The legend of Tristan and Isolde (also known in some versions as Iseult) dates back at least to the Middle Ages. Tristan is depicted elsewhere as one of King Arthur’s Round Table Knights but in this story acts as an emissary of King Mark of Cornwall, charged with bringing back Isolde from Ireland to be … Read more
Turning a 1905 German operetta into something that will be enjoyed by a British audience today poses a problem for any director, but Glyndebourne have solved it magnificently by asking Cal McCrystal to take on the task and giving free rein to his glorious comic talent. While an opera has music and singing throughout, an … Read more
When French-Canadian director-designers André Barbe and Renaud Doucet first produced their version of The Magic Flute at Glyndebourne five years ago, it aroused much controversy. The plot, in any case, is the least convincing of all Mozart’s operas but Barbe & Doucet’s treatment deliberately adds to the confusion. The delightful additions made this time increase … Read more
