Williams as a magnetic Playboy-styled Carmen
Erica Jeal
03, Oct, 2021 @10:23 AM
Classical home listening: Nino Rota, Philip Glass and Stravinsky
An all-star recording or Rota’s chamber music is a revelation
Fiona Maddocks
17, Jul, 2021 @11:00 AM
A Little Night Music review – Opera North brings musical gains but dramatic loss
The new staging of Sondheim’s musical is a delicious and sweet treat, but with the songs rendered so beautifully, something of the work’s psychological edge is lost
Mark Lawson
05, Jul, 2021 @8:58 AM
Classical home listening: a dream wind ensemble and the female muse
The Orsino Ensemble and Pavel Kolesnikov sparkle their way through the belle époque
Fiona Maddocks
08, May, 2021 @11:00 AM
Classical music: Fiona Maddocks's 10 best of 2020
The year will be long remembered for recitals to an empty Wigmore Hall, car-park Puccini, Ravel as animation – and one man and his piano…
Fiona Maddocks
26, Dec, 2020 @7:00 PM
The week in classical: Fidelio; Così fan tutte; Owen Wingrave; Cinderella and more
Opera North’s gripping Beethoven led a week of inventive filmed opera, from Così the gameshow to Cinders out on location
Fiona Maddocks
19, Dec, 2020 @12:00 PM
Fidelio review – Opera North triumphs with electrifying take on Beethoven's radical opera
Rising above the challenging circumstances, Opera North’s semi-staged Fidelio is gripping and authoritative, with an outstanding cast of soloists
Martin Kettle
14, Dec, 2020 @12:37 PM
'Keep making, keep moving!' Phoenix Dance Theatre's new boss Dane Hurst
The dancer, who has been announced as the new artistic director of the Leeds-based company, shares his ambitions for the future
Lyndsey Winship
09, Dec, 2020 @9:00 AM
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