In review: Hipermestra at Glyndebourne

Review

Fifty brides, a giant flying peacock, and appropriated costumes from the middle east are all present in Glyndebourne’s new production of Hipermestra by Cavalli. Long-established Glyndebourne veterans William Christie and Graham Vick collaborated to bring this opera to life for the first time since the seventeenth century.

A full house for Canadian art song at 21C

Review

The Canadian Art Song Project itself has an unblemished history of presenting concert events that are thoughtful, wisely collaborative, and beautifully executed. No doubt, their high standards of concert-giving would extend beyond the realm of Canadian music; yet a trustworthy entity like CASP is a valuable tool in the large challenge of getting Canadian music written and heard. Simply put: if there's quality to the work, a sold-out crowd is no mystery.

Tough to watch: Oksana G.

Review

There's much about Oksana that's maddening. Kind and trusting people make risky and uninformed decisions, and evil people lie and harm others with no remorse; everyday people ignore cries for help from sex workers, and helpless parents, left without money or police, turn to fortune-tellers in times of desperation. Maddening as it may be - and easy as it seems to say, "I'm too smart to fall for that" - the story of human trafficking is true and happening now.

Hype for a reason: AtG's La bohème

Review

There are a few moments that always kill me in La bohème. There's the sexy "buona sera/good night" that Rodolfo says to Mimì in Act I; there's that that part in Act IV where he tells her she's as pretty as a sunrise, and she corrects his poetry, saying it should be "sunset". There's the look on Schaunard's face when their fun and games pull a sudden 180, and he's faced with the scene of a dying woman and a very sad friend.

Going out in style: Sy & Kwon in the RBA

Review

It seems appropriate that the Les Adieux concerts show off a side to these singers that's rarely seen on the COC mainstage. For Sy, this was the first undertaking of Schubert's behemoth song cycle, and his performance had a beautiful balance of fresh youthfulness, and careful thought. He took enormous risks in vocal colour, nailing just about all of those choices; the detail work was impressive, and his sound has settled into something unique and warm.

Good first impressions: CASP's latest commission by Ana Sokolović

Review

Sokolović's work brims over with imagination of sound. In setting the human voice, she never seems to run out of ideas, and with this new cycle, she brought out audible reactions of delight from the audience.

Bold recitals & etiquette done right: Fabiano & Drake at Wigmore Hall

Review

Many in the audience knew Fabiano from the 2015 production of Onegin and were thrilled to hear the piece - there was much discussion in the ladies washroom after the show. The ladies also concluded that they couldn't wait to hear him on stage again!

A week in the Amphitheatre

Review

It was Megan Quick's performance of Robert Fleming's The Confession Stone (The Songs of Mary) that left the deepest impression. She sang five songs from the Canadian set written for Maureen Forrester, and showed off an enormous, rich mezzo that seemed to shake the intimate Amphitheatre. Her performance was subtle and thoughtful, yet centred in the voice; she had us thinking of a young Jamie Barton, and we're excited to hear her on the big stage.

Fierce recitals: Karita Mattila at Wigmore Hall

Review

Was it perfect? No. In fact, she threw perfectionism out the window. But what she gave up in terms of perfecting the music, she gained in the freedom of her expression. Wild and uninhibited, she switched freely from head voice to chest voice, casting away any notion that she would be singing in a reserved or false manner.

In review: Tosca at the COC

Review

She seemed deaf to much of the text, and her over-conducting (opting for 6 beats when 2 would do) left her with little room to follow the voices' lead. Plus, her frustrating choice to leave a break for applause after both of Cavaradossi's arias seemed to completely undermine the careful dramatic timing in Puccini's writing. Thank goodness for Adrianne.