Peches de Vieillesse

Dabbous

2012-02-07T20:52:00.004Z

After reading Raymond Blanc's recommendation I thought Dabbous was probably worth a try! And it proved to be true - Friendly and helpful staff got immediate brownie points for sorting out the booking cock-up which a certain booking website had perpetrated (they had booked me on the wrong night). They found me a table and promised not to rush me through.

Trying a new restaurant it seems to me one is duty bound to go for the tasting menu. I have reproduced the menu below with a few comments on each course

TASTING MENU

Salad of fennel, lemon balm
and pickled rose petals

A lovely fresh opener with the subtle flavours expertly complementing each other

Steak Tartare with cigar oil and turnip

Beautifully tender steak set off by the unusual flavour of the oil. I would never have guessed it was flavoured with cigar but it was certainly a fascinating taste

Coddled free range hen egg with
woodland mushrooms and smoked butter

The rich creaminess of the coddled egg spiked with the earthy spice of the filed mushrooms - Gorgeous!

Roast king crab with warm buttermilk and hispi cabbage

Lovely meaty, flavoursome crab offset by the sharp bitterness of the cabbage and a smooth creamy sauce. I'm not usually a big fan of crabmeat but this was perfection

Barbecued iberico pork, savoury acorn praline,
turnip tops, homemade apple vinegar

Iberico pork is everywhere at the moment but this was a very strong course - Tender, well flavoured and the soft flesh set against the crunch of acorns and the twist of the apple vinegar

Artisanal cheese from the British Isles, baked apple
and toasted sourdough (£9 supplement)

The only slight disappointment - The bread was one-side toasted but had gone slightly damp and the cheeses, apart from the Brie type one were rather run of the mill.

Cucumber and borage flower
in a chilled lemon verbena infusion

This was back on course with a delightful fresh kick

Chocolate and virgin hazelnut oil ganache,
basil moss, sheeps’ milk ice cream

This really was pretty amazing. I would never have thought of combining basil and chocolate but it was a triumphant success. A tantalising combination of texture and flavour and a great finish to the meal

£49, for the whole table only

Very impressed overall with Dabbous - It has a friendly vibe far removed from the temple to food type establishments but the food is top level. I will certainly be going back. Thanks once again to the lovely staff.

Company at the Crucible

2012-01-10T19:48:00.003Z

A very brief word on the last night of the superb production of "Company" at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield. A jaw droppingly good night at the theatre with a central performance by Daniel Evans which equalled Adrian Lester's Bobby in the never to be forgotten Donmar production. If this production doesn't transfer to London there is no justice - Listen up Cameron Mac!

L'Enclume and Roganic

2012-01-10T19:21:00.004Z

I was fortunate enough, in the dying months of the year, to eat at both of chef Simon Rogan's establishments. First, in the first week of November, I stayed a weekend at L'Enclume in the blissful Lake District village of Cartmel. In the unseasonal dazzling sunshine the Lake District appeared even more magical than usual and with the rooms reminding one more of a well heeled French family home than a hotel the signs for an enjoyable weekend were good. Even so the plentiful breakfast did not fully presage the dazzling evening meal on the Sunday night. I have rarely experienced such an adventurous yet wholly successful tasting menu. Presentation was also on an exquisite level accompanied by knowledgeable, attentive but never overweening service. A truly memorable evening - If only it was closer to London!
And, as luck would have it, Chef Rogan has indeed opened a pop-up London establishment in Marylebone with a similarly exceptional menu, staff and presentation. Roganic is a "toe-in-the-water" exercise which, with any luck, heralds a permanent Rogan outpost in the capital! go to either (or preferably both!) of these wonderful restaurants)
http://www.lenclume.co.uk/
Roganic, 19 Blandford Street, London W1U 3DH (020-7486 0380)

Madama Butterfly - ROH

2012-01-10T19:19:00.003Z

The Elixir of Love - ENO

2012-01-10T19:16:00.002Z

Christian Gerhaher - Wigmore Hall

2012-01-10T19:12:00.003Z

Click on title for my review of the extraordinary Christian Gerhaher's Schwanengesang at the Wig

The Marriage of Figaro - ENO

2012-01-10T19:10:00.002Z

Dmitri Hvorostovsky - Barbican

2012-01-10T19:08:00.001Z

Click on...oh, you know!

Anna Caterina Antonacci - Wigmore Hall

2012-01-10T19:05:00.001Z

Click on title for review

La Traviata - Royal Opera

2012-01-10T19:03:00.001Z

Click on title for Traviata review 2nd January 2012

Catching Up!

