Still stunning: Written on Skin

Review

As one hopes, there were new layers uncovered with our second hearing of Written on Skin. Martin Crimp's libretto juxtaposes a story set in the 12th century, where a woman feels stifled in her marriage, and a man responds with a tightened grip on his wife, with images of the 21st century. Car-parks, airports, and concrete buildings pull against everything we know about Agnès: a woman married at 14, never taught to read or write, with a husband that confidently and explicitly declares her his property.

In review: Boris Godunov

Review

Richard Jones makes much of this incessant guilt, exaggerating the unjustness of Boris' actions with childish images of colourful spinning tops and a cherub-like mask on the silent Dmitry. Jones carries the image through the final tableau, driving home the sacrifices of the young and innocent, when men seek political power.

Boys who are girls who love girls that are boys, or, Handel's Alcina

Review

The stage was filled with some amazing talent to watch. All the singers did a remarkable job keeping up with Taurins's spritely, yet well-informed tempi, while there were some hallmarks of the "student production" it's definitely one of the better ones I've seen - not just at GGS, but overall.

In review: ENO's The Magic Flute

Review

Of course, the use of foley artists is novel in opera, yet it wasn't just the novelty that drew us in to McBurney's world. It was completely delightful to use the "guts" of the theatre to unashamedly tell this story; *Flute* is a piece that resists against specific places and times, and its impact is weakened when a director attempts to focus on the libretto's life lessons, at the expense of the silliness. With set designer Michael Levine, McBurney struck a beautiful balance of respect for Mozart, and comfortable inclusivity.

In review: The Devil Inside

Review

Oh yeah, and like all good wish-based fairy tales, there's a caveat. If you die in possession of this bottle, your soul is damned to hell for all time; if you sell it, you must sell it for less than you paid for it. Two hours and a bunch of bad decisions later, we find the characters in a very interesting predicament. I won't spoil the show for you, but trust me, it's gooooooooood!

In review: Strauss & Brahms at the Barbican

Review

It's a piece that contains within it all that's needed to pack a punch; Brahms can get a reputation for being un-fun, and less imaginative than some of his contemporaries (like Strauss and Wagner), yet there was always something respectful about his music-first approach to telling a story. The City of London Choir and the Philharmonic Orchestra delivered thrilling waves of sound in those fantastic moments of "Denn alles Fleisch...", and the soloists rang through the Hall like encouraging cries from a mass of bodies.

Album review: Cloud Light

Review

The Canadian Art Song Project has released its second full-length recording (the first being 2014's Ash Roses), which features the music of Polish-born composer Norbert Palej (currently teaching at the University of Toronto), performed by five important Canadian artists of today. Cloud Light, released this year by Centrediscs, is an album of music "that actively grapples with the modern understanding of art song and demonstrates that it is still a genre capable of the most profound musical expression and innovation."

In review: Paul Appleby at Wigmore Hall

Review

It's noteworthy when a singer, in the midst of a busy schedule on the opera stage, is equally dedicated to his work in recital. Tenor Paul Appleby is a thoughtful artist, and he seems to relish the chance not only to tell many small stories in one sitting, but to collect them into a larger story arc of his own creation.

In review: Il trittico at ROH

Review

We were thrilled to get a three-for-one deal with our inaugural trip to the ROH, in the form of Richard Jones' production of Puccini's Il trittico. The through line holding together the stories of Il tabarro, Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi was the original theme: the fact that Puccini wrote them. The shows looked as different as the stories they told, and it was a true feast for opera lovers with slight ADD.

In review: The Talisker Players & Spirit Dreaming

Review

The night's program, Spirit Dreaming, was a presentation of various creation myths from around the world. The eclectic program included readings from "Beginnings: Creation Myths of the World", edited by Penelope Farmer, and "In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World", compiled by Virginia Hamilton, read wonderfully by actor Andrew Moodie.