September-October 2007: The ROH Ring, ENO's Carmen, Interviews with Rosalind Plowright, Andrew Kennedy and Laurence Cummings

I've just got back from an extraordinary week at the Royal Opera House, where Keith Warner's amazing production saw through some musical dips:

http://www.musicalcriticism.com/opera/roh-rheingold.htm
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/opera/roh-walkure.htm
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/opera/roh-siegfried.htm
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/opera/roh-twilight.htm

Meanwhile, my review of ENO's new production of Carmen by Sally Potter has caused undue controversy:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/opera/eno-carmen.htm

Hugo enjoyed The Magic Flute at ENO, the last revival of the Hytner production, as well as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra with Riccardo Muti:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/opera/eno-flute.htm
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/concerts/cso-muti.htm

A dull start to the ROH season with Iphigenie en Tauride:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/opera/roh-iphigenie.htm

Fantastic interviews with Sally Potter, Rosalind Plowright, Andrew Kennedy, Krzystof Szumanski and Laurence Cummings:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/interviews/kennedy.htm
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/interviews/plowright.htm
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/interviews/cummings.htm
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/interviews/potter.htm
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/interviews/szumanski.htm

We've had some excellent and not so excellent CDs to review lately, including albums by Gheorghiu, Florez and Royal, Rene Jacobs' recording of Don Giovanni and Ariane et Barbe-Bleue by Dukas:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/cd-gheorghiu-scala.htm
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/cd-royal.htm
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/cd-florez-rubini.htm
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/jacobs-don-giovanni.htm
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/dukas-ariane.htm
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/cd-bach-3.htm
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/cd-offenbach.htm
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/cd-dinnerstein-bach.htm
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/Kancheli_Styx.htm
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/Tomter_Mozart.htm

Finally, we enjoyed concerts celebrating Sir Colin Davis' 80th birthday and the start of the LPO's 75th anniversary season:
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/concerts/lso-requiem.htm
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/concerts/lpo-klagende.htm
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/concerts/lso-kissin-beethoven.htm

Don't forget to keep checking back soon for reviews of Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Donizetti's Rita, Dido and Aeneas, the student Rheingold performance, and much more!

Dominic

BBC Proms 2007 Retrospective

Check out the website for our BBC Proms 2007 Retrospective
http://www.musicalcriticism.com/news/proms-review-2007.htm

What are your views on the 2007 season? Did Nicholas Kenyon leave on a high? And how will Roger Wright Fare next year? Post your comments here!

Susan Graham interview on Iphigenie en Tauride at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden

I've just posted my interview with the lovely Susan Graham, who's appearing in Gluck's Iphigenie en Tauride at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, from 10 September 2007. It's full of insights about her approach to the role and Robert Carsen's production.

You can read the article by clicking here.

New-look MusicalCriticism.com!

Hello everyone,

Check out the new-look MusicalCriticism.com for all the latest news, reviews, interviews and features on classical music and opera in the UK and beyond.

Current reviews include most of the final three weeks of the Proms; recordings of Mozart operas, Koessler chamber music and Verdi's Il trovatore from Bregenz;
 and an interview with Sicilian tenor Marcello Giordani on 
singing Berlioz's La damnation de Faust.

Join us at www.musicalcriticism.com

and join our new Facebook account to enter the debate.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=3360267477

Dominic McHugh
Editor
MusicalCriticism.com

Viktoria Mullova plays Bach

Not an overwhelming success in Hugo's opinion, Mullova's Bach CD nevertheless gained a 5 star review and was record of the month for the BBC Music Magazine:

http://www.musicalcriticism.com/recordings/cd-mullova-bach.htm

Prom 14: The Seasons

Hugo's inaugural live review for us was an outstanding performance of Haydn's lesser known oratorio by Roger Norrington:

http://www.musicalcriticism.com/concerts/prom-14-0707.htm

Prom 13: Brett Dean

A world premiere by Brett Dean overshadows Beethoven 7:

http://www.musicalcriticism.com/concerts/prom-13-0707.htm