| Garsington Opera - Garsington | 12 December 2018 |
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Performance reviews
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The Skating RinkGarsington OperaNo. of reviews: 15 | |
The Skating Rink grows in intensity with each act |
 15 Jul 18 / The Observer |
This complex modern drama, brilliantly sung, is a frozen asset |
| 15 Jul 18 / The Sunday Times |
An exotic new mystery thriller is Garsington's final opera of 2018 |
| 14 Jul 18 / What's on Stage |
more reviews [+]
The Skating Rink is not as engaging and stimulating as it could be |
| 10 Jul 18 / Seen and Heard |
Prosaic words and music fail to make magic on ice |
| 10 Jul 18 / Evening Standard |
Strong performance of a new opera with a very striking voice, inspired by Roberto Bolano's novel |
| 9 Jul 18 / Planet Hugill |
With its blazing sunshine, there could not have been a more appropriate day for the premiere of this work |
| 9 Jul 18 / Music OMH |
The Skating Rink is not as engaging and stimulating as it could be |
| 9 Jul 18 / Seen and Heard |
Smart murder mystery opera is unfussy and clear |
| 7 Jul 18 / The Guardian |
A superb cast can't save a thin plot and banal libretto |
| 7 Jul 18 / Independent |
Finely observed |
| 7 Jul 18 / The Stage |
An intriguing experiment in neo-noir that pays off handsomely |
| 7 Jul 18 / Telegraph |
The whole received a strong performance from both cast and orchestra |
| 7 Jul 18 / Opera Today |
Shivers up and down the spine |
| 7 Jul 18 / Bachtrack |
Grant Doyle as Enric sings with burnished tone throughout and is dramatically effective |
| 6 Jul 18 / Classical Source |
CapriccioGarsington OperaNo. of reviews: 20 | |
Le niveau d’excellence du plateau vocal force l’admiration et appelle les hourras! |
| 9 Jul 18 / Anaclase |
No contest |
| 2 Jul 18 / The Critics' Circle |
A little bit of magic: Soprano Miah Persson in Richard Strauss's opera |
| 28 Jun 18 / The Epoch Times |
more reviews [+]
It was Music which ‘won’ in the end |
| 26 Jun 18 / Music OMH |
Many musical rewards in Capriccio at Garsington |
| 14 Jun 18 / Seen and Heard |
A little bit of magic: Miah Persson in Richard Strauss's Capriccio at Garsington |
| 11 Jun 18 / Planet Hugill |
Miah Persson excels in Capriccio |
| 11 Jun 18 / The Times |
Strauss’s last opera is a ‘whim whim’ for Wormsley festival |
| 11 Jun 18 / Henley Standard |
Mozart’s forces of darkness and light fight it out alongside voluptuous Strauss on the lawns at Garsington |
| 10 Jun 18 / The Observer |
Music and words in operatic struggle |
| 8 Jun 18 / Oxford Mail |
Garsington makes as good a case as you can for Strauss's frothy Capriccio |
| 7 Jun 18 / The Spectator |
Garsington gives stimulating performance of Strauss’s Capriccio |
| 6 Jun 18 / Seen and Heard |
A rare production of Strauss's final opera and a sophisticated summer treat |
| 6 Jun 18 / What's on Stage |
On occasion things are a little too serious, but overall Richard Strauss’s ensemble piece plays out with nuance and verve |
| 5 Jun 18 / The Times |
Makes a profound impression |
| 5 Jun 18 / The Stage |
Ingeniously controlled chaos |
| 5 Jun 18 / Independent |
The poignancy of triviality |
| 4 Jun 18 / Opera Today |
A gentle, sympathetic Capriccio at Garsington |
| 4 Jun 18 / Bachtrack |
Miah Persson’s beautifully judged Countess is discreet without a hint of sphinx-like remoteness |
| 3 Jun 18 / Classical Source |
A sweet and beautiful confection |
| 3 Jun 18 / Telegraph |
FalstaffGarsington OperaNo. of reviews: 10 | |
The most cheerful and warmhearted production of Verdi’s final opera I have seen |
| 25 Jun 18 / Express |
