In review: Tristan and Isolde at ENO

Review

Tristan's ship was full of looming angles and barriers, allowing for beautiful symmetry of the two would-be lovers and their respective servants. Act II seemed an otherworldly spot for Tristan and Isolde's nocturnal tryst; it looked like its own planet, or perhaps the very center of the earth, in either case clearly underlining the singular, primordial ur-love that this couple embodies. Act III was bleak, harsh white against thick black, evolving only to blood red and a charred vista of dead rock, where Isolde and Tristan reunite in life for the last time.

Die Fledermaus? Die Fleder-fabulous!

Review

Guys, this is a great kickoff to summer. It's campy, it's fun, there's free beer and snacks. It's exactly the way I think that Strauss II would want to see it performed in this day and age. Seriously, get a group of you together, buy some tickets and go literally have a ball. And even though we all hate audience participation (usually), trust me when I say the more you throw yourself into the scene, the more fun the show will become.

Recitals that stick: Matthias Goerne at Wigmore Hall

Review

The character of the poet became more completely fleshed out with the Wolf, Shostakovich, and Brahms. It was almost like fan fiction, a satisfying sequel to Schumann's cycle that ends ambiguously and seemingly without resolve. Goerne's singing of the Brahms Ernste Gesänge' left us heavy in our seats, the most stunning of which was his "O Tod," half lullaby and half prayer.

In review: Rocking Horse Winner

Review

As the autistic son, Paul, Asitha Tennekoon is a revelation. His beautiful leggiero tenor was perfect for playing the delicate Paul. It bridged the gap between full Mozart opera and contemporary musical theatre. But to be honest, his acting is the reason to see this show. I've been watching Asitha grow as a performer over the last couple of years and I have to say that this could literally be a breakout role for this young man. It was endearing, truthful, and raw.

Aurora Orchestra, fun, & Frankenstein!!

Review

Farnsworth was the perfect surreal emcee-type. With direction by Martin Berry, Farnsworth's extraordinary character was layers thick, at once a gleeful child, enamoured with the music around him and the tales he tells, and an unpredictable psychopath. His vocal gymnastics were paired with delightful virtuosity on some of the toy instruments that Grüber includes in his scoring, like slide whistles and kazoos.

Requiem on the South Bank

Review

From our place in history, with well over a century of hindsight, Verdi's Requiem can feel like a meta work; it's as though these beloved characters make a cameo, like a "operatic special", sharing the stage to perform a work that seems to evoke a first-person delivery by Verdi of these texts.

Royal Academy Opera's L'incoronazione di Poppea

Review

Most importantly, not a note can go by without meaning. Monteverdi is generous with hints; he's a master of word-painting, illuminating words like "sorrow" and "fly" with musical gestures that are almost too obvious to miss. Something like Poppea almost echoes that bit by George Carlin on the blues: paraphrased, he says, "it's not enough to know what notes to play, you have to know why they need to be played."

In review: Sex Workers' Opera

Review

In the context of the show, these stories were dragged from the abstract, and into the specific. Stereotypes like The Average John (always with a mustache), the CEO who likes to be slapped around, and the "moral person" who broadcasts loudly his own preferences in his judgement of which forms of sex work toe the line of "appropriate", and which are downright lewd and dangerous.

In review: Madam Butterfly at ENO

Review

A silent, stunning tableau, featuring dancer Ayano Honda in silhouette against a wash of saturated red, began the story; it gave way to a stage full of puppeteers, who spent the evening moving sets, providing ambient lighting, and playing a flock of birds. They smoothed the lines between the story's characters and the "unseen" bodies onstage, who also included three puppeteers bringing Cio-Cio San's son, Sorrow, to heartbreaking life.

In review: Against Nature

Review

The overall effect of the piece was enchanting. A moving piece of lyrical theatre that is a perfect fit for this time of year. Beautiful music with entrancing movement in a charming space that tells a nuanced and layered story. Toronto has had a great spring so far with regards to performing arts and events, and Against Nature is one of the reasons.