{"id":135,"date":"2016-03-29T08:10:09","date_gmt":"2016-03-29T08:10:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.midsummeropera.org.uk\/site\/?page_id=135"},"modified":"2024-02-08T18:04:00","modified_gmt":"2024-02-08T18:04:00","slug":"press","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/www.midsummeropera.org.uk\/site\/press\/","title":{"rendered":"REVIEWS"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

La rondine<\/em><\/strong> [2023]<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Puccini’s La rondine<\/em>…is not ideal for a concert performance, but Midsummer Opera…made it work very successfully.. all the roles were strongly realised – and that includes the 32-strong chorus who rose to the challenge of Act 2’s caf\u00e9 scene with a will…very much a concert staging with attitude.”\u00a0 (Opera magazine, February 2024)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dialogues des Carm\u00e9lites <\/em><\/strong>[2019]<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

   John Upperton’s \u201c… production packed a powerful dramatic and emotional wallop \u2026  At key moments the staging extended to the aisles, most strikingly in the almost unbearable finale when each nun in turn removed her headscarf, added it to a growing pile, and walked away up the central aisle until her voice was silenced by the slash of the guillotine blade.  At first sight Marie Elizabeth Seager’s fearsomely beautiful M\u00e8re Marie resembled an impassive Madonna \u2026 even her smile was calculated to strike terror into every heart \u2026  Her devastation on learning that she was excluded from the martyrdom which she had initiated was shattering.  She has a gorgeous dramatic mezzo voice of which I want to hear more.  But for me the performance of the night came from Zo\u00eb South, whose Madame Lidoine had a radiant certainty \u2026 and whose voice soared with Isolde-like glory.  The moment when she joyfully made the sign of the Cross to the jailor who had just given her her death sentence, caught at my heart.  All the large supporting cast were excellent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

   \u201cChoral interjections in this opera are few but when they come they are mighty, and the Midsummer Chorus, whether ranged along the aisles or invading the platforms, struck terror into our hearts.  David Roblou led the Midsummer Orchestra in a glorious account which made light of the complexities of Poulenc’s scoring and made even the grave liturgical passages sound doom-laden and uneasy \u2026  I can’t wait to see what this talented company does with next summer\u2019s show, The Bartered Bride<\/em>.  Book now!\u201d  (H<\/em>armony magazine, published quarterly by the Music Club of London<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andrea Ch\u00e9nier<\/em><\/strong> [2019]<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

   \u201c<\/em>Lynne McAdam’s potent semi-staging, set across three platforms of varying height with the orchestra as backdrop, had all the punch of a full production \u2026  With its lavish opportunities for the chorus and its multiplicity of rewarding small roles, Ch\u00e9nier<\/em> is an ideal opera for this enthusiastic ensemble, with music director David Roblou in charge of a thrilling performance \u2026  John Upperton’s singing as Ch\u00e9nier was on a heroic scale.  Andrew Mayor triumphed as the footman turned revolutionary whose ideals are crushed.  His mighty aria, Nemico della patria<\/em>, was deeply moving and superbly sung.  Among the array of lesser characters, Steven Cviic excelled as a handsome, elegant, utterly dangerous Incredibile \u2026\u201d  (Harmony magazine<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luisa Miller <\/em><\/strong>[2018]<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

   \u201cIt is as an almost symphonic sweep that the score makes the greatest impact.  David Roblou\u2019s conducting of Midsummer Opera grasped that convincingly with an interpretation of considerable heft \u2026  The organ of St John\u2019s received a cameo role conjuring an atmosphere of more authentic ecclesiastical solemnity than any number of theatre organs would.\u201d  (ClassicalSource.com<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Macbeth <\/em><\/strong>[2018]<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

   \u201cDavid Durham took the title role.  His experience in straight drama and musicals came through in his complex portrayal of the initially vacillating, increasingly ruthless anti-hero, and his terror at the banquet was especially effective \u2026  His Lady, Zo\u00eb South, predictably brought the house down with her glorious singing and made the most of the production’s emphasis on how the murderous couple are destroyed by their guilt.\u201d  (Harmony magazine<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

La Gioconda <\/em><\/strong>[2017]<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

