Reviewed by James Karas
The Canadian Opera Company has judiciously chosen a real chestnut (La Bohéme)
and a more complex if less popular work, Benjamin Britten’s Peter
Grimes, for its fall season. The latter is given a well-sung and
directed production despite some faux pas in the set design and the
characterization of Peter Grimes by tenor Ben Heppner.
Peter Grimes is an orchestral masterpiece that requires superb choral singing and has a richly-textures and complex plot. The title role requires a strong tenor voice and a singer with acting ability. Heppner usually has no problem in either category but in this performance, he fell short in his characterization of the hapless man.
My full review of this production may be read here:
Peter Grimes by Benjamin
Britten with libretto by Montagu Slater opened on October 5 and will be
performed seven times on various dates until October 26, 2013 at the Four
Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen
Street West, Toronto, Ontario. Tel: 416-363-6671. www.coc.ca
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