Sister suffragette |
| 24 Jun 18 / Forum Opéra |
Falstaff in the 'back garden'? Blooming good! |
| 24 Jun 18 / Daily Mail |
more reviews [+]
A list of today’s great Falstaffs should now include Henry Waddington |
| 21 Jun 18 / Music OMH |
Verdi's comic farewell in a fine new production by Garsington Opera |
| 20 Jun 18 / What's on Stage |
Garsington Opera transfers Falstaff from Elizabeth pomp to Edwardian pompousness |
| 20 Jun 18 / Opera Today |
You will rarely hear Verdi’s intricate ensembles delivered with such rapport between pit and stage, nor the drama paced so effectively |
| 20 Jun 18 / The Times |
The pace is terrific |
| 20 Jun 18 / Classical Source |
Henry Waddington gives the most convincing, moving, and beautifully-sung performance |
| 19 Jun 18 / Independent |
Songs of innocence and experience: Verdi's Falstaff at Garsington |
| 19 Jun 18 / Bachtrack |
Die ZauberflöteGarsington OperaNo. of reviews: 12 | |
The overture and the great choral pieces were solemn and dignified, and the duets sparkling |
| 19 Jun 18 / Music OMH |
A production swamped by a surplus of ideas |
| 16 Jun 18 / Classical Source |
Mozart’s forces of darkness and light fight it out alongside voluptuous Strauss on the lawns at Garsington |
| 10 Jun 18 / The Observer |
more reviews [+]
Imaginative re-think on Mozart's Enlightenment |
| 9 Jun 18 / Express |
Cold and confusing |
| 7 Jun 18 / The Spectator |
Garsington’s Die Zauberflöte is more rewarding vocally than theatrically |
| 6 Jun 18 / Seen and Heard |
The orchestra is carefully blended, the chorus is terrific and the soloists uniformly impressive |
| 4 Jun 18 / The Times |
Netia Jones shows she's more than a video artist with her riveting new staging of 'Die Zauberflöte' |
| 2 Jun 18 / What's on Stage |
Netia Jones' new Die Zauberflöte opens Garsington Opera's 2018 season |
| 2 Jun 18 / Opera Today |
An enigmatic staging |
| 2 Jun 18 / The Stage |
By setting the action in a Masonic lodge, Netia Jones leaves no space for the imagination |
| 2 Jun 18 / Independent |
Truth and Wisdom: a searching Zauberflöte at Garsington |
| 2 Jun 18 / Bachtrack |
Silver BirchGarsington OperaNo. of reviews: 5 | |
This community opera is cinematic in its scope and fluidity |
| 1 Aug 17 / The Times |
A real achievement |
| 1 Aug 17 / Financial Times (via Google) |
Garsington’s season closes on a high note with Panufnik’s Silver Birch |
| 1 Aug 17 / Seen and Heard |
more reviews [+]
Panufnik’s music is both strong and accessible |
| 31 Jul 17 / Music OMH |
A work of beauty and hope |
| 30 Jul 17 / Classical Source |
Pelléas et MélisandeGarsington OperaNo. of reviews: 12 | |
La soirée n’a pas été des meilleures |
| 13 Jul 17 / Anaclase |
The main musical satisfaction of this new Pelléas et Mélisande was the intense playing of the Philharmonia Orchestra |
| 22 Jun 17 / The Spectator |
Garsington Opera’s provocative and compelling staging of Pelléas et Mélisande |
| 21 Jun 17 / Seen and Heard |
more reviews [+]
Andrea Carroll makes a bewitching Mélisande in Debussy’s decadent opera |
| 21 Jun 17 / Financial Times (via Google) |
Light and shade |
| 20 Jun 17 / Bachtrack |
Andrea Carroll’s Mélisande is her UK debut and it’s an impressive one |
| 20 Jun 17 / Music OMH |
Fresh light on Debussy's mysterious fairytale |
| 19 Jun 17 / The Guardian |
Michael Boyd directs and the Philharmonia Orchestra plays Debussy's opera |
| 19 Jun 17 / What's on Stage |
Andrea Carroll’s exquisite performance is the highlight of this mixed staging of Debussy’s only opera |
| 19 Jun 17 / The Times |
Boyd brings the opera’s dreams and mysteries into landscapes that are lit, symbolically and figuratively, with precision |
