Tamerlano - Royal Opera House, 5 March 2010 (opening night)
No, it's not a Leningrad FC relic. It's the opening image of the of the Royal Opera House's new Tamerlano, and it hangs around (literally) until the end.
***** LOTS more on next page *****
Christine Schafer (Asteria) has an appealing voice, but it doesn't lend itself naturally to Handel:
Christianne Stotijn (Tamerlano) shouted more than she sang, though she half pulled it together for her final aria:
Kurt Streit (Bajazet) and Christine Schafer (Asteria):
Bajazet is supposed to have his tender moments, but Kurt Streit's seething villain failed to yield to them. And he didn't really settle vocally until the final act:
Sara Mingardo (Andronico) at least sang well, though like the rest of the cast her performance was constrained by the rigidly choreographed movement:
Renata Pokupic (Irene) made a terrific ROH debut. She sang cleanly and brightly, with an energy sadly lacking elsewhere:
The splendid costumes are loosely based on Persian miniatures:
The baby elephants circled the stage like shooting gallery ducks then disappeared. Why? Who knows:
Christianne Stotijn's singing was less impressive than her costume changes:
Tamerlano's throne, hidden in the back of the giant foot/ball:
The high point of the evening:
***** the curtain call: *****
