Marcelo Puente / Anmeldelser

Elizabeth DeShong, making her Royal Opera debut, was a terrific Suzuki, her ripe, plum-toned mezzo fabulously dark in its lowest register. She turned on Carlo Bosi's wheedling marriage-broker with real venom and the Flower Duet with Jaho was beyond sublime.In the minor roles, Yuriy Yurchuk was a stately Yamadori – the prince offering Cio-Cio San a way out – and Jeremy White reprised his splenetic Bonze with vigour.Sir Antonio Pappano conjured miracles from the Covent Garden pit. Even the ROH brass was on its best behaviour in a tingling orchestral account. It's a blessing to have heard, in a single season, the world's two finest Puccini conductors (the other being Riccardo Chailly at La Scala) take the helm for this exquisite score. I fear any remaining tickets for this run (at least with Jaho as Butterfly) will be like gold dust, but Thursday's performance (30th March) is being broadcast live into cinemas if you want to net the greatest performance of the title role I've yet witnessed.

The version offered was clearly very satisfactory and its main strengths were the visuals, the solid preparation and the choice of the cast. Marcelo Perusso in his multiple duties as stage director, set designer and costume designer, served with excellence the work of which he is a librettist. The acting movement was coherent and precise. The timeless setting with stone columns and the clever use of the revolving stage served perfectly to frame each of the scenes. The wardrobe is beautiful and the lighting by Rubén Conde is plastically perfect. The choreographic movements of Guillermina Tarsi are adequate. The vocal cast was well-rounded, solid, homogeneous and with perfect diction and preparation. Alejandra Malvino was a Fedra of vocal excellence and expressive intensity. At his side, Daniela Tabernig's Aricia shone, offering the most lyrical moments of the work at the beginning of the second act. He effectively accompanied the tenor Marcelo Puente in the complex role of Hipólito. While sober and effective was Leonardo Estévez as Theseus. Haydée Dabusti overcame the nurse's complicated handwriting with vocal integrity and with careful correction created the minor roles Florencia Machado (Selene), Alicia Alduncín (Hécate) and Gustavo Feulien (Theramens). On the podium the composer himself conducted with sobriety, clarity and precision. The balance between the pit and the stage was perfect and at no time was the voices covered up in a work of abundant percussion and enormous timbral richness. Very good was the response from the Stable Orchestra.