2012-01-10T18:59:00.002Z

I have been quite extraordinarily dilatory over recent months. Mainly this has been down to a particularly heavy duty and stressful new job. However I'll try to add links to my reviews since in case you haven't read them. And I promise to try to do better in the New Year..

Take That - Cardiff

2011-06-16T17:40:00.004+01:00

Sweeney Todd at the Chatelet

2011-06-09T23:31:00.007+01:00

I had meant to write much earlier about this fabulous production. Even now I'm not going to venture a full review. I mainly wanted to congratulate Lee Blakeley and his superb production team for a wonderful production. They played it straight - No stupid concepts, no updating, no bloody actor-musos but revealed the dark heart of the work without stinting on the black humour either.

One of the things I am most grateful for is that the score was played complete - We got the tooth pulling with its marvellous rhymes, the essential Judge's flagellation scene and the full version of the Beadle's parlour songs. There was also a full orchestra in the pit and a large chorus - As a result the sheer weight of the scoring was given full, thrilling value.

In a strong cast Rod Gilfry's superb Todd and Caroline O' Connor's unbeatable Mrs Lovett stood out. Unfortunately on the performance I attended Gilfry was clearly suffering a from a fairly bad case of Frog-in-the-throat (sorry, Paris, couldn't pass that one up!) but he was still formidable. In full vocal health I would imagine he would have come close to equalling Bryn Terfel's extraordinary performance. O'Connor was a constant joy but didn't downplay the darker sides to her character. Matthew Best and John Graham Hall were luxury casting in the roles of Judge and Beadle but having voices of this calibre reveals just how good the writing is.
My only hope is that this production was recorded for either CD or, even better, DVD release.

Don Pasquale - OHP

2011-06-09T23:21:00.002+01:00

Click on title for my review of the excellent new production of Don Pasquale at OHP

Turandot - WNO at the Birmingham Hippodrome

2011-06-09T23:19:00.002+01:00

Click on title for review

The Kissing Dance

2011-04-06T16:00:00.001+01:00

Click on the title to take you to my review of Howard Goodall's The Kissing Dance at the Jermyn Street Theatre

Don Giovanni part 2

2010-07-19T17:33:00.002+01:00

More pics from Don Giovanni

Don Giovanni - Somerset Opera

2010-07-15T15:12:00.004+01:00

A few of my pictures from my production of Don Giovanni. Blog software reorders in wrong order for some reason!

Idomeneo

2010-07-15T12:59:00.002+01:00

Katie Mitchell's monster at the Coliseum

Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg

2010-07-15T12:56:00.002+01:00

My review of WNO's stunning new production.

CARMEN at Holland Park

2010-06-09T15:00:00.001+01:00

Review of Carmen at Holland Park

The Pearl Fishers

2010-06-09T14:53:00.002+01:00

Review of THE PEARL FISHERS

La Fille du Regiment

2010-06-01T16:43:00.001+01:00

Review of Dessay and Florez in La Fille du Regiment

Gerald Finley at the Wigmore

2010-06-01T16:39:00.002+01:00

Review of Gerald Finley's recital

Rolando Villazon sings Handel

2010-05-19T17:43:00.001+01:00

Click on the title if you dare!

Juan Diego Florez at the Barbican

2010-05-19T17:41:00.002+01:00

My review of JDF's superlative recital at the Barbican

Andreas Scholl and the Shield of Harmony

2010-04-23T08:44:00.002+01:00

Click on the title to link to my review of the divine Andreas at the Barbican last Monday

Kick Ass

2010-04-18T12:50:00.003+01:00

Go see this film - Genius!!

Young Singers Welfare Foundation Concert

2010-04-09T17:09:00.001+01:00

Click on the title for the review of this concert at the Wigmore Hall

Review - Il Turco In Italia at the Royal Opera

2010-04-09T17:06:00.001+01:00

Click on the title to link to the review

WOLF HALL

2010-04-06T21:56:00.001+01:00

I had to share this wonderful paragraph from WOLF HALL by Hilary Mantel
"In the forest you may find yourself lost, without companions. You may come to a river which is not on the map. You may lose sight of your quarry, and forget why you are there. You may meet a dwarf, or the living Christ, or an old enemy of yours; or a new enemy, one you do not know until you see his face appear between the rustling leaves, and see the glint of his dagger. You may find a woman asleep in a bower of leaves. For a moment, before you don't recognise her, you will think she is someone you know"

