Macbeth, Glyndebourne

Not having read any reviews, I had no idea what to expect at this new production of Macbeth at Glyndebourne Festival Opera.

Was I shocked, disappointed, annoyed? Words fail me here. The music was fine - Jurowski commanded the LPO with usual eloquence and fire. The soloists and chorus were on good form too (though the latter had had one or two wayward moments). The problem appeared, alas, when you opened your eyes. As the witches came out of the caravans (trailer-park analogy) it was comical. But when the whole stage design was around some undecipherable social-psychological coding, it became enormously hard to form any understanding between the visual and the audio - the stage was the distraction. Glyndebourne played a crucial role in bring early Verdi operas back to the UK - it was ever more disappointing to see a production of such poor quality.

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Written On Skin at the Royal Opera

This was the first revival of George Benjamin's Written On Skin. As with contemporary operas, familiarity goes a long way in appreciating the work. In this revival, I found Christopher Purves's The Protector powerful and moving. Barbara Hannigan, who sang Agnès, was superb. The pure and slightly eerie tone of Iestyn Davies as The Boy completed the perfect cast.

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Hänsel und Gretel at the Royal Opera

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