Sondra Radvanovsky has an unconventional voice that is suited to unconventional characters and is best used in rangy, difficult music. The lack of lush beauty was no deficit in depicting Medea’s jealousy and vengeful rage.
David Lang’s Prisoner of the State, which was premiered on Thursday night by the New York Philharmonic, places the issue of mass incarceration front and center, foregrounding the violence of the prison system, both physical and psychological.
There is much to say about the similarities between the plot of Fidelio and the ancient myth of Orpheus.
The rewards of Leonore lie almost as much in the ensembles as the solo contributions.
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