   \u201cThe marathon title role is a plum for a soprano who, like Zo\u00eb South \u2026 can tackle it with conviction and the right sense of scale.  She swept from biting chest notes to powerful top Cs \u2026  Always making vivid use of the text as an actress, under Lynne McAdam’s canny direction, she knew just when less would be more.  Her relationship with her mother was sensitively drawn and Si\u00e2n Woodling, singing in a freely-flowing contralto, lent La Cieca both spirit and dignity \u2026 John Upperton, powerful but lean of voice, brought a buccaneering edge to Enzo and deserves special credit for opening Cielo e mar<\/em>, his big tenor moment, as a gentle rhapsody.  Trevor Alexander\u2019s \u2026 warm, robust baritone never faltered in a part [Barnaba] that is the counterweight to La Gioconda herself. \u2026 the chorus [was] always alert to the music and drama …  In the benign resonance of St John’s Waterloo the orchestra, placed behind the soloists, sounded astonishingly luxurious, not least in the much-parodied but delightful Dance of the Hours, and produced spine-tingling brass-heavy climaxes.  David Roblou\u2019s command of his forces \u2026 was superbly idiomatic.\u201d     (Yehuda Shapiro, Opera magazine<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

   \u201cIt was the musicians\u2019 engagement with the score that came over most of all.\u201d (ClassicalSource.com)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Riders to the Sea\/Henry V <\/em><\/strong>[2017]<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[Riders]  \u201c<\/em>Lynne McAdam\u2019s production was conducted with great sensitivity \u2026  The work emerged as a symphonic unity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[Henry V]<\/em>   \u201cThe chorus excelled \u2026 it was good to have such vital music so vividly resuscitated.\u201d  (Ralph Vaughan Williams Society Journal<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don Giovanni <\/em><\/strong>[2016]<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

   \u201cI was blown away by the sound Roblou got out of his orchestra \u2026 it puts some professional bands to shame \u2026 music-making, done for the love of it \u2026 a rather marvellous reminder of what it\u2019s all about.\u201d  (Opera Now<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Un ballo in maschera <\/em><\/strong>[2015]<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

   \u201cUnder the baton of David Roblou, this performance exuded passion and dedication with all performers joining forces for the love of art.  The Symphony Orchestra of Midsummer Opera performed the Prelude with moving swells of sounds and a rich timbre was maintained throughout interspersed musical interludes.  John Upperton \u2026 led the ensemble with a strong voice and beautiful lyricism.\u201d  (Bachtrack.com<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tosca <\/em><\/strong>[2015]<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

   \u201cThe company has opera in its blood.  To be able to sit so close is a treat you\u2019ll never get at the Opera House, too. We\u2019re enveloped by the sound \u2026  These singers are singing out of love for opera.  And my goodness, it shows \u2026  Artistic Director David Roblou conducts with flair, drawing meaty playing from the musicians (particularly the sensational brass section) \u2026  John Upperton steals the show with a respectable, humble interpretation of the man who steals Tosca\u2019s heart … (he) makes us believe that for him, singing is as natural as talking.\u201d  (Fringeopera.com<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

La clemenza di Tito <\/em><\/strong>[2014]<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

   \u201cThe cast largely impressed.  Upperton\u2019s communication of the text was perhaps the clearest of all, though Lucy Goddard as Annio came close.  Both carried well over the orchestra too, as did Nicola Ihnatowicz\u2019s Vitellia, for me perhaps the star of the show.  Ihnatowicz showed great dramatic presence, both visually and vocally, in what is by any standards a demanding role.  Andy Armistead made for an impressively deep-toned Publio, with Emma Dogliani shining as Servilia when the role permitted her to do so.  Choral singing was impressively full-bodied throughout \u2026 the orchestra propelled the drama \u2026 and sounded properly full-bodied.\u201d  (Bachtrack.com<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Otello [2013]<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

   ” A remarkable event, one of the most vivid, stirring, and engrossing of many live encounters with Verdi\u2019s and Boito\u2019s great tragedy \u2026 far more than a concert performance \u2026 John Upperton is evidently a born Othello, with lyrical sound that is pure, powerful, and ringing;  spot-on pitches;  no forcing, shouting, or screaming;  intelligible, communicative command of Italian \u2026  David Roblou conducted with an easy, unexaggerated command of impetus and flow, excitement and romance \u2026  St John\u2019s has vivid acoustics.  And somehow one felt oneself closer to the opera, more thoroughly in touch with Verdi\u2019s intentions and inventions, than is possible in La Scala \u2013 or in any big opera house with a modern sunken pit.  The house lights were left on (as in Verdi\u2019s day), which increased the intimacy \u2026 this well rehearsed, accomplished, lyrical account of it provided a new, wonderful experience of the opera.\u201d  (Andrew Porter in OPERA magazine<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