Love Never Dies

2010-04-04T17:55:00.006+01:00

Few shows of recent years have created more internet controversy than Andrew Lloyd Webber's latest musical. Ranging from the insane ramblings of "Phans" of the orginal through to some critics who habitually rubbish the noble Lord's output it is now hard for anyone to attend the show with an unsullied critical mind. Lloyd Webber's output in recent years has been at best mixed - WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND, although dramatically tight and containing much enjoyable music, can seem perilously close to Meatloaf tribute show; THE WOMAN IN WHITE a hugely promising subject and a good production by Trevor Nunn was hampered by lyrics so jaw droppingly bad that one is left baffled how they were ever accepted.
However I'm going to stick my neck out and say that, despite some faults, LOVE NEVER DIES is one of his best shows in a long time. Listening to the recording there are numerous moments which, even on repeated listening, still give me goosebumps.
Much of the critical (official and web based) opprobium has been based on the caveat that several of the characters have changed hugely from the original Phantom characters. Given that there has been a 10 year gap between the two sets of events I am at a loss to understand why this is such a stumbling block unless it is purely a problem of a sentimental aversion to change. But which of us can say hand on heart that we are not hugely different from how we were 10 years ago? 10 years ago voting Labour seemed a good idea. Now I'd be hard pushed to find any politician I wanted to vote for.
So Raoul has changed from the cardboard romatic hero of Phantom 1 to a soured drunk? Given the right circumstances that could happen to most people - Why is it so unbelievable in a musical? So Meg has turned from a ballet chit to a hard bitten player in the dubious dealings of Sodom by the Sea? Given that her mother has whored her to seal the deals that doesn't seem much of a stretch.
I don't think I am giving much away if I reveal that Christine is shot and killed in the final scene. This again has aroused huge critical ire chiefly, it seems, because the tragedy is not in some way telegraphed or set up. Well that's the problem with a bullet folks - if you could see them coming there would be an awful lot less dead people!
Anyway I finally got to see the show for myself last Thursday and, despite the best efforts of the audience around me, enjoyed it very much. As I said there are problems but none are insurmountable.
1)The show takes too long to get going - One of the strengths of the original Phantom was the stunning opening transformation from the auction room to the Paris Opera. The long projected sequence leading into the first Coney Island scene goes on just a bit long despite the undoubted beauty of some of the images.
2)The Phantom's first appearance lacks the theatricality of the original. He's just suddenly there. However his first number "Till I hear you sing" is a cracker and superbly sung by Ramin Karimloo.
3)Meg's descent into insaity needs a more detailed set-up - it rather comes out of nowhere.
4)The crucial dressing room scene where both Raoul and the Phantom try to force Christine to do their will is too slow - There should be no gap between Raoul's exit and the Phantom's arrival. Also they miss a trick here regarding the Phantom's entrance. Having him enter through the door is just dull.
5)The final scene on the pier including the tragic denoument is far too long and slowly paced (and not well blocked either, by the way) However Lloyd Webber was probably on a hiding to nothing here - if it had been quicker he would, no doubt, have been accused of trivialisng the events.

Now for the good points. Lloyd Webber has assembled an excellent cast without reliance on stars. Both Sierra Boggis and Karimloo encompass the wide range of notes and dynamics required and move with their respective plights. Summer Strallen is a good Meg although I would have liked her to have had a big emotional number as well as the Coney Island show songs.
Joseph Millson is very strong in the initially unsympathetic role of Raoul and his scene in the pier bar at the top of Act 2 was both moving and believable. Appropos of nothing he looked quite uncannily like Simon Williams 20 years ago.
Liz Robertson, freed at last from the yoke of years of "wholesome" roles, gleefully hammed it up as Mme Giry looking, for all the world, like a French Mrs Danvers.
However almost the most striking performance was that of Charlie Manton in the role of Christine's son, Gustave. Extraordinarily talented, yet wholly without the stage school muppetry which usually has me reaching for a gun, he creates an utterly believable and sympathetic character. I was not suprised to read that he has already portrayed Miles in Britten's THE TURN OF THE SCREW and indeed there are aspects of Gustave's character which put one in mind of Britten's creepy child protagonist. But perhaps that's just me - It's hard to see treble singing boys in sailor suits without thinking of Britten!
Anyway I've probably rambled on enough - My main point is that I urge people to ignore the critics and make up their own minds about the show (You can put the fiver in the post now, Andrew!!)

Giselle - Preston

2010-03-12T22:09:00.006Z

A few pics of the revamped sets for EYB's GISELLE. Sorry about the crappy photo quality. I only had my snap camera with me! Thanks to Lisa who, as usual, did a stunning job on turning my sketches into vibrant and beautifully painted reality.

