Post by tmesis on Oct 15, 2019 14:18:18 GMT
Saw the Friends Dress Rehearsal of this on Saturday and, in the main enjoyed it greatly although it replaces the slightly superior Doctor Jonathan production. The set is hard to describe - a kind of skeletal house plan design on a revolve which looked striking and provided all the necessary transitions. Slightly baffling was the videoing of certain key scenes in green screen which was then projected at the back of the stage with locations added in. More annoying from my point of view was the irritating use of puppets - something I always loath and usually only forced on us at NT.
Bryn Terfel was good as Don Pasquale but he was eclipsed by the fabulous tenor voice of a newcomer, Iona Hotea as Ernesto. He had all the class and ease of Juan Diego Florez when his voice was really fresh 15 years ago. Olga Peretyatko acted the part well but her voice had too much vibrato for my liking. Markus Werba was a charismatic Malatesta.
It was really idiomatically conducted by Evelino Pido. The overture was very classy with some delicious rubato.
Bryn Terfel was good as Don Pasquale but he was eclipsed by the fabulous tenor voice of a newcomer, Iona Hotea as Ernesto. He had all the class and ease of Juan Diego Florez when his voice was really fresh 15 years ago. Olga Peretyatko acted the part well but her voice had too much vibrato for my liking. Markus Werba was a charismatic Malatesta.
It was really idiomatically conducted by Evelino Pido. The overture was very classy with some delicious rubato.