There was a lot of buzz when the new Jonathan Kent / Paul Brown production of Tosca was premiered last year. The current revival should encourage many more to see it. Alas, the cast was not great - Tosca sung by a mediocre but large soprano, Cavaradossi a below-par tenor with the inability to maintain the line, and Scarpia was passable. The conductor was somewhat lacking in enthusiasm. Oh poor Tosca ...
Michael Levine's set design for Dialogues des Carmélites was minimalist. Actually, was there any set design? I suppose the director Robert Carsen was clever at introducing formation of human figures in many different ways to suggest the context of the opera. It kind of worked. Blanche, sung by Sally Matthews, was pretty good. Though I did find the whole work quite tedious - I think the intimate nature of the dialogues needed a small and intimate performing space i.e. not the Royal Opera House. The ending was worth waiting for. Dramatic. Poignant.
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