Handel Singing Competition

2010-03-08T23:33:00.002Z

My review at Opera Britannia. Click on....oh you know the drill by now!

Measha Brueggergosman at the Wigmore Hall

2010-03-08T23:28:00.002Z

Click on the title to link to my review at Opera Britannia

Ah, Paree

2010-03-02T21:28:00.006Z

A few thoughts on my much needed sojourn in Paris. Starting with a hideous car drive to Ashford to pick up the Eurostar. Driving rain slowed everything to a crawl damn nearly resulting in me missing the train. However screamed in on the bell and hoisted my oversize suitcase into one of the undersized luggage racks and I was on my way. I love the Eurostar - Quick and easy check in, no endless waits near the suffocating perfume counter at Heathrow or in rancid hell of Stansted and a train which lands you bang in the centre of Paris, a mere two stops from my cousins in Montmartre.
Lovely to be back in Paris after a couple of years but horrible to realise that my once passable French has deteriorated still further. I managed to make the man at the Metro understand that I wanted a five day pass then cursed myself as I remembered that the passes run in days not hours so I had essentially wasted one day as it was already early evening. Heigh ho - It's only money..
Next morning straight onto to the internet to find out about exhibitions and earmark the opening day of a Munch exhibition and an drawing/watercolour exhibition at the Louvre. The Munch opened that day so the queue was long but I got in eventually. It was a fascinating retrospective of his work leading up to "The Scream". What became apparent is that some traumatic event must have affected Munch since he changed almost overnight from a merely competent imitator of other artist's work to a highly original talent producing work that is haunting, almost terrifying. The constant, often undefined threat which lurks in his watercolours and paintings bespeak a mind pursued by nightmares. His obsession with death's heads and hollow eyed cadaver like women is extremely disturbing. All in all the exhibition was a fascinating insight into a unique artist.
On from the exhibition in an attempt to get a return for LA SONNAMBULA with Dessay at the Bastille. No luck with the unhelpful box office lady. I comforted myself with a 3 course set menu in a cafe round the corner. Fantastic value - Even with wine and coffee it came to less than £18.00.
Saturday and the weather mixed. My cousin and I decide to try the Lisette Model exhibition at the Jeu de Paumes. I had never even heard of Model who worked in Paris and New York from the 30's to the 60's. I can't imagine why she is not better known. Even now the images have a vibrancy and eye for strangeness which is breathtaking. I don't know if the exhibit is due to tour but, if it comes to London, it is a must-see.
In the evening to A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC at the lovely Theatre Chatelet. I have always been lucky at this theatre and this was no exception. Lee Blakeley's excellent production showed off a top notch cast lead by Greta Scacchi who, rather to my surprise, was the best Desiree of my experience since Judi Dench. I had slightly mixed feelings about Leslie Caron's Mmme Armfeldt. It was certainly different but, for my taste, a little ungrounded. No complaints about the rest of the cast and there was a superb quintet of Liebeslieder. Great band too - Good to hear the score again with a full complement in the pit.
Sunday proved a frustrating day as I failed to get into either SONNAMBULA or the dance show at the Theatre de Ville. Still a good meal at a nearby restaurant followed by THE WOLFMAN at one of the cinemas in the Champs Elysees. An extremely silly and bloody film and just about my level after earlier frustrations.
Monday was Louvre day - Superb value as usual. I spent four hours there and barely scratched one of four floors! In the evening to a fun dress rehearsal of FALSTAFF courtesy of the lovely Anna Caterina Antonacci. I will observe the tradition that one never critiques dress rehearsals and content myself with saying that Anna was lovely and unexpectedly comedic (one is so used to seeing her in high octane roles like Carmen or Medea that it is a surprise to find her as Alice Ford)
On Tuesday I decided to have another go for SONNAMBULA. Unfortunately Dessay is off but the plus side is that I get a return fairly easily. Iride Martinez is an excellent replacement and the rest of the cast are all of a high standard. The production is the same one recently given at Covent Garden and Vienna. A bit odd but one has seen far worse. By all accounts the Met's version is an absolute shocker! The Bastille audience remain near the bottom of the league for audience behaviour. The constant unrestrained coughing was unbearable - Clearly Paris is still the home of final stage consumptives!!
Wednesday commences with pouring rain but then brightens in time for me to take a quick turn around Montmartre and Sacre Coeur which is lovely as ever. A quick struggle with cases on the Metro and back onto the Eurostar. I arrive in Ashford as it starts to rain heavily..

