operaramblings

John's opera ramblings

OIC’s La Somnabula featured top notch singing

Posted on February 17, 2026 by operaramblings

My review of Opera in Concert’s performance of Bellini’s La Somnabula last Saturday is now published at Opera Canada.

Diana Rockwell and Jeremy Scinocca (Photo courtesy of Opera in Concert)

Opera Atelier’s Magic Flute

Posted on October 17, 2025 by operaramblings

Opera Atelier opened a run of Mozart’s The Magic Flute (in English) at the Elgin on Wednesday evening. It’s basically the 1991 production (tweaked in 2013) and features a rather spectacular Queen of the Night. Full review at Opera Canada.

Photo: Bruce Zinger

Thomas’ Psyché

Posted on October 7, 2025 by operaramblings

Ambroise Thomas’ Psyché is yet another more or less forgotten French opera rescued from obscurity by the Bru Zane label. Canadian Hélène Guilmette sings the title role. Full review at Opera Canada.

Pygmalion and Zémide

Posted on September 9, 2025 by operaramblings

My review of the Château de Versailles Spectacles recording of Rameau’s Pygmalion and Iso’s Zémide featuring, among others, Ema Nikolovska is now up at Opera Canada.

Garden of Vanished Pleasures

Posted on April 27, 2025 by operaramblings

Tim Albery’s show; Garden of Vanished Pleasures, about Derek Jarman and his Kent coast garden was supposed to figure in Soundstreams 2020/21 season and we know what happened to that! So, it was reengineered as a film and streamed in September of 2021. I reviewed it at some length for Opera Canada. Now director Tim Albery has recreated it as a live show at the Berkeley Street Theatre.

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Opera Atelier’s David and Jonathan

Posted on April 10, 2025 by operaramblings

My review of Opera Atelier’s production of Charpentier’s David and Jonathan which opened at Koerner Hall last night is now available at Opera Canada.