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!

La Cenerentola opens at Covent Garden with Kozena, Corbelli and Spence

I absolutely love Rossini's La Cenerentola and I've seen it many times, which is perhaps why I'm so critical of it? I couldn't tell if the rest of the audience regarded this performance more highly than I did, but I know of at least one other person who felt roughly the same.

The review is here:

http://www.musicalcriticism.com/opera/roh-cenerentola-1207.shtml


And a reminder of our interviews with Alessandro Corbelli and Toby Spence:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/interviews/corbelli-1207.shtml
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/interviews/spence.shtml

ROH Cenerentola

Review here:

http://www.musicalcriticism.com/opera/roh-cenerentola-1207.shtml

In preparation for tonight's first night of La Cenerentola at the ROH, two interviews with members of the cast:

Alessandro Corbelli:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/interviews/corbelli-1207.shtml

Toby Spence:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/interviews/spence.shtml