Paris je t'aime

2010-02-27T09:38:00.001Z

Sorry I have been so dilatory recently. I will post re my visite a Paris in the coming week, I promise!

Angelika Kirchschlager and Roger Vignoles

2010-02-27T09:33:00.000Z

Click on title for link

Magdalena Kožená at the Wigmore Hall

2010-02-09T17:44:00.006Z

Click on title for link

Review - Joyce DiDonato at the Wigmore Hall

2010-01-30T19:15:00.002Z

Click on the title for the link

Sleeping Beauty SHHHH!

2010-01-25T17:12:00.003Z

By the way a big shout out to the morons who sat behind me at the ballet. I really enjoyed the way you got into the spirit of the evening by talking loudly during the bits that you (presumably) found boring, laughing at inappropriate moments and finally responding with abuse when asked to be quiet. Way to go and great that you learned how to behave approriately before coming to theatre!

Sleeping Beauty at the ROH

2010-01-25T16:30:00.003Z

Tamara Rojo

Went to see SLEEPING BEAUTY at the ROH on Saturday (after queuing in the freezing cold). Apart from the gorgeous Tamara Rojo it was a rather underwhelming evening. Chiefly responsible for this was the prehistoric designs which are marginally updated versions of Oliver Messel's Sadlers Wells designs. I cannot for the life of me imagine who thought that these would work on the vast expanses of the Opera House stage or be acceptable to modern audiences used to huge elaborate sets. They must have looked conventional even just after the war - Nowadays I would have to say I have seen better panto sets than this.
The sense of postwar skimp extended to the costumes which often appeared drab and ordinary.
The other reason for complaint was the very ordinary conducting with many of the moments in Tchaikovsky's matchless score going for nothing. Also several key points which should sync perfectly with dance moves were missed. Worst of these was the chord which should match the pirouette into arabesque in the Grand Pas before the slow arabesque penchee.
The first Carabosse scene was fatally reduced in impact by the conducting. I actually missed the "she shall die" moment as I was so unengaged. Gillian Revie was actually quite good as Carabosse (although I prefer a man in drag in this part) but her strange costume (More Carry on Screaming or 60's fringe party than Evil Fairy) did her no favours.
The transformation scene at the close of Act continued the cheap theme with a few featureless cutcloths tracking in. By this point I was praying for the return of the much maligned Dowell/Bjornson production.
The dancing was all to a good standard but without much individual stamp being put on the roles. The wonderful sequence of Fairy variations passed without remark. Even the grand variation for the Lilac Fairy (which has the potential to thrill) aroused little excitement in me (or the remainder of the audience)
Rupert Pennefather was a good Prince without ever making more of the role than that. Admittedly the production gives him no help in this. The crucial confrontation bewtween good and evil near the climax of Act 2 goes for nothing in this version as there is no sense that the result could go either way.
So the one shining light of the evening was Tamaro Rojo's Aurora. She surmounts every mountainous challenge of this role with apparent ease. She pirouettes on point better than most men do on flat - I think the last pirouette in the diagonal section of the Act 1 variation was a Quintuple turn! If only she had had a better frame in which to shine. The sooner this production is junked the better!

Review Netrebko and Hrovostovsky at the RFH

2010-01-21T00:34:00.007Z

Click on title

The end is nigh!

2010-01-10T17:10:00.001Z

And so to the final performance of the pantomime followed by a lovely get-out in the perishing cold. MMMMM!
And only 11 months till it all starts again....

Cardiff Miserables

2010-01-06T14:21:00.002Z

Having seen this and had time to collate my thoughts here are a few of them.

