Scottish Opera - Glasgow | 17 May 2024 |
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Performance reviews
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Breaking the WavesEdinburgh International FestivalNo. of reviews: 6 |
Troubling opera based on Lars von Trier’s film |
23 Aug 19 / The Stage |
Mazzoli’s luminous Breaking the Waves receives European premiere in Edinburgh |
23 Aug 19 / Bachtrack |
A ponderous new opera from Missy Mazzoli |
23 Aug 19 / The Opera Critic |
more reviews [+]
In Edinburgh Breaking the Waves restores faith in opera as an art form |
22 Aug 19 / Seen and Heard |
associated articles [+]
Missy Mazzoli: 'Breaking the Waves' deals with big ideas
Adapting Lars von Trier’s provocative 1996 film about faith and loyalty in an insular Scottish community was the first challenge. Bringing it to Scotland is the next.
Adapting Lars von Trier’s provocative 1996 film about faith and loyalty in an insular Scottish community was the first challenge. Bringing it to Scotland is the next.
Die ZauberflöteScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 6 |
A very welcome return of the Scottish Opera's 2012 production of The Magic Flute |
4 Jul 19 / Opera Journal |
A fun-filled Magic Flute |
8 Jun 19 / The Opera Critic |
This five star production is thanks to the stars aligning in every aspect of its creation |
12 May 19 / The Reviews Hub |
more reviews [+]
The Magic Flute is still pulling in the crowds |
11 May 19 / The Scotsman |
Stovepipe hats are back: Scottish Opera’s steampunk Magic Flute returns |
8 May 19 / Bachtrack |
A grand night out |
7 May 19 / The Herald |
SilvanoScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 2 |
Mascagni's Silvano proves to be a topical treat |
22 Apr 19 / The Opera Critic |
As the wretched Matilde, Emma Bell stole the show |
20 Apr 19 / The Scotsman |
Kat'a KabanovaScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 6 |
Death on the Volga |
25 Mar 19 / The Opera Critic |
A traditional staging of Katya Kabaonva at Scottish Opera that is poetic and thoughtful |
22 Mar 19 / The Spectator |
Scottish Opera’s new Kátya Kabanová is musically strong but intermittently satisfying |
18 Mar 19 / Seen and Heard |
more reviews [+]
At Scottish Opera, a great season for Kátya Kabanová continues |
17 Mar 19 / The Observer |
A finely sung Katya Kabanova in rust-bucket Russia |
15 Mar 19 / Bachtrack |
This is a staging full of big stuff |
14 Mar 19 / The Herald |
AnthropoceneScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 9 |
Arctic diversions |
3 Feb 19 / The Opera Critic |
Tensions rise as an Arctic expedition becomes trapped in ice |
3 Feb 19 / The Observer |
A bankable asset |
29 Jan 19 / The Scotsman |
more reviews [+]
A timely chiller from Scottish Opera |
29 Jan 19 / Bachtrack |
With superb diction from the whole company, Anthropocene is a work of great clarity |
28 Jan 19 / The Herald |
Atmospheric operatic thriller |
28 Jan 19 / The Stage |
A tense and riveting 3-Act thriller set in the icy wastes of Greenland |
28 Jan 19 / Opera News |
Icily resonant tale with a remorseless grip |
26 Jan 19 / Telegraph |
MacRae's arctic adventure delivers operatic thrills |
26 Jan 19 / The Guardian |
RigolettoScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 7 |
A Rigoletto revival that resonates with today's audience |
12 Nov 18 / The Opera Critic |
Vocally, Scottish Opera has a wealth of talent |
12 Nov 18 / The Reviews Hub |
A dark, unflinching Rigoletto from Scottish Opera |
23 Oct 18 / Bachtrack |
more reviews [+]
The real fire came from the pit |
23 Oct 18 / The Times |
Scottish Opera opens the new season with a revival of Verdi’s Rigoletto |
22 Oct 18 / Seen and Heard |
Greek baritone Aris Argiris brings a sympathetic Zero Mostel-approach to the title character |
