Trawling through the online press for various seen and unseen and yet to be seen.
Matthias Goerne - the Guardian, like me, seemed to enjoy the Berg more than the Schumann or Wagner. The Independent
The Guardian didn't like Götterdämmerung
Ambivalence from the Independent
I think the Times headline of Simply Delightful applies to Orfeo rather than Götterdämmerung. But even though I don't especially disagree with the detail of what the critic says, I disagree with the overall tone and conclusion. The Observer hates it Music OMH has a far more sensible take, suggesting perhaps that the critics in the Mainstream media are, in general, jaded, and could do with an infusion of new blood. Although I doubt the date of June 27th for televising, for reasons I have laid out elsewhere
I couldn't figure out how to fit Orfeo into my diary, which is a disappointment but I'll live. The Independent praises it highly but is stingy with stars awarded. Trendy mix of modern and mythic, The Times really likes it. MusicOMH. MV Daily includes loads of striking pictures. Oh well, I'm sure it will be revived.
I did not get round to writing up The Indian Queen. I actually left at the interval, with ambivalence. I was glad I had been there for the first half but I had no desire to stay any longer. I think the Guardian is pushing it by saying that the singing was faultless, although a couple of the sopranos did impress. But in the end I was unable to get emotionally involved or musically hooked.
It was billed as an opera, but it seems a strange opera where there are specific characters but none of them are played by specific singers. Instead, the story is narrated by an actor and the singers, known only by their vocal type, step up to do numbers. And I felt that the music was not of a sufficiently high standard to make it especially worthwhile.
Update Vince has snazzled the text of the FT G'd'rung review - saves all that pesky registration/deadlinks mullarkey.
Update La Belle Helene at ENo, reviewed by Robert.