Firstly the design is very different from the original. The designers have used a combination of Hugo's own paintings and some new (Dore influenced) plates. These are projected using a highly sophisticated system and look very fine. However the combination of what is essentially projected "cloths" and solid scenery actually conveys a rather traditional and conventional stage picture. It is certainly less interesting and fluid than Naper's groundbreaking original designs. However the simplifying of the set and the loss of the revolve and large barricade trucks make a production which can be loaded in and out in a much shorter timeframe than the old touring set. Money talks....
I found the direction of the new team adequate but no more. They have clearly absorbed some of the complexities of Hugo's vast work but this has led them to add some spoken lines which are inserted (rather hurriedly) into gaps in the through sung score. The lines are meant to illuminate aspects not covered by the existing score but for me they emphatically do not work as they feel forced in the context of a through sung piece. A pity that some proper re-composition couldn't have been effected.
So much of the direction just fails to add anything new to Nunn and Caird's extraordinary original. A typical example is the suicide of Javert which is quite a complex sequence in this version. It is reasonably effective but compared to the brilliant simplicity of the original solution it fails to come up trumps.
The sound was for the main part good with a full, fat sound picture. My only quibble was occasional odd sounds from relay speakers which almost felt like an effect without the original source - Odd.
I was slightly disappointed with Paule Constable's lighting. She is a designer I usually admire enormously but here she seemed so intent on not aping David Hersey's iconic original look that she failed to put her own stamp on it. Incidentally (IMHO) the use of roving lights to signify the shots at the barricade does not work at all - They just look like searchlights which is incongruous in a work set in 1832.
The cast are mainly good without being exceptional. John Owen Jones is an effective and well sung Valjean (an ugly breath before the final note of "Bring him home" excepted) but for me he just misses the titanic emotions that Colm Wilkinson brought to the part. Best of the bunch is Earl Carpenter's Javert who is almost on the same level as Philip Quast (I can't think of higher praise in this part). The Thenardiers go some way to reversing the misconception of the roles as merely comedy parts. Anyone who has read Hugo will understand how wrong this view is. Unfortunately they are still saddled with the school of panto costumes for the Wedding scene - I sense the hand of Mackintosh here!
So to sum up - This is a worthy attempt at a re-think of the original which will allow the producers to take it into theatres previously unable to host the show. But it is unlikely to replace the groundbreaking original in the longterm.

Miserable Cardiff?

2010-01-04T10:13:00.002Z

Off today to Cardiff (really, really looking forward to the drive down!!)to see the new production of Les Mis at the WMC. Rather conflicted feelings. I worked on the third year of the original production when it was particularly strongly cast (Peter Karrie, Phil Quast, Barry James and Linzi Hateley amongst the principals)and the original production is an absolute classic in terms of direction and design. Can a new production offer a valid alternative or is it just going to be a pallid re-imagining?

Weh! Weh!

2010-01-02T12:42:00.000Z

Still no answer from Bayreuth. I am starting to lose hope.....

CARMEN in New York

2010-01-02T12:38:00.003Z

Richard Eyre's new CARMEN in New York looks stunning! Click on the title to link to the pictures

Giselle #2

2009-12-31T11:12:00.002Z

First draft of rear cut cloths (obviously they will be further apart in real life!!)

A Little Night Music in Paris

2009-12-30T17:38:00.002Z

Aaaargh! I can't believe that Kristin Scott Thomas has pulled out of the Paris ALNM.! She was the main reason I was going!

Giselle version #2

2009-12-30T17:35:00.001Z

Have started doing the designs for extra cut cloths for Giselle. Going well so far. They should look nice.(Especially after our wonderful scenic painter has translated them to life size!!)

Nine

2009-12-27T17:24:00.001Z

I seem to be in the minority that enjoyed this film. Ah well, it's hardly the first time I swam against the tide!!

Post Christmas 2009

2009-12-27T17:06:00.003Z

Well, that's Christmas over for another year. It kicked off, after two shows, with a quick drink at the pub before heading back to get ready for midnight mass. Singing went well although I was pissed off that time restraints meant that we cut the piece with the best tenor line! Another swift drink before heading home to bed.
An early-ish rise in order to get a good drive down to East Sussex was rewarded with an almost traffic free drive. Arrival at Mill House is followed immediately by engagement with the prep for lunch and working out the logistics of getting Dad from his recuperation home.
Collection of Dad and the meal all went off remarkably smoothly despite noisy nephews etc. Dad duly transported back again, presents and a quick tea and I am back on the road again returning to Bucks. Watch some mindless telly before the programme about the Royal Ballet in Cuba comes on. One of the highlights is Tamara Rojo's 32 fouettes in the rehearsal for "Corsaire". Unbleievably she not only incorporates triple fouettes but also in the second 16 incorporates quartered changing spots as well! This excellent programme was a good end to an emotionally rather draining day.

