Category Archives: Cultural Matters

Oper Leipzig, The Ring

Posted on April 21, 2018 by leslie

Oper Leipzig, The Ring Wagner:The Ring of the Nibelung, Oper Leipzig, from 11th April 2018, directed by Rosamund Gilmore, conducted by Ulf Schirmer, reviewed by TONY COOPER Leipzig is rich in musical history. Richard Wagner was born here, Felix Bartholdy … Continue reading →

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Reflections on Opera

Posted on April 18, 2018 by leslie

Reflections on Opera What Opera Means: Categories and Case-Studies, Christopher Wintle, edited by Kate Hopkins, Boydell & Brewer, 2018, 288 pp, pb., £15.99, reviewed by STODDARD MARTIN Books on opera abound. Books on Wagner, alone, are said to be as … Continue reading →

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Wrestling with Demons

Posted on April 15, 2018 by leslie

Wrestling with Demons Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk; opera in four acts, music by Dmitry Shostakovich, libretto by Shostakovich and Alexander Preys after the novella by Nikolai Leskov, conducted by Sir Antonio Pappano, revival of the 2004 production directed by Richard … Continue reading →

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Falstaff, Staatsoper Berlin

Posted on April 8, 2018 by leslie

Verdi’s Falstaff, Staatsoper Berlin, Wednesday 28th March 2018, director Mario Martone, conducted by Daniel Barenboim, reviewed by TONY COOPER Verdi’s Falstaff mirrors the two buses scenario for me this year. Up until now I haven’t caught a production of this opera … Continue reading →

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Mac the Knife

Posted on March 28, 2018 by leslie

Mac the Knife Macbeth, an opera in four parts, music by Giuseppe Verdi, libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, conducted by Sir Antonio Pappano, 3rd revival of director Phyllida Lloyd’s 2002 production, designs by Anthony Ward, Royal Opera, 25th March 2018, … Continue reading →

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The Epistle to the Romans, Part 2

Posted on March 24, 2018 by leslie

The Epistle to the Romans, Part 2 translated by Darrell Sutton  INTRODUCTION In a previous QR posting on October 10, 2017, I published some preliminary remarks on Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Those comments consisted of prefatory matter for a … Continue reading →

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2001, Revisited

Posted on March 19, 2018 by leslie

2001, Revisited On the fiftieth anniversary of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Mark Wegierski reassesses this epoch making film 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) brought together Stanley Kubrick, one of the most accomplished directors of the cinema, with renowned science fiction writer … Continue reading →

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The Aldeburgh Festival 2018

Posted on March 8, 2018 by leslie

  The Aldeburgh Festival 2018 Tony Cooper previews the programme Founded by Benjamin Britten, Peter Pears and Eric Crozier in 1948, the Aldeburgh Festival goes from strength to strength and this year runs from Friday 8th to Sunday 24th June. … Continue reading →

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ENDNOTES, March 2018

Posted on March 3, 2018 by leslie

ENDNOTES, March 2018 In this edition: Smetana from Prague; the music of Marcus Paus; Rubbra conducts Rubbra As a tribute to the great Czech maestro Jiří Bělohlávek, who died last year (after succumbing to cancer at 71), Decca has issued … Continue reading →

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Praying Mantis

Posted on February 21, 2018 by leslie

 Praying Mantis Tosca, melodrama in three acts, music composed by Giacomo Puccini, libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica, conducted by Placido Domingo, tenth revival of director Jonathan Kent’s 2006 production, sets by the late Paul Brown, Royal Opera, 19th … Continue reading →

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