| 19 Jun 17 / Opera Today |
Positively amateurish |
| 18 Jun 17 / Telegraph |
Boyd treads a fine line between realism and poetic evasiveness |
| 17 Jun 17 / Classical Source |
Il Turco in ItaliaGarsington OperaNo. of reviews: 7 | |
Rions un peu |
| 10 Jul 17 / Music OMH |
It’s the perfect Summer evening opera |
| 5 Jul 17 / Music OMH |
Finely produced and performed Il turco in Italia at Garsington Opera |
| 3 Jul 17 / Seen and Heard |
more reviews [+]
Welcome revival for a summertime crowd-pleaser that's brimming with fizz and fun |
| 1 Jul 17 / What's on Stage |
Sarah Tynan brought real vocal fireworks to the role of Fiorilla |
| 28 Jun 17 / Opera Today |
Martin Duncan’s 2011 production of Rossini’s comedy has new snap and sexiness in this revival |
| 28 Jun 17 / The Times |
Personenregie perfection: Martin Duncan's Il turco in Italia at Garsington |
| 28 Jun 17 / Bachtrack |
Le nozze di FigaroGarsington OperaNo. of reviews: 8 | |
Cox sets the opera firmly in 18th century Spain and focuses with utmost clarity on the characters’ predicaments |
| 11 Jun 17 / Express |
Le nozze di Figaro at Garsington |
| 9 Jun 17 / Bachtrack |
This productions brings us close to the beating heart of Figaro the opera |
| 7 Jun 17 / Classical Source |
more reviews [+]
Garsington Opera’s rough-edged yet consistent interpretation of Le nozze di Figaro |
| 7 Jun 17 / Seen and Heard |
I have never known a Figaro like Joshua Bloom’s |
| 6 Jun 17 / Independent |
Enchanting and engaging |
| 6 Jun 17 / The Stage |
Douglas Boyd conducted a wonderfully vibrant, elegant, sparkling account of the score |
| 6 Jun 17 / Music OMH |
"Recreated" Figaro at Garsington delights |
| 5 Jun 17 / Opera Today |
SemeleGarsington OperaNo. of reviews: 13 | |
The Garsington Opera Orchestra, under Jonathan Cohen, brings out the full glory of Handel’s score |
| 11 Jun 17 / Express |
Unusual production, glorious performance |
| 8 Jun 17 / Seen and Heard |
An entertaining modern dress production of Handel’s work |
| 7 Jun 17 / Financial Times (via Google) |
more reviews [+]
Heidi Stober sang with clarity and confidence |
| 6 Jun 17 / Music OMH |
The whole thing becomes rather heavy going |
| 6 Jun 17 / Independent |
Star-dust and sparkle at Garsington Opera |
| 5 Jun 17 / Opera Today |
A magical new production of Handel's entertainment launches Garsington 2017 |
| 5 Jun 17 / What's on Stage |
Heidi Stober gave a lively account of the title part |
| 5 Jun 17 / Classical Source |
Handel's celestial opera remade as a Technicolor romcom |
| 3 Jun 17 / The Guardian |
A highly entertaining and brilliantly sung new production of Handel's opera |
| 3 Jun 17 / The Stage |
Muscular conducting and a first-rate cast, but where's the charm? |
| 3 Jun 17 / Telegraph |
All that glitters: Miskimmon's hyperactive Semele opens Garsington’s season |
| 3 Jun 17 / Bachtrack |
Garsington gets the summer opera season off to a cracking start |
| 2 Jun 17 / Evening Standard |
Die SchöpfungGarsington OperaNo. of reviews: 6 | |
Brilliant, but distracting, dancing |
| 23 Jul 16 / Oxford Times Online |
Baldwin’s choreography is sculptural and focused |
| 19 Jul 16 / Independent |
The Creation was busier than usual at Garsington Opera |
| 17 Jul 16 / The Observer |
more reviews [+]
Garsington Opera has teamed up with the Rambert Dance Company nd the results are extremely impressive |
| 17 Jul 16 / Music OMH |
On the musical level this was mostly rewarding |
| 16 Jul 16 / Classical Source |
Birds, beasts and the cosmos: Garsington's Creation is an extraordinary spectacle |
| 16 Jul 16 / Telegraph |
