Past Production Reviews
5Such intensity demands a parallel level of emotional power from the pit, and here Stuart Stratford, a familiar name from Opera Holland Park (see Puccini’s La fanciulla or Mascagni’s Iris, for example), provided just that. The English National Opera Orchestra gave their all in a performance of Lucia that also included a great deal of nuance. Stratford understands the voice, and how phrases need to breathe; he also, crucially, gets Donizetti’s orchestration. A sense of flow permeated the whole from the very opening; and to hear the ENO Orchestra on such full-toned form was a joy indeed. They clearly respect Stratford, whose deep musicality added immeasurably to the evening.
Tynan fully identified with the portrayal of Lucia, giving us a profoundly disturbing picture of a woman who was controlled and neutralised by society, fighting back in the only way possible. This meant that in Acts One and Two she was relatively passive, and one of this production's clever strokes is to make Edgardo just as controlling, in his different way, as Enrico. It is clear, this Lucia will be controlled no matter what, so madness is the only way out.
Nicky Spence rings out like a heroic peal of bells as Siegmund. Emma Bell’s Sieglinde, in jeans and a tee-shirt, was the abused wife from The 39 Steps, welcoming a stranger (here with an industrial-sized jerry of water). Like Brünnhilde, a decent woman surrounded by vile men. The siblings work well together, despite schematic direction which initially has them moving like the figures in a German weather house.
World-Premiere - THE FIRST CHILD by D. Dennehy & E. Walsh - NURSE Irish National Opera & Landmark Productions at Dublin Theatre Festival ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "...delivered by ... a sublime Eric Jurenas as NURSE. To call ERIC JURENAS a revelation is to understate it considerably , not so much singing as channeling angels..." // ".... NURSE gesungen von einem überragenden Eric Jurenas .... Eric Jurenas eine Offenbarung zu nennen, wäre eine maßlose Untertreibung. Er singt nicht, er leitet Engel an..." (Theaterreview) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ... while the unique timbres of singers...and, in particular, Eric Jurenas as NURSE provide a powerful reminder of the voice as instrument..." // ".... das besondere Timbre der einzelnen Stimmen, vor allem aber das von Eric Jurenas als NURSE war eine eindringliche Erinnerung an die Stimme als Instrument..." (The Irish Times) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "... and the NURSE sung by countertenor Eric Jurenas, is musically brilliant..." // "... und der KRANKENPFLEGER wurde von Countertenor Eric Jurenas brillant gesungen..." (Irish Independant)