Nine

2009-12-19T12:09:00.002Z

I saw the movie version of NINE yesterday and, with a few reservations, enjoyed it very much. It is certainly much better than Rob Marshall's superficially glossy take on CHICAGO or Tim Burton's SWEENEY TODD.
The first thing to state is that it is very, very different from the stage musical although it retains some of the original numbers. However the storyline is re-aligned significantly, many details are changed and roles changed in either character or importance.
Having said that it is not the wholesale musical butchery that the movie version of SWEENEY TODD perpetrated. Nor is it a dreary re-telling which never escapes it's stage roots.
Visually it looks gorgeous with some fantastic set pieces and beautiful costuming. The much touted BE ITALIAN is a showstopper (or would be in the theatre) and is wonderfully vocalised by Fergie (of Black Eyed Peas fame). GUIDO'S SONG, FOLIES BERGERE and CINEMA ITALIANO are also at the same level.
But actually none of these are the central point of the film. That, far more than in the stage version, is the relationship between Guido and Luisa. And this is where Marshall's casting scores a bullseye. In Daniel Day Lewis he has a Guido who, even when behaving abominably, never loses the audience's sympathy. He perfectly charts the conflicted path of the director shoring up a non-existent movie and juggling relationships on a collision course. I do regret that Day-Lewis was not given THE BELLS OF SAINT SEBASTIAN which is the musical centrepoint of Guido's journey in the stage version. It is especially regrettable as Day-Lewis has a more than creditable singing voice.
He is perfectly complemented by Marion Cotillard who is nothing short of sensational as Luisa. In a role that often fades into the background in stage versions Cotillard grabs every opportunity with both hands. Both her numbers, superbly directed by Marshall, are object lessons in going for broke, painfully raw emotion. This is a performance to place along side her Piaf.
Judi Dench, in a radically realigned version of her role, is also excellent and sells FOLIES BERGERE for all that it is worth.
Nicole Kidman is subtle and gracious in her role as Guido's muse and sing's IN A VERY UNUSUAL WAY beautifully. Kidman does what she can with a role that, even in the stage version, arrives too late in the narrative.
The stage musical ends in a rather opaque and, ultimately, unsatisfactory manner but Marshall has grafted on an epilogue. At first I thought this might be disastrous but actually it brings the narrative to a satisfactory but still open-ended conclusion.
Even if you hate musicals you should see this film for Day-Lewis and Cotillard's performances

Nine

2009-12-17T13:05:00.001Z

Looking forward greatly to seeing NINE at the cinema tomorrow. It will be a welcome respite from the hell of Xmas shopping!!

Gott welch dunkel hier!

2009-12-06T11:36:00.002Z

Only 1 more day of freedom before starting my sentence of five weeks of panto! Weh!!

Anna Caterina Antonacci

2009-12-06T11:33:00.002Z

A very nice reply from Anna Caterina. Unfortunately she has no plans at present for further performances of Medea. WHY??!!
I shall have to content myself with the DVD and with looking forward to Les Troyens on 2012!

Eddie Izzard at the O2

2009-12-04T17:04:00.002Z

Went to see the divine Mr Izzard last night in the cosy, intimate surroundings of the O2 last night. Excellent show especially the giraffe mime. Who would have thought 10 years ago that a comedian could sell out a massive venue like this? I was musing if there were any classical stars who could sell a venue this size. Liz thought Renee Fleming might but I was doubtful. I thought probably only the 3 tenors which is no longer an option, of course. As we left the area someone tried to hand us a flyer for Katherine "Welsh Banshee" Jenkins! Hmmm. Not the sort of "classical" star I was talking about!

Che gelida manina!

2009-12-02T17:12:00.003Z

Back from a freezing and frustrating two and 1/2 days in Southport. Theatre has huge disadvantages for a production which requires in view flying but the crew are friendly and willing and work to make the best of it. Bloody cold both in and out of the venue. Useless hotel on second night. When I arrived the room was freezing so I asked them to get the heating working or put a heater in the room. Arrive back at hotel after placing call and curry to find the room is still freezing and no heater has been located. On ringing down to reception I am told there are no spare heaters (presumably because of other freezing guests!!) so I ask to be moved. After half an hour waiting for a call back I give up and go to bed. I am just drifting off (despite chattering teeth) when reception calls to tell me a room has been found. I rise, get dressed and pack my goods and chattels. The room is warm when I get to it and I go gratefully to bed. when I wake up, however, the radiator has not come on...
I check out and thank my lucky stars that I am not staying till the end of the run.

Mozart Requiem

2009-11-27T11:34:00.001Z

Unexpectedly off to Mozart Requiem tonight at Barbican. Hurrah!

New Moon

2009-11-26T21:28:00.003Z

Just saw the new Twilight film. Some good moments (Michael Sheen) but terribly diffuse and a rather too long. There are only so many shots I want to see of Kristen Stewart mooning (pun intended) about wondering what went wrong with her life/ where her vampire is/ why she only falls in love with bloodsuckers or lycanthropes etc etc
Heigh ho.

On a more elevated level the booking form for FILLE DU REGIMENT is wending its way Gardenwards and my fingers are duly crossed.

