David Truslove

Drawn fromAlexander Pushkin’s 1833 novel-in-verse Eugene Onegin, Tchaikovsky’s eponymous opera could have been called after its heroine Tatyana Larin. Judging by this magnificent production and some compelling performances, I suspect Tchaikovsky might have had the same thought. Possibly also theatre director Max Webster who has thrown together some perceptive ideas for Grange Festival’s new staging and clearly believes Pushkin’s drama of ill-fated love belongs as much to Onegin as to Tatyana.

It takes some nerve to initiate a Ring cycle in a country house setting with relatively modest resources in comparison to the major opera companies. But this is Wasfi Kani who is surely following the model set by Longborough Festival’s two complete Ring cycles achieved within the last 20 years. Now, she has recently launched Grange Park Opera’s Wagnerian epic, its four music dramas due for completion in 2029.

With its accumulating drama and superbly sung set pieces, this account of Mozart’s 1791 operatic farewell gave every reason why it should be heard more often, whether in fully staged versions, or in the form of a concert as given at Grange Festival’s neo classical mansion. This presentation from a cast of international soloists, the Mozartfest Würzburg Choir and Les Talens Lyriques vividly brought to life the somewhat stock noble characters torn between personal loyalty and civic duty.