I T H
H U B E R T S M
CONTENTS
12
I C H A R D
R
I L L C O O P E R
B
FRONT OF HOUSE | Contents
52
T S C H A E F E R
A
82
‘What’s really important is the emotional honesty of a performance.’ Anthony Roth Costanzo
K A G E YA M A
YA S U K O
68
FRONT OF HOUSE 5 EDITORIAL Investing in youth
6 FEEDBACK Readers’ letters, emails and online posts
8 NEWS & NOTES Crisis deepens at English National Opera | Georgia’s Tbilisi opera house reopens | Florence names new music director | Opera’s 2016 Grammy winners | and more...
MAIN STAGE 12 SCALING THE HEIGHTS Intelligent, streetwise and a born communicator, American countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo gives some thoughtful views on the opera singer’s role in society and his forthcoming debut as Akhnaten at English National Opera
20 WEEKEND IN… Cape Town – visit the stunning natural wonders and the cultural landmarks of South Africa’s most historic city
23 ADRENALINE RUSH Young singers prepare for battle in this year’s round of international singing competitions
27 SUPPORTING ROLES Introducing the work of the National Opera Studio, an operatic ‘finishing school’ that prepares the very best young talent for great careers
30 BIG SOCIETY Away from the black-tie grandeur, Glyndebourne has been cultivating young audiences of tomorrow with its innovative education programme
33 GROW YOUR OWN Samling celebrates 20 years of providing intensive training for young singers in the North of England
36 RATTLE AND ROLL The Rattler, Mahogany’s new opera for children, takes to the road
39 ROOM SERVICE A London hotel provides the unusual backdrop for a unique operatic experiment
www.operanow.co.uk
41 TRAVELS WITH MY OPERA GLASSES Anthony Ogus makes his way through severe winter weather to enjoy the operatic riches of Austria and the Czech Republic
45 CRITICAL THINKING Michael Tanner ponders the links between opera and madness
48 SQUILLO Michael White applauds the cross-fertilisation between opera and other art forms
THE CRITICAL VIEW 51-77 LIVE REVIEWS Surrealism and whimsy in L’Étoile at the ROH | Revolutionary spirit in Opera North’s Andrea Chénier | World premieres in Munich and Glasgow | New productions in Stuttgart, Heidelberg, Rome, Paris and New York | and more…
MULTIMEDIA 79 NEW RELEASES Opera on CD, DVD and Blu-ray
BACK STAGE 82 COMPANY PROFILE Stuttgart Opera – Germany’s innovative, awardwinning success story
85-93 SPOTLIGHT Opera Now’s INTERNATIONAL GUIDE to the best live performances this spring
COMPETITION 94 Win tickets to English Touring Opera’s spring tour
Cover: Anthony Roth Costanzo Photo by PIX TALARICO
Opera Now MARCH 2016 3