Anna Caterina Antonacci at the Wigmore Hall

2009-11-26T10:52:00.008Z

Anna Caterina's recital was superb. One of the best recitals I have been to in a long time. Not quite sure why she wasn't allotted a full evening rather than a lunchtime slot but one must grateful for anything we get from this unique artist! If there were any justice she would be a superstar in the operatic world. She certainly deserves it more than several singers I can think of. Even in recital she totally commands the stage and inhabits the world of each song.

I'm now licking my lips in anticipation of her Cassandra in Les Troyens with Kaufmann at the ROH (not till 2012, unfortunately!)

I'm also trying to ascertain if she is repeating her mesmerising Medea anywhere. Her performance on the DVD is stupendous and I would travel a long way to see her do it live. If anyone knows can they contact me?

Bayreuth versus Salzburg

2009-11-24T10:47:00.002Z

Desperately want to see the ELEKTRA at Salzburg next year but dare not commit the funds till I have heard whether the ruinously expensive Bayreuth booking was successful or not!

Sweeney Todd - The Unkindest Cut

2009-11-24T10:38:00.004Z

Listening to the original Broadway recording of Sweeney Todd on the way back from "Life is a Dream" at the Donmar I am struck by two thoughts. Firstly that this is Sondheim's greatest work by a considerable margin and secondly that Tim Burton is responsible for an act of artistic vandalism for presenting a film version which excises much of the best and most innovative music (the chorus parts). Sondheim must bear some of the blame for allowing him to do it but Burton is the principal villain.
A side thought is to ask the questions "When is someone going to mount a decent production of the show for Bryn Terfel and will they please record it at the same time?"

Classic novels to musical theatre

2009-11-23T10:02:00.005Z

Interesting reflections on adapting classic novels into works of music theatre having read THE BRIDE OF THE LAMMERMOOR immediately followed by THE WOMAN IN WHITE. Leaving aside the obvious quality gap between Donizetti and Lloyd Webber music-wise it is instructive to note that Donizetti's version is an overall improvement on Scott's rambling novel while Lloyd Webber's, saddled with an absolute dog of a libretto, turns Collins' exciting but supremely subtle story into a flat and rather obvious melodrama.
Although one must regret the loss of Lord Ashton, one of Scott's most interesting characters and the turning of Lucy's callow teenage brother into a stock baritone villain one can only applaud the decision to excise entirely the exasperatingly tedious character of Ravenswood's family retainer who must qualify as one of the most annoying and dully repetitious characters in all literature.
The novel's Lucy is a pale creation compared to Donizetti's Lucia and even her attempted assassination of Arthur Bucklaw is unsuccessful. Scott's Ravenswood is admittedly a far more depthful character than Cammanaro's adaptation but at least Donizetti spares his hero the ignominious exit by quicksand (shades of Carver Doone!). Cammanaro also nicely fleshes out the conflicted clergyman, Bide-the-Bent and allots him the portentous lead-in to Lucia's Mad scene.
More thoughts on this and on Collins/Lloyd Webber later.

Tomorrow creeps on this petty pace..

2009-11-21T23:28:00.001Z

Heading for bed soon - A day of domesticity beckons tomorrow...

A Little Night Music a Paris

2009-11-21T21:40:00.001Z

Looking forward to this so much. Just got to get through the Panto season first!!

Berlin

2009-11-21T21:24:00.002Z

Just been watching Matt Frei's Berlin series. Utterly fascinating, superb and encapsulating the most fascinating,troubled city in the world

Bryn's Bad Boys in Brum

2009-11-21T17:11:00.002Z

My review of Bryn Terfel's Bad boys Concert at Symphony Hall (click on title)

Anna Caterina Antonacci

2009-11-21T15:41:00.001Z

Going to see the divine Anna at the Wigmore on Monday at 13.00. Is anyone else going?

Don Giovanni in Somerset

2009-11-21T14:57:00.000Z

The details are not quite sewn up yet but it now seems almost certain that I will be returning to Somerset Opera to direct "Don Giovanni". Looking forward to it hugely - My first directing in two years. I have missed it greatly.

Posting links

2009-11-21T14:47:00.000Z

Hmm. the link posting function does not appear to work for me. Anyone got any ideas as to why that might be?

Hello from the coalface

2009-11-21T13:48:00.000Z

Hello. This is my first posting on my new blog. I will be offering links to my reviews of live Classical Music events, thoughts on the wonderful world of professional theatre(!) and random thoughts on just about anything that comes to mind