22 Oct 18 / The Herald |
Individually there are golden moments |
20 Oct 18 / The Scotsman |
EdgarScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 3 |
Edgar is well worthy of a place in Scottish Opera’s Sunday afternoon opera-in-concert series |
3 Nov 18 / The Scotsman |
Puccini's early opera gets a rare outing |
30 Oct 18 / The Opera Critic |
Peter Auty was in superb voice in the title role |
29 Oct 18 / The Herald |
The Burning Fiery FurnaceScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 6 |
Burning Fiery Furnace is a masterclass in austerity opera |
27 Sep 18 / The Spectator |
A mesmerising, memorable and quietly provocative production |
26 Sep 18 / The Scotsman |
The sequence of ritualistic scenes and tableaux suited the work perfectly |
25 Sep 18 / The Herald |
more reviews [+]
Jenny Ogilvie struck the right balance between the archaic and the everyday |
24 Sep 18 / The Times |
Sonorous singing and sensuous ecstasy |
24 Sep 18 / The Guardian |
A colourful and exotic parable |
23 Sep 18 / The Opera Critic |
Eugene OneginScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 15 |
Everything that is great about Eugene Onegin comes together perfectly in this Scottish Opera production |
5 Jul 18 / Opera Journal |
Scottish Opera’s first-rate production of Tchaikovsky’s great Eugene Onegin |
2 Jul 18 / Seen and Heard |
Scottish Opera's Eugene Onegin gives an outstanding account of the Russian soul |
30 Jun 18 / The Irish News |
more reviews [+]
Kiwi leading Scottish Opera through a decade of successes |
9 Jun 18 / National Business Review |
An Onegin full of memories |
26 May 18 / The Opera Critic |
La Scottish Opera cierra la temporada con Eugene Onegin de Tchaikovsky |
16 May 18 / Opera World (Spanish) |
Natalya Romaniw thrills in Scottish Opera’s epic Eugene Onegin |
9 May 18 / Bachtrack |
Scottish Opera’s strongly performed production is charged with emotion |
2 May 18 / The Stage |
An unflinchingly serious three-and-a-quarter hours |
2 May 18 / The Scotsman |
Crackling with vitality |
2 May 18 / Telegraph |
Scottish Opera’s new production of Tchaikovsky’s best-loved opera is nothing if not attention-grabbing |
30 Apr 18 / The Herald |
The Royal Opera's artistic director stages Tchaikovsky's romantic masterpiece for Scottish Opera |
30 Apr 18 / What's on Stage |
Magnificent singing in a new production of Eugene Onegin at Scottish Opera |
30 Apr 18 / Seen and Heard |
A grand production of Tchaikovsky's masterpiece |
30 Apr 18 / The Guardian |
Natalya Romaniw’s stunningly sung Tatyana one of the highlights |
30 Apr 18 / The Times |
Francesca da RiminiScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 3 |
A double dose of Rachmaninov |
9 May 18 / The Opera Critic |
Scottish Opera’s outstanding performances of rare Rachmaninov operas |
8 May 18 / Seen and Heard |
Two operas with similar grizzly endings |
7 May 18 / The Herald |
AlekoScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 3 |
A double dose of Rachmaninov |
9 May 18 / The Opera Critic |
Scottish Opera’s outstanding performances of rare Rachmaninov operas |
8 May 18 / Seen and Heard |
Two operas have similar grizzly endings |
7 May 18 / The Herald |
Ariadne auf NaxosScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 6 |
Passionately sung modern dress opera containing elements of burlesque |
10 Apr 18 / The Stage |
Initial misses give way to big hit |
9 Apr 18 / Seen and Heard |
A Scottish take on Ariadne auf Naxos |
9 Apr 18 / The Opera Critic |
more reviews [+]
Ariadne auf “Glasgow” |
4 Apr 18 / Opera World (Spanish) |
Scottish Opera’s Ariadne auf Naxos is witty and passionate |
27 Mar 18 / Bachtrack |
Scottish Opera's highly enjoyable Ariadne auf Naxos is proof that unlikely ideas can work |
27 Mar 18 / The List |
FlightScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 8 |
Scottish Opera and cast triumph with Jonathan Dove’s Flight |
6 Mar 18 / Seen and Heard |
The solo piano only added to the sense of intimacy that pervaded the whole evening |
6 Mar 18 / The Scotsman |
Flight takes off, despite the weather |
5 Mar 18 / The Opera Critic |
more reviews [+]
Witty and poignant tale of airport life at Scottish Opera |
27 Feb 18 / Bachtrack |
Jonathan Dove's airport opera soars above the ordinary |
20 Feb 18 / The Guardian |
Jonathan Dove’s must-see work, set in an airport departure lounge, shows how modern opera can be thrillingly relevant |
19 Feb 18 / The Times |
Flight is the musical equivalent of a supermarket’s premium range convenience food |
19 Feb 18 / Telegraph |
Twenty years on, Flight looks more modern and relevant than ever |
19 Feb 18 / The Herald |
GreekScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 4 |
Scottish Opera’s Greek: a lively update on Oedipus |
6 Feb 18 / Bachtrack |
This Greek is a classic of our time |
6 Feb 18 / The Herald |
Scottish Opera thrills with aggressive Greek from Turnage |
5 Feb 18 / Seen and Heard |
more reviews [+]
Greek erupts on stage in Glasgow |
5 Feb 18 / The Opera Critic |
The Fiery AngelScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 3 |
Madness, magic and spiritual mayhem |
6 Dec 17 / Bachtrack |
Sex, demons and cannibalism in Glasgow |
5 Dec 17 / Telegraph |
A thrilling performance |
5 Dec 17 / The Opera Critic |
La TraviataScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 9 |
Compelling La traviata from Scottish Opera |
23 Nov 17 / Seen and Heard |
McVicar's Traviata is sumptuously minimalist |
20 Nov 17 / The Opera Critic |
The story was remarkably easy to follow; the singing hard to fault |
18 Nov 17 / Edinburgh Guide |
more reviews [+]
Sombre and sumptuous |
10 Nov 17 / The Northern Times |
Gulnara Shafigullina makes a searing Scottish Opera debut |
29 Oct 17 / The Herald |
Safe and simple pleasures from Scottish Opera's La traviata |
24 Oct 17 / Bachtrack |
There are visual pleasures, but the musical thrills are harder to find |
23 Oct 17 / The Times |
David McVicar’s stylish Traviata is slow to ignite at Scottish Opera |
22 Oct 17 / The Observer |
McVicar's Verdi is a gorgeous but stilted visual treat |
21 Oct 17 / The Guardian |
IolantaScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 2 |
An engaging performance |
1 Nov 17 / The Opera Critic |
For a one-off performance, this was sumptuously cast |
31 Oct 17 / The Herald |
GreekEdinburgh International FestivalNo. of reviews: 9 |
Alex Otterburn as the Oedipal Stuart, trying to escape from Fate and Tuffnell Park, was devastating and terrifying |
14 Aug 17 / The Scotsman |
Cockney opera mixes the baleful and the banal |
8 Aug 17 / Financial Times |
Who would have thought ketchup and beans could feature so garishly in an opera or symbolise so much? |
8 Aug 17 / Classical Source |
more reviews [+]
Bold and tacky |
8 Aug 17 / The Stage |
The real clincher in this production is Hill-Gibbons’ focus on psychology rather than epoch |
8 Aug 17 / The Scotsman |
The evening belongs to Alex Otterburn's Eddy |
7 Aug 17 / The Opera Critic |
Re-unveiling of EIF’s past glory is mesmerising when it works |
7 Aug 17 / Telegraph |
Oedipus opera update as relevant and risque as ever |
7 Aug 17 / The Guardian |
For Scottish Opera Emerging Artist Alex Otterburn the central role of Eddy is a huge achievement |
6 Aug 17 / The Herald |
associated articles [+]
Opera director Joe Hill-Gibbins: How I got an Oepidus complex
The ancient myth speaks to us still, and, through the prism of Mark-Anthony Turnage’s hard-hitting opera Greek, the director of a new production found insights, strange beauty and football chants.
