Pelléas Et Mélisande is the Best New Opera Production | Official London Theatre Guide
Nay nay and thrice nay.
How can this be? I have not encountered one single person who actually liked the production in any sense whatsoever, ranging from people who know and love the opera to people who know and hate the opera to people who don't know the opera and found the production no help in remedying that. There also seems to be a consensus that the cast were fabulous, despite the production, rather than because of. It was up against Fille du Regiment and Agrippina, both of which I saw and loved (interestingly, I liked Fille a lot less on TV) and Turn of the Screw which in the end Icouldn't make, much to my disappointment. I cannot in any way sense shape or form understand how Pelléas et Mélisande was regarded as better than Death in Venice, or my personal favourite of the whole year, Satyagraha.
I'd also quibble with Natalie Dessay winning 'outstanding achievement' . The other contenders were Angelika Kirchschlager and Gerald Finley - well, being in that execrable P et M is award-worthy in itself (so why no nomination for Simon Keenlyside) but in a field that also included David McVicar...hello, the man who single-handedly rules London opera? And what about John Tomlinson whose masterful performances in 4x3 Ring Operas should have surely scooped him the award.
Generally I read this thing and shrug; they may not be in exact coincidence with my views but are generally sufficiently in line for me to accept them. Oh well...
