Daniel Kramer directs his first production for ENO after becoming the company’s Artistic Director. Here’s what critics have been making of it…
The Guardian: ** “It’s up to the baritone Alan Opie, whose performance as Alfredo’s authoritarian father celebrates 50 years with ENO, to inject some true vocal class, and to fly the flag for the idea that singing opera in English – ENO’s USP – is a good thing, even in a translation as clunky as this one.”
The Times: ** “The key performers are dangerously exposed. Neither has the voice or dramatic personality to contend with fussy stage business”
Evening Standard: *** “If Opie is a veteran, conductor Leo McFall is a novice; making his house debut, he provides the taut, sympathetic support that the staging too often lacks. ”
The Telegraph: *** “The one shining star is in the pit, where the young British conductor Leo McFall kept the orchestra under firm control without sacrificing sensitivity or grace. The melancholy beauty of the opening prelude was the evening’s highlight.”
WhatsOnStage: ** “Minor roles were cast from strength with notably dignified turns by Henry Waddington (Dr Grenvil) and Martha Jones (Annina), but they alone could not lift the show from its slough of despond. So here’s to a better one next time, ENO. Still willing you to come good.”
The Independent: *** “By and large this is a cack-handed production, but two other things contribute to its redemption: the refined orchestral playing under Leo McFall’s direction, and the valiant performance of the chorus.”
The Stage: ** “Keeping the score on track is conductor Leo McFall – another company debutant, who conveys a sense of style; but it’s not nearly enough to redeem a crudely conceived, woefully misguided production.”
markronan.com: “A worthy production debut from Daniel Kramer’s team now that he has his feet under the table.”