A Night at the Opera – London Festival Opera

If, like me, you prefer your opera served up in small, easily digestible portions, A Night at the Opera was perfect musical fayre. Mozart, Verdi, Rossini and Puccini were cherry-picked for their juiciest arias which were delivered with a polish and panache guaranteed to bring a smile to your face. Unexpected moments of comedy were included which might have offended the purists, but clearly delighted the majority of those present. The highlights were the two arias from Tosca, ‘Vissi d’arte’ and ‘E lucevan le stelle’, and the encore, a delicious reworking of Rossini’s ‘Cat Duet’. My companion, an opera virgin, declared the evening to have been a joy, and I see no reason to argue with her verdict.

Theatre Royal, 15 June 2014

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