Die Entführung aus dem Serail

David McVicar’s production takes for granted that the music is superlative and concentrates on the drama and the laughs. The enlightened Pasha Selim (a very virile and ardent Franck Saurel) is the focus of attention. His spoken role (the best baritone part Mozart never wrote) has time to develop and the singers profit from this passionate core. And what singers! Three splendid Americans, golden-voiced Benjamin Bliss as a princely Belmonte, James Kryshak, an endearingly neurotic Pedrillo and Rebecca Nelsen’s Blonde, wonderfully gymnastic in both voice and choreography. Clive Bayley’s sleazy Osmin steals every scene and Ana Maria Labin shines as the steadfast Konztanze. Christoph Altstaedt conducts at a driving pace that carries along all that spoken dialogue, an outstanding success!

Glyndebourne, 11 October 2015

Rating: