Post by tmesis on Jul 21, 2018 16:38:09 GMT
Before The Garden hands over to The Pet Shop Boys and then closes for the final stage off its make-over they gave an excellent final performance of Verdi's final opera. I greatly enjoyed it, particularly on the music side.
The production was a revival of Carsen's 1950s updating first seen in 2012. I thought this generally worked really well. It was certainly an expensive looking effort. Act 2 scene 2, which is set by Verdi/Boito in 'A room in Ford's house' was spectacularly set in a kitchen of the period; so convincingly that you expected to see Marguerite Pattern or, even better, Fanny Craddock terrifying a hapless young assistant.
The cast assembled was as good as you will find today - there were no weaknesses. It was luxury indeed to have Britain's two finest baritones in one opera. Bryn Terfel was superb as Falstaff, better than in 1999. Simon Keenlyside was a top notch Ford and both of them act really well. Other highlights were Marie-Nicole Lemieux as a fruitily sung and fabulously camp Mistress Quickly and Frederic Antoun has a glorious tenor voice, singing Fenton's Act 3 aria as well as I've heard it.
I'm looking forward to the Ring Cycle in September but ROH have closed for the season on a high.
The production was a revival of Carsen's 1950s updating first seen in 2012. I thought this generally worked really well. It was certainly an expensive looking effort. Act 2 scene 2, which is set by Verdi/Boito in 'A room in Ford's house' was spectacularly set in a kitchen of the period; so convincingly that you expected to see Marguerite Pattern or, even better, Fanny Craddock terrifying a hapless young assistant.
The cast assembled was as good as you will find today - there were no weaknesses. It was luxury indeed to have Britain's two finest baritones in one opera. Bryn Terfel was superb as Falstaff, better than in 1999. Simon Keenlyside was a top notch Ford and both of them act really well. Other highlights were Marie-Nicole Lemieux as a fruitily sung and fabulously camp Mistress Quickly and Frederic Antoun has a glorious tenor voice, singing Fenton's Act 3 aria as well as I've heard it.
I'm looking forward to the Ring Cycle in September but ROH have closed for the season on a high.
