My review of the COC’s revival of Verdi’s La traviata is now available at bachtrack.com.
Solid La traviata revival at the COC
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Category Archives: Performance review – COC
COC Summer Intensive Showcase
For the last five years the COC has eld a week long intensive workshop/coaching session for a select group of early career singers and collaborative pianists. The week concludes with a “Showcase” concert in the Jackman Studio which happened this year early on Saturday evening. There were ten singers and two pianists with each singer giving us one aria.
Werther at the COC
The COC’s production of Massenet’s Werther opened at the Four Seasons Centre on Thursday evening. My full review is published at Bachtrack.
TL/DR version… there’s some excellent music making but the production doesn’t really elevate a rather dull, sentimental opera.
@bachtrack
COC’s Duke Bluebeard’s Castle/Erwartung double bill still impresses after 30 years
My review of the COC’s excellent revival production of the Robert Lepage double bill of Bartók’s Duke Bluebeard’s Castle and Schoenberg’s Erwartung is now published at Bachtrack.
Christian Van Horn and Karen Cargill in Duke Bluebeard’s Castle – Photo: Michael Cooper
@bachtrack
The COC’s Barber revival is as fresh now as the first time
The Barber of Seville is back at the COC with an excellent cast;, young and old, and it’s as lively, colourful and energetic as ever. My full review is now published at bachtrack.com.
The Barber of Seville continues at the COC until February 21st.
Photo credit: Michael Cooper
Stellar singing in Rigoletto revival
Wednesday night I attended the second performance of the current run of Verdi’s Rigoletto at the COC. This is a revival of the Christopher Alden production first seen in 2011 (first cast, second cast) and again in 2018. So the basic concept is the same. All the action is played out, quite publicly, in the “gaming room” of a Victorian gentlemen’s club. I think the production has grown on me over time. I felt the tweaks in 2018 were improvements and I suspect some more tweaks this time. Certainly from where i was sitting in the Orchestra the set seemed bigger than I remember. It’s huge and very painterly. It also has great acoustics.
Elegant, restrained and musically excellent
There’s a lot to like in the COC’s revival of Robert Carsen’s production of Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice that opened at the Four Seasons Centre on Thursday evening. I don’t think Gluck gets much better. Full review at bachtrack.com.
Photo: Michael Cooper
Roméo et Juliette at the COC
Amy Lane’s production of Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette at the COC is eye catching and enjoyable but doesn’t offer the same level of insight as her Faust last season. My full review is posted at bachtrack,com.
Photo: Michael Cooper
Cavalleria Rusticana in concert
On Friday night the COC presented a one-off concert style performance of Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana. Concert style, in this case, meaning the orchestra on stage with the chorus behind them and the soloists singing from music stands at the front of the stage. There were some projections behind the stage.
A second look at Wozzeck
On Wednesday evening I went back to the Four Seasons Centre for another look at the COC’s production of Berg’s Wozzeck. I was really impressed with the show on opening night (my review on bachtrack.com) and was interested to see whether a second look would give some insights into a production that is visually fascinating almost to the point of overload.
Michael Kupfer-Radecky as Wozzeck and Anthony Robin Schneider as the Doctor
