Scottish Opera - Glasgow | 26 January 2021 |
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Performance reviews
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Così fan tutteScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 4 | ![]() |
Cleverly played as a gameshow without flogging the idea |
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Eine Liebesshow |
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Mozart’s farcical opera buffa reimagined as a manipulative TV-style reality game show. |
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Am-dram props and loose directorial ends don't faze a team of fine young singers |
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The Diary of one who has DisappearedScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 2 | ![]() ![]() |
A disappearing hero in Glasgow |
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Locked down by loyalties? Janáček’s Diary at Scottish Opera |
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La bohèmeScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 5 | ![]() |
Scottish Opera return to live performance with a five-star La bohème |
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Scottish Opera's Covid-safe Puccini is a triumph |
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A production that lays bare the emotional heart of society in crisis |
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Consumptive Bohemians in a car park – perfect for a pandemic |
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Top-quality cast and players put on a potted version in a parking lot |
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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.
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.
Nixon in ChinaScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 8 | ![]() |
History recreated from the archives |
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Strong soloists, chorus, and orchestra are the pluses of Scottish Opera’s Nixon in China |
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Stylish, powerful Nixon in China from Scottish Opera |
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A gripping human drama |
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A contextualised history lesson for everyone, cast included |
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One of the most rewarding and thought-provoking evenings that will be available in any theatre this year |
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This subtle, intelligent modern opera is still entrancing |
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Slick update for tale of Tricky Dicky's schmoozing |
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IrisScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 2 | ![]() |
Mascagni's Iris well worth the effort |
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Hugely popular in its day, Iris is full of musical highlights |
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ToscaScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 7 | ![]() ![]() |
A comprehensive production |
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Breathing new life into Tosca |
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A revival of its popular Tosca opens Scottish Opera’s season in Glasgow magnificently |
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Natalya Romaniw an exciting Tosca in Scottish Opera’s powerful revival |
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Natalya Romaniw plays the pious and passionate Tosca with tremendous anguish and outrage |
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Roland Wood is a terrifying Scarpia; the whole cast vocally exhilaring |
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Scottish Opera's opulent staging still has plenty to say |
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ZanettoScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 3 | ![]() |
Swooning melodies, colour and wit |
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Neither performer really made a compelling case for further performances |
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Mascagni and Wolf-Ferrari double bill is a great success at the Lammermuir Festival |
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Il segreto di SusannaScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 3 | ![]() |
Swooning melodies, colour and wit |
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The rich orchestration of the score was given a vigorous performance |
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Mascagni and Wolf-Ferrari double bill is a great success at the Lammermuir Festival |
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Die ZauberflöteScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 6 | ![]() ![]() |
A very welcome return of the Scottish Opera's 2012 production of The Magic Flute |
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A fun-filled Magic Flute |
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This five star production is thanks to the stars aligning in every aspect of its creation |
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The Magic Flute is still pulling in the crowds |
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Stovepipe hats are back: Scottish Opera’s steampunk Magic Flute returns |
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A grand night out |
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SilvanoScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 2 | ![]() |
Mascagni's Silvano proves to be a topical treat |
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As the wretched Matilde, Emma Bell stole the show |
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Kat'a KabanovaScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 6 | ![]() ![]() |
Death on the Volga |
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A traditional staging of Katya Kabaonva at Scottish Opera that is poetic and thoughtful |
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Scottish Opera’s new Kátya Kabanová is musically strong but intermittently satisfying |
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At Scottish Opera, a great season for Kátya Kabanová continues |
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A finely sung Katya Kabanova in rust-bucket Russia |
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This is a staging full of big stuff |
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AnthropoceneScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 9 | ![]() ![]() |
Arctic diversions |
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Tensions rise as an Arctic expedition becomes trapped in ice |
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A bankable asset |
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A timely chiller from Scottish Opera |
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With superb diction from the whole company, Anthropocene is a work of great clarity |
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Atmospheric operatic thriller |
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A tense and riveting 3-Act thriller set in the icy wastes of Greenland |
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Icily resonant tale with a remorseless grip |
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MacRae's arctic adventure delivers operatic thrills |
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RigolettoScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 7 | ![]() ![]() |
A Rigoletto revival that resonates with today's audience |
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Vocally, Scottish Opera has a wealth of talent |
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A dark, unflinching Rigoletto from Scottish Opera |
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The real fire came from the pit |
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Scottish Opera opens the new season with a revival of Verdi’s Rigoletto |
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Greek baritone Aris Argiris brings a sympathetic Zero Mostel-approach to the title character |
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Individually there are golden moments |
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EdgarScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 3 | ![]() |
