| The Royal Opera - Lessons in Love and Violence Reviews | 25 April 2024 |
Ensemble
Barbara Hannigan (Isabel), Stéphane Degout (King), Ocean Barrington-Cook (Girl)
Samuel Boden (Boy/Young King), Ocean Barrington-Cook (Girl), Barbara Hannigan (Isabel)
Stéphane Degout (King), Gyula Orendt (Gaveston)
Barbara Hannigan (Isabel)
Performance reviews
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Lessons in Love and ViolenceThe Royal OperaNo. of reviews: 26 | |
Hand-picked for the roles, the cast is simply superb |
 14 Jun 18 / Opera Journal |
Siete lecciones para siete teatros en noventa minutos |
| 5 Jun 18 / Mundo Clásico (Spanish) |
Lessons in Love and Violence is a compelling new opera |
| 1 Jun 18 / National Business Review |
A powerful and thought-provoking study in the complexity of human relations |
| 28 May 18 / Planet Hugill |
George Benjamin's Lessons in Love and Violence is in no way a masterpiece |
| 24 May 18 / The Spectator |
Pale and uninteresting |
| 24 May 18 / The Critics' Circle |
Lovely and never violent |
| 22 May 18 / parterre box |
An outstanding cast unveil a towering masterpiece |
| 17 May 18 / Seen and Heard |
Création mondiale de Lessons in Love and Violence à la Royal Opera House |
| 16 May 18 / Opera Online (French) |
Botschaft aus dem königlichen Schlafgemach |
| 15 May 18 / FAZ |
Die Oper flieht vor der Aktualität, auch dort wo sie sich aufdrängt |
| 15 May 18 / Neue Zürcher Zeitung |
Powerful musical utterances but perplexing dramatic motivations |
| 14 May 18 / Opera Today |
Musically brilliant, dramatically inert? |
| 12 May 18 / Classical Iconoclast |
Masterly score captures cruelty of royal court |
| 12 May 18 / Evening Standard |
Savage elegance never quite glows red-hot |
| 12 May 18 / The Arts Desk |
La nouvelle leçon de musique et de théâtre de George Benjamin et Martin Crimp |
| 12 May 18 / Diapason |
Icy beauty and dramatic tension |
| 12 May 18 / Bachtrack |
Katie Mitchell directs Martin Crimp and George Benjamin’s searing take on the story of Edward II |
| 12 May 18 / Time Out |
A long-awaited new opera is a raucous beauty |
| 12 May 18 / New York Times |
In terms of pure music, Lessons of Love and Violence is arguably a more rewarding creation than Written on Skin |
| 12 May 18 / Classical Source |
A Rolls Royce production that could use a few tunes |
| 12 May 18 / Independent |
A potent and beautiful account of Edward II's downfall |
| 12 May 18 / Telegraph |
George Benjamin’s modern-day retelling of Edward II’s demise is a bleak, lustrous opera that places a gay love story it its centre |
| 12 May 18 / The Guardian |
Martin Crimp’s libretto is anodyne, over-intellectualised and often boring, while Katie Mitchell’s staging is bland and bizarre |
| 12 May 18 / The Times |
A few more lessons needed for Lessons In Love And Violence |
| 12 May 18 / Metro |
George Benjamin’s new work on the subject of Edward II once again shows his operatic mastery |
| 11 May 18 / The Stage |
associated articles [+]
Can George Benjamin strike gold twice?
George Benjamin's opera Written on Skin was instantly declared a modern masterpiece – can he follow its success with Lessons in Love and Violence?
George Benjamin's opera Written on Skin was instantly declared a modern masterpiece – can he follow its success with Lessons in Love and Violence?
Katie Mitchell on ROH's brutal new opera
Her last production contained cannibalism and was staggeringly successful. Could Lessons in Love and Violence top it? We sit in on rehearsals as the revered director grapples with some bedside lamps.
Her last production contained cannibalism and was staggeringly successful. Could Lessons in Love and Violence top it? We sit in on rehearsals as the revered director grapples with some bedside lamps.
Opera’s perfectionist tries to follow his masterpiece
George Benjamin, the painstaking composer of the acclaimed opera “Written on Skin,” prepares for the premiere of his “Lessons in Love and Violence.”
George Benjamin, the painstaking composer of the acclaimed opera “Written on Skin,” prepares for the premiere of his “Lessons in Love and Violence.”
Production details
Cast
Degout, Hannigan, Orendt, Hoare, Boden, Francis, Szabo, Robertsson
(c) Benjamin (d) Mitchell
Performance dates
10, 12, 15, 18, 24, 26 May 2018
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22 Apr 24 / The Guardian |