A stunning performance from Lithuanian soprano Asmik Grigorian in the title role made an outstanding impression at the opening night of Madama Butterfly at the Royal Opera House. I have lost count of the number of times I have seen this tale of a young Japanese girl and the callous American naval lieutenant who weds … Read more
Jonathan Kent’s stunning production of Puccini’s Tosca was first seen at the Royal Opera House in 2006 and this is already its 14th revival. The music and the dramatic plot make Tosca one of the greatest of all operas and Kent’s staging cannot be bettered. George Bernard Shaw described opera as “when a tenor and … Read more
So many operas end in the tragic death of a soprano, but the conclusion of Puccini’s La Bohème never fails to bring tears to my eyes. This is already the fifth revival of Richard Jones’ 2017 production of this opera and Keri-Lynn Wilson’s superbly sensitive conducting of the Covent Garden Orchestra brilliantly brings out the … Read more