Edgar is well worthy of a place in Scottish Opera’s Sunday afternoon opera-in-concert series |
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Puccini's early opera gets a rare outing |
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Peter Auty was in superb voice in the title role |
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The Burning Fiery FurnaceScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 6 | ![]() |
Burning Fiery Furnace is a masterclass in austerity opera |
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A mesmerising, memorable and quietly provocative production |
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The sequence of ritualistic scenes and tableaux suited the work perfectly |
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Jenny Ogilvie struck the right balance between the archaic and the everyday |
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Sonorous singing and sensuous ecstasy |
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A colourful and exotic parable |
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Eugene OneginScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 15 | ![]() ![]() |
Everything that is great about Eugene Onegin comes together perfectly in this Scottish Opera production |
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Scottish Opera’s first-rate production of Tchaikovsky’s great Eugene Onegin |
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Scottish Opera's Eugene Onegin gives an outstanding account of the Russian soul |
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Kiwi leading Scottish Opera through a decade of successes |
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An Onegin full of memories |
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La Scottish Opera cierra la temporada con Eugene Onegin de Tchaikovsky |
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Natalya Romaniw thrills in Scottish Opera’s epic Eugene Onegin |
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Scottish Opera’s strongly performed production is charged with emotion |
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An unflinchingly serious three-and-a-quarter hours |
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Crackling with vitality |
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Scottish Opera’s new production of Tchaikovsky’s best-loved opera is nothing if not attention-grabbing |
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The Royal Opera's artistic director stages Tchaikovsky's romantic masterpiece for Scottish Opera |
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Magnificent singing in a new production of Eugene Onegin at Scottish Opera |
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A grand production of Tchaikovsky's masterpiece |
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Natalya Romaniw’s stunningly sung Tatyana one of the highlights |
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Francesca da RiminiScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 3 | ![]() |
A double dose of Rachmaninov |
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Scottish Opera’s outstanding performances of rare Rachmaninov operas |
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Two operas with similar grizzly endings |
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AlekoScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 3 | ![]() |
A double dose of Rachmaninov |
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Scottish Opera’s outstanding performances of rare Rachmaninov operas |
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Two operas have similar grizzly endings |
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Ariadne auf NaxosScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 6 | ![]() ![]() |
Passionately sung modern dress opera containing elements of burlesque |
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Initial misses give way to big hit |
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A Scottish take on Ariadne auf Naxos |
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Ariadne auf “Glasgow” |
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Scottish Opera’s Ariadne auf Naxos is witty and passionate |
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Scottish Opera's highly enjoyable Ariadne auf Naxos is proof that unlikely ideas can work |
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FlightScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 8 | ![]() ![]() |
Scottish Opera and cast triumph with Jonathan Dove’s Flight |
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The solo piano only added to the sense of intimacy that pervaded the whole evening |
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Flight takes off, despite the weather |
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Witty and poignant tale of airport life at Scottish Opera |
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Jonathan Dove's airport opera soars above the ordinary |
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Jonathan Dove’s must-see work, set in an airport departure lounge, shows how modern opera can be thrillingly relevant |
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Flight is the musical equivalent of a supermarket’s premium range convenience food |
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Twenty years on, Flight looks more modern and relevant than ever |
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GreekScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 4 | ![]() |
Scottish Opera’s Greek: a lively update on Oedipus |
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This Greek is a classic of our time |
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Scottish Opera thrills with aggressive Greek from Turnage |
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Greek erupts on stage in Glasgow |
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The Fiery AngelScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 3 | ![]() |
Madness, magic and spiritual mayhem |
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Sex, demons and cannibalism in Glasgow |
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A thrilling performance |
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La TraviataScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 9 | ![]() ![]() |
Compelling La traviata from Scottish Opera |
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McVicar's Traviata is sumptuously minimalist |
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The story was remarkably easy to follow; the singing hard to fault |
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Sombre and sumptuous |
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Gulnara Shafigullina makes a searing Scottish Opera debut |
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Safe and simple pleasures from Scottish Opera's La traviata |
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There are visual pleasures, but the musical thrills are harder to find |
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David McVicar’s stylish Traviata is slow to ignite at Scottish Opera |
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McVicar's Verdi is a gorgeous but stilted visual treat |
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IolantaScottish OperaNo. of reviews: 2 | ![]() |
An engaging performance |
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News & Articles
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. |
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Scottish Opera has announced a September program |
Elizabeth Llewellyn and Samuel Sakker lead Scottish Opera September 2020 performances. |
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Scottish Opera cancels autumn 2020 season |
Scottish Opera is still planning a spring 2021 large-scale production depending on regulations. |
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Surviving shutdown |
How Scottish Opera's last enforced shutdown could help it survive this one. |
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Scottish Opera's new season |
Scottish Opera today reveals a season that continues to team contemporary work with classics – the question being where the opera-lover draws any line dividing the two. |
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