IdomeneoGarsington OperaNo. of reviews: 9 | |
Mozart's tale of a crisis in Crete looks and sounds good but lacks edge |
| 8 Jul 16 / The Guardian |
As the drama is played straight, a brilliant cast can shine |
| 30 Jun 16 / Independent |
Garsington Opera presents a musically compelling and dramatic version of Idomeneo |
| 30 Jun 16 / Seen and Heard |
more reviews [+]
Stylish seriousness and intelligent style |
| 27 Jun 16 / Planet Hugill |
Toby Spence is very strong in the title role |
| 24 Jun 16 / Classical Source |
Mozart's opera is vividly cast and delivered by the cream of (mostly) British talent |
| 24 Jun 16 / What's on Stage |
Musically, this was a strong performance, despite cuts that scarred the work |
| 22 Jun 16 / Opera Today |
A stern Father's Day treat
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| 22 Jun 16 / Bachtrack |
The cast, production team and orchestra were given a rapturous ovation, and rightly so |
| 21 Jun 16 / Music OMH |
associated articles [+]
Interview: Caitlin Hulcup
The Australian mezzo-soprano Caitlin Hulcup has been making quite a name for herself in some of the most prestigious opera houses around the world, and she will soon return to Garsington Opera to sing her first
The Australian mezzo-soprano Caitlin Hulcup has been making quite a name for herself in some of the most prestigious opera houses around the world, and she will soon return to Garsington Opera to sing her first
Eugene OneginGarsington OperaNo. of reviews: 14 | |
The summer opera season defies the downpours with terrific Tchaikovsky, morally improving Mascagni, Shakespearean Puccini and zesty Janáček |
| 20 Jun 16 / The Observer |
Pushkin's verse-novel Eugene Onegin is a classic tale of unrequited love |
| 18 Jun 16 / Express |
Garsington's got it all... even if the fat lady doesn't sing! |
| 12 Jun 16 / Daily Mail |
more reviews [+]
Roderick Williams’s Onegin is seen as a socially awkward outsider rather than a cold-hearted snob |
| 12 Jun 16 / Express |
The close of the drama is riveting |
| 9 Jun 16 / Independent |
A flawed yet absorbing and immensely moving account of Tchaikovsky's romantic opera |
| 8 Jun 16 / What's on Stage |
Slavs to love |
| 8 Jun 16 / The Critics' Circle |
Garsington emphasises psychological aspects of Eugene Onegin |
| 7 Jun 16 / Seen and Heard |
Reviews search
Performance schedule
Smetana
29 May to 30 Jun 2019
Mozart
30 May to 21 Jul 2019
Offenbach
14 Jun to 20 Jul 2019
Britten
1 to 19 Jul 2019
News & Articles
| Garsington Opera to team up with orchestras |
The Garsington Opera Opera will be teaming up with The English Concert and the Philharmonia Orchestra in 2020. |
| 24 Aug 2018 / OperaWire |
| Garsington's Douglas Boyd on Strauss and Skating Rinks |
Capriccio was written during troubled times in 1941, but Garsington Opera’s Artistic Director, Douglas Boyd, rejects the notion that Capriccio indicates Strauss’s ‘indifference’ to the world. |
| 15 May 2018 / Opera Today |
| Garsington Opera announces extended 2017 season |
Garsington Opera’s 2017 season will see the company present four productions and a large community opera for the first time in its history. |
| 17 Jan 2017 / Opera Now |
| Facing the music: Douglas Boyd |
The conductor and artistic director of Garsington Opera on Mozart, football and the future. Just don’t ask him to do karaoke - he’ll get cross. |
| 20 Jun 2016 / The Guardian |
| Garsington Opera announces its 2017 season |
The 2017 season will be the first time Garsington stages four opera productions as well as the newly commissioned Silver Birch. |
| 7 Jun 2016 / Slipped Disc |
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