   \u201cOverall it was wonderful to see and hear such a grand orchestra.  The packed audience at St. John\u2019s obviously enjoyed this performance of Verdi\u2019s Otello <\/em>\u2026  Long may MSO thrive and continue to give such pleasure.”  (Seen and Heard International<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

   “The opening chord almost took the roof off …  David Roblou gave an accomplished account of the score … the large orchestra, Midsummer Opera\u2019s own, was generally impressive.\u201d  (Bachtrack.com<\/em>)

Der Freisch\u00fctz <\/strong>[2010]<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

   \u201cThe Symphony Orchestra of Midsummer Opera produced an evocative reading of Weber\u2019s masterpiece \u2026 matched by the Chorus of Midsummer Opera, also on excellent form \u2026 highly recommended.\u201d  (Opera Britannia<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

   \u201cDavid Roblou has been MSO\u2019s artistic director since 2000 and his cajoling hands set his extremely competent players a mostly even tempo for this complex score \u2026 there were no longueurs and the Wolf\u2019s Glen scene \u2013 aided by Rupert Pentargon\u2019s baleful, booming utterances as Kaspar and a few ghostly theatrical effects \u2013 was as atmospheric as one could hope.  Midsummer Opera did a great service in reminding an enthusiastic audience of the work’s potential, and therefore, its almost incomprehensible neglect.\u201d  (Seen and Heard International<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turandot <\/em><\/strong>[2007]<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

   \u201cA chance to hear, quite vividly, the fine playing of the seventy-strong orchestra \u2026  The cast rose magnificently to the challenge \u2026  Conductor David Roblou and his forces gave a strong, gripping performance \u2026  This production was a huge achievement for a relatively small company and was made all the more so by the way the group successfully championed the rarely performed complete ending.  (Music & Vision<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And a few older reviews\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dido & Aeneas\/Venus & Adonis <\/em><\/strong>[1993]<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

   <\/em><\/strong>\u201cAn evening of civilised delight.\u201d  (The Stage<\/em>)  <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Agrippina<\/em><\/strong> [1992]<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

   \u201cSpecial mention must go to David Roblou and his period instrumentalists for making Handel\u2019s orchestral writing spring to life.\u201d  (The Independent<\/em> )<\/p>\n\n\n\n

   \u201cWhat is noteworthy is the quality and professionalism of the performers.\u201d  (The Stage<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cos\u00ec fan tutte <\/em><\/strong>[1991]<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

   \u201cA Mozart tribute too good to miss \u2026 an electrifying performance by the Midsummer Opera Company.\u201d  (The Royal Gazette, Bermuda<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Partenope<\/em><\/strong> [1990]<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA revelation \u2026 fine singing … skilful translation \u2026 all stylishly accompanied on period instruments.\u201d  (Classical Music<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Atalanta <\/em><\/strong>[1987]<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith David Roblou in charge of the music and Alan Privett \u2026 doing the production, it was a memorably well-judged and musically rewarding performance.\u201d  (The London Magazine<\/em>)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

La rondine [2023] “Puccini’s La rondine…is not ideal for a concert performance, but Midsummer Opera…made it work very successfully.. all the roles were strongly realised – and that includes the 32-strong chorus who rose to the challenge of Act 2’s caf\u00e9 scene with a will…very much a concert staging with attitude.”\u00a0 (Opera magazine, February 2024) … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"generate_page_header":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-135","page","type-page","status-publish"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.midsummeropera.org.uk\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/135","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.midsummeropera.org.uk\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.midsummeropera.org.uk\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.midsummeropera.org.uk\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.midsummeropera.org.uk\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=135"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"http:\/\/www.midsummeropera.org.uk\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/135\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":636,"href":"http:\/\/www.midsummeropera.org.uk\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/135\/revisions\/636"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.midsummeropera.org.uk\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=135"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}