Monthly culture: November 2017
Saturday, December 9th, 2017 09:28 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tamaranth09NOV17: Spoon: the Junction, Cambridge
http://louderthanwar.com/spoon-cambridge-junction-live-review/
It was loud and there was nowhere to sit :( (bad back-ache after moving house the previous weekend). But Spoon are still good.
21NOV17: The Lady from the Sea (Ibsen): Donmar Warehouse
https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2017/oct/19/the-lady-from-the-sea-review-ingenious-ibsen-at-a-rate-of-knots
The setting of this production of Ibsen's play is not the Norwegian coast, but a Caribbean island, in the 1950s. Ellida is married to Doctor Wangel but seems unhappy: Wangel invites his old friend Arnholm -- his daughter's former teacher -- and says that he can be of great help to an unhappy woman. Arnholm thinks Wangel means his daughter, not his wife, and proposes to her. Much symbolism, especially concerning Ellida's 'marriage' to the sea, to the sailor who fled after murdering his captain and now has come back -- the production presented him as almost supernatural, sand falling from his clothes, 'that's not my name any more'.
Beautiful production, featuring two (or three) women who just want to be seen, to be understood and to make their own choices.
22NOV17: Carmina Burana (Carl Orff): Cadogan Hall
http://www.cadoganhall.com/event/parliament-choir-171122/
A concert on St Cecilia's Day ... opening with O Duo, a percussion duo who gave us some Glass and some other pieces: percussion as performance art. Then the main event, Orff's (mostly) cheerful choral masterpiece, sung by the Parliamentary Choir and accompanied by two pianists and an extensive percussion section. Tenor Anthony Gregory was very ... dramatic.
25NOV17: The Barber of Seville (Rossini), Glyndebourne on Tour: Milton Keynes Theatre
https://bachtrack.com/review-barbiere-siviglia-arden-greenhalgh-verrecchia-gernon-glyndebourne-tour-october-2017
Poor surtitling, but luckily I know the plot. Tobias Greenhalgh was a splendid Figaro, louche and swaggering and competent: he brought out the best in Jack Swanson (Count Almaviva). I found Laura Verrecchia (Rosina) a bit heavy on the vibrato: but the core trio played up the comedy and had credible chemistry. Kudos, to, to Janis Kelly whose Berta actually made sense for a change.
http://louderthanwar.com/spoon-cambridge-junction-live-review/
It was loud and there was nowhere to sit :( (bad back-ache after moving house the previous weekend). But Spoon are still good.
21NOV17: The Lady from the Sea (Ibsen): Donmar Warehouse
https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2017/oct/19/the-lady-from-the-sea-review-ingenious-ibsen-at-a-rate-of-knots
The setting of this production of Ibsen's play is not the Norwegian coast, but a Caribbean island, in the 1950s. Ellida is married to Doctor Wangel but seems unhappy: Wangel invites his old friend Arnholm -- his daughter's former teacher -- and says that he can be of great help to an unhappy woman. Arnholm thinks Wangel means his daughter, not his wife, and proposes to her. Much symbolism, especially concerning Ellida's 'marriage' to the sea, to the sailor who fled after murdering his captain and now has come back -- the production presented him as almost supernatural, sand falling from his clothes, 'that's not my name any more'.
Beautiful production, featuring two (or three) women who just want to be seen, to be understood and to make their own choices.
22NOV17: Carmina Burana (Carl Orff): Cadogan Hall
http://www.cadoganhall.com/event/parliament-choir-171122/
A concert on St Cecilia's Day ... opening with O Duo, a percussion duo who gave us some Glass and some other pieces: percussion as performance art. Then the main event, Orff's (mostly) cheerful choral masterpiece, sung by the Parliamentary Choir and accompanied by two pianists and an extensive percussion section. Tenor Anthony Gregory was very ... dramatic.
25NOV17: The Barber of Seville (Rossini), Glyndebourne on Tour: Milton Keynes Theatre
https://bachtrack.com/review-barbiere-siviglia-arden-greenhalgh-verrecchia-gernon-glyndebourne-tour-october-2017
Poor surtitling, but luckily I know the plot. Tobias Greenhalgh was a splendid Figaro, louche and swaggering and competent: he brought out the best in Jack Swanson (Count Almaviva). I found Laura Verrecchia (Rosina) a bit heavy on the vibrato: but the core trio played up the comedy and had credible chemistry. Kudos, to, to Janis Kelly whose Berta actually made sense for a change.
no subject
Date: Saturday, December 9th, 2017 10:10 am (UTC)Re Barber: I loved the way they played up the Spanish influences, though I can't see this particular Rosina as Countess Almaviva in the Marriage of Figaro.
no subject
Date: Saturday, December 9th, 2017 10:22 am (UTC)Re Barber: Rosina and the Countess always feel worlds apart to me, almost as though there's a divorce / death and a second marriage hidden away between the two operas / plays. Maybe Figaro has got her addicted to laudanum or something? You know he is the sort who would Know A Man.