Irish National Opera 2023-24 Review: L’Olimpiade

(Photo: Ros Kavanagh) Intricate and convoluted plots are not exactly rare in operas of the 17th and 18th centuries. Usually revolving around mistaken identities, complex love triangles, misunderstandings and deliberate deceptions that precipitate extreme emotions, their narratives career forward, plunging the protagonists into life-threatening and life-changing situations in which the gods, heroes and mythical characters often play their part. Vivaldi’s {…}

Apr 1, 2023

The Haydn Foundation, Bolzano 2023 Review: Peter Pan, The Dark Side

Credit: Francesco Bondi Each year, The Haydn Foundation of Bolzano and Trento presents a short program of operas with an emphasis on the new and experimental, which, this season, included the world premiere of “Peter Pan, The Dark Side,” written by the composer Wolfgang Mittere and librettist David Pountney. The idea for the work came from the foundation’s artistic director, {…}

Mar 11, 2023

Q & A: Director Daisy Evans On The Haydn Foundation’s Forthcoming World Premiere ‘Peter Pan’ – The Dark Side’

J.M. Barrie’s “Peter Pan,” the mischievous, free-spirited child who never grows up, has exerted a hold over children and even many adults for well over 100 years. His adventures set in Neverland, with its array of comic book characters such as Captain Hook, Tinker Bell, the crocodile, the Lost Boys, and Wendy, have fascinated and entertained over the generations. Peter {…}