Opera Review: ROH The Magic Flute / Die Zauberflöte

First night of David McVicar's production of The Magic Flute, now back at Covent Garden for the third revival:

http://www.musicalcriticism.com/opera/roh-flute-0108.shtml

Simon Keenlyside is always magnificent as Papageno, but it felt a bit like some of the other singers were resorting to stock gestures and to walking through the production.

The chorus didn't sing as lustily as is usual for them, and somehow there just wasn't the fire or warmth that Mackerras brought to the piece last time.

Tomorrow: an interview with Sarah Tynan and Robert Murray about The Mikado at ENO.

An interview with Sarah Chang

Our latest interview is an in-depth chat with the violinist Sarah Chang about her career to date, her forthcoming appearance with the London Symphony Orchestra in Shostakovich's First Violin Concerto, her new recording of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons and her love of London.

Read more here:

http://www.musicalcriticism.com/interviews/chang-0108.shtml

Also, don't forget to read our latest CD reviews, which include:

Gerald Finley's new Ives CD on Hyperion

http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/cd-finley-ives-0108.shtml

Simon Rattle's new recording of Pictures at an Exhibition on EMI

http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/cd-rattle-mussorgsky-0108.shtml

Mozart's Davide penitente on Naxos

http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/cd-davide-0108.shtml

Tippett's Complete Piano Music on Hyperion

http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/cd-tippett-osborne-0108.shtml

Coming this week:

The Magic Flute

Madam Butterfly

LPO/Adam Fischer

An interview with Simon Keenlyside about The Magic Flute

An interview with Britain's leading baritone, Simon Keenlyside, about forthcoming appearances in The Magic Flute, Don Carlo, Il barbiere di Siviglia and Wozzeck, plus his new disc of operetta arias.

Quite a number of tickets remain for the Covent Garden Flute performances, so now's your chance to witness Keenlyside at work in one of his greatest roles, Papageno.

Read the full story here:

http://www.musicalcriticism.com/interviews/keenlyside-0108.shtml

BBC SO axes Composer Weekends in favour of Composer Days

In a surprise move, the BBCSO has announced that it will no longer continue its annual January Composer Weekends beyond 2008.

Instead, there will be Composer Days scattered between January and March, next year focusing on Stockhausen, Murail and Xenakis.

More here: http://www.musicalcriticism.com/news/bbcso-composer-0108.shtml

Any reactions to this decision?

Aimard's The Art of Fugue on Deutsche Grammophon

An exciting new release this week of Pierre-Laurent Aimard's recording of Bach's The Art of Fugue on Deutsche Grammphon.

Review:

'You have to wonder how happy the executives were at Deutsche Grammophon when their new star-signing, pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard, plumped for Bach's elusive Art of Fugue for the first recording of his exclusive contract with the label. One can imagine from a pianist renowned for his intelligence, as well as formidable technique, this was unlikely to have been a choice of repertoire that was taken lightly.'

Read the full review here: http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/cd-aimard-bach-0108.shtml

Anna Netrebko withdraws from another performance of Traviata at the ROH; Peter Grimes opens at Opera North; Julia Fischer on Pentatone

Sadly, the Royal Opera House has announced the indisposition of Anna Netrebko for the third performance of La traviata at 3pm tomorrow. I feel genuinely sorry for all those who have missed her interpretation of the role, which, although unorthodox in many respects, has just the visceral quality that is needed for the part:

http://www.musicalcriticism.com/news/cast-change-netrebko-0108.shtml

Phyllida Lloyd's award-winning production of Peter Grimes has returned to Opera North, currently at the Grand Theatre in Leeds. In February it will be seen in London at Sadler's Wells, where I saw it last year with great pleasure:

http://www.musicalcriticism.com/opera/on-grimes-0108.shtml

Finally, a highly-recommended new Mozart disc from Julia Fischer, Yakov Kreizberg and Gordan Nikolitch:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/cd-fischer-mozart-0108.shtml

Soprano Judith Howarth chats about playing Madam Butterfly at ENO

An interview with lovely Judith Howarth about Cio-Cio-San in the Anthony Minghella production:

http://www.musicalcriticism.com/interviews/howarth-0108.shtml

Apparently it's selling fast, so go and book your tickets pronto!

Later this week, look out for an interview with Simon Keenlyside.

ROH review: La traviata at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden with Anna Netrebko, Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Jonas Kaufmann.

A review of the first night, featuring Anna Netrebko, Jonas Kaufmann (left) and Dmitri Hvorostovsky conducted by Maurizio Benini at Covent Garden, can be read here:

http://www.musicalcriticism.com/opera/roh-traviata-0108.shtml

Anna Netrebko in I Puritani; Roberto Alagna in Aida - DVDs

I Puritani from the Met:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/dvd-netrebko-puritani-0108.shtml

Aida from La Scala:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/dvd-alagna-aida-0108.shtml

Simon Keenlyside at Wigmore Hall,9 January 2008

Review of the redoubtable Simon Keenlyside at the Wigmore Hall on 9 January 2008:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/concerts/wigmore-keenlyside-0108.shtml

Welsh National Opera's 2008-09 season announced, including Dennis O'Neill, Amanda Roocroft, Rebecca Evans and Ann Murray:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/news/wno-preview-0108.shtml

Bach Cello Suites on Harmonia Mundi:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/cd-queyras-bach-0108.shtml

James Macmillan on LSO Live:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/cd-lso-macmillan-0108.shtml

Nina Stemme cancels ROH Simon Boccanegra; Kristin Chenoweth sings Cunegonde in ENO Candide; Rake's Progress and Wozzeck DVDs on Opus Arte

Nina Stemme has cancelled her role debut as Amelia Grimaldi in the John Eliot Gardiner-conducted Simon Boccanegra at the ROH in May 2008; Kristin Chenoweth will sing Cunegonde in Candide at ENO in June:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/news/casting-stemme-chenoweth-0108.shtml

Robert Lepage's production of The Rake's Progress comes to Covent Garden in July; watch it first on DVD with Andrew Kennedy:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/dvd-rake-0108.shtml

Calixto Bieto's production of Wozzeck on DVD:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/dvd-bieito-wozzeck-0108.shtml

Preview of London and UK concerts in January 2008:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/news/concerts-preview-0108.shtml

Kapp Family Orchestral Works on Chandos:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/cd-kapp-jarvi-0108.shtml

Renee Fleming as Violetta in Decca's DVD of La traviata:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/dvd-traviata-fleming-1207.shtml

Piano Concerti by Melcer on Hyperion:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/cd-melcer-concertos-1207.shtml

Des Knaben Wunderhorn on Hyperion:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/cd-genz-mahler-1207.shtml

Alwyn Piano Works on Naxos:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/cd-alwyn-wass-0108.shtml

Herz's piano music on Hyperion:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/cd-herz-piano-1207.shtml

Handel's Esther, Tamerlano and Acis and Galatea and Bostridge's Great Handel:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/cd-handel-1207.shtml

La pietra del paragone on Naive:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/dvd-pietra-naive-1207.shtml

Volume 2 of Bavouzet's Debussy Piano Collection on Chandos:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/cd-bavouzet-debussy2-1207.shtml

The finale of the Adelaide Ring -Götterdämmerung on Melba
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/cd-adelaide-gd-1207.shtml

The last concert in Gardiner's Bach Cantatas pilgrimage:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/cd-bach-4-1207.shtml

See more at http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/index.htm

Coming Soon: Gergiev's Mahler, I puritani on DVD with Netrebko, interview with Judith Howart on ENO's Madama Butterfly and much more!