The ancient myth speaks to us still, and, through the prism of Mark-Anthony Turnage’s hard-hitting opera Greek, the director of a new production found insights, strange beauty and football chants.
La bohèmeScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 9 |
Scottish Opera’s romantic reimagining of La bohème |
2 Jun 17 / Seen and Heard |
Love, laughter and death at the heart of Scottish Opera's new Bohème |
2 Jun 17 / The Opera Critic |
For the purists the production was way over-the-top |
2 Jun 17 / Edinburgh Guide |
more reviews [+]
Scottish Opera tearjerker was third time lucky |
27 May 17 / The Press and Journal |
Scottish Opera’s detailed La bohème bursts with joie de vivre |
23 May 17 / Bachtrack |
Much of Scottish Opera’s Bohème is spot-on – but it begins with an act of petty vandalism |
18 May 17 / The Spectator |
Detail-rich and resonant |
16 May 17 / The Stage |
A breathless affair |
13 May 17 / The Scotsman |
Jazz-age colour and vitality animate Scottish Opera's new production |
11 May 17 / The Guardian |
Le villiScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 2 |
A real treat |
27 May 17 / The Scotsman |
A triumph and a treat |
23 May 17 / The Herald |
La scala di setaScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 4 |
Sparkling comedy from Scottish Opera in concert |
11 Apr 17 / Bachtrack |
Fun and lively early Rossini |
4 Apr 17 / The Herald |
Rossini's amiable farce fizzes along gleefully |
4 Apr 17 / The Guardian |
more reviews [+]
Frothy Rossini, served up with aplomb |
3 Apr 17 / The Opera Critic |
Duke Bluebeard's CastleScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 9 |
A bloody good double bill |
10 Apr 17 / The Observer |
An emotional roller coaster |
8 Apr 17 / The Opera Critic |
Sung with such eloquence it makes you wish we heard more operas in Hungarian |
7 Apr 17 / The Spectator |
more reviews [+]
What’s behind Bluebeard’s 8th door? Chilling double bill from Scottish Opera |
4 Apr 17 / Bachtrack |
A tantalising prospect |
2 Apr 17 / The Herald |
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Performance schedule
News & Articles
Scottish Opera announces 60th anniversary season for 2022/23 |
Scottish Opera has unveiled its 2022/23 Season which includes four new main stage productions, with one of the four an outdoor community opera. |
19 May 2022 / Scottish Business News |
Scottish Opera withdraws nomination for Sky Arts Award |
The Scottish Opera has withdrawn its nomination for a Sky Arts Award for its production of Nixon in China after being criticized for its use of 'yellowface' makeup, The Times reports. |
14 Jun 2021 / Broadway World |
Scottish Opera announces Spring/Summer season |
Scottish Opera’s forthcoming season includes two specially made films, along with plans to bring live opera back to audiences with outdoor performances in the summer. |
15 Apr 2021 / Opera Now |
Scottish Opera reveals plans to stage 200 'pop-up' shows |
Scottish Opera has revealed plans to stage more than 200 outdoor performances for around 12,000 people across Scotland as it emerges from lockdown restrictions. |
8 Apr 2021 / The Scotsman |
Singing in the rain |
Scottish Opera is beginning live performances again with a string of pop-up shows across the country - with musicians behind screens and singers staying three metres apart. |
6 Sep 2020 / BBC News |