Iolanta - Reviews

"Stuart Stratford and the CLS's committed playing and rich tone match the vocal glories onstage bar for thrilling bar. In sheer vocal quality, this has to be one of the finest shows the company has ever offered.

In the title role, Orla Boylan finds subtlety and delicacy within her ample lyric soprano. As the nobleman Vaudemont Peter Auty sings impeccably and with ardent tone. Mikhail Svetlov's King Rene engages movingly both with the drama and the music. Mark Stone's Robert, Toby Stafford-Allen's Arab doctor Ibn-Hakia and all the smaller roles fulfil every demand. Annilese Miskimmon's staging charts every point in the unfolding story with unerring skill. The production reveals the opera as a neglected masterpiece."
George Hall, The Stage

"A summer evening to treasure. OHP field an exceptionally strong leading cast: dashing and passion-filled Mark Stone, a thrillingly ringing tenor from Peter Auty, booming authenticity from Russian-American bass Mikhail Svetlov and, perhaps best of all, a superb Orla Boylan as the sad princess. The ensemble is strong and, under Stuart Stratford, the City of London Sinfonia blooming and fulsome."
Simon Thomas, musicOMH.com

"It's yet another hit for Holland Park. Director Annilese Miskimmon and designer Nicky Shaw create a claustrophobic, Freudian atmosphere which makes perfect sense of the themes and yet allows us to ponder their troubling ramifications for ourselves.

Orla Boylan sings Iolanta with a full, luscious tone, and tenor Peter Auty brings a shining sound and thrilling high notes to the role of her lover. There's tremendous support from bass Mikhail Svetlov and baritone Mark Stone, and some incandescent orchestral playing under Stuart Stratford. Tremendous."
Warwick Thompson, Metro

"Haunting. The rapturous score, with its exquisitely refined orchestration and supple melodies, was imaginatively conducted by Stuart Stratford. A strong cast was led by Orla Boylan and Peter Auty, both on top form and offering a fullness of tone and amplitude of phrasing that allowed them some tremendous emotional climaxes in duet."
Rupert Christiansen, Daily Telegraph

"The piece provides a claustrophobic, Freudian atmosphere which makes sense of the troubling central metaphor…Designer Nicky Shaw creates a haunting, dreamlike feel. It could hardly be sung or played better. Orla Boylan and Peter Auty look tremendous, and their ringing top notes in the climactic central duet are scalp-tingling. Conductor Stuart Stratford brings all the sweep and passion that the score cries out for.

Opera Holland Park has become the most exciting and adventurous company in the UK."
Bloomberg

"Annilese Miskimmon's unrelentingly taut production for Opera Holland Park, an electrifying drama of sexual repression, guilt and release, is an extraordinary achievement for Miskimmon, designer Nicky Shaw, conductor Stuart Stratford, the City of London Sinfonia, and the cast. Auty, Boylan and Mikhail Svetlov (King René) are magnificent, the supporting cast incisively characterised and sung, the climax radical and wholly credible."
Anna Picard, Independent on Sunday

"Tastefully staged by Annilese Miskimmon, suavely conducted by Stuart Stratford and beautifully sung by Orla Boylan, Peter Auty, Mark Stone and Mikhail Svetlov."
Anthony Holden, The Observer

"OHP have ended their 2008 on a high note. Boylan sang with warmth and sweetness and was particularly touching in the finale. She was well matched by the Vaudemont of Peter Auty, exultant as he described the glories of light. Mark Stone gave a spirited account of Robert and the King was delivered with a suitable mixture of gravitas and doubt by Mikhail Svetlov. Stuart Stratford had everything under firm control."
Serena Fenwick, Musical Pointers

"The last production of Opera Holland Park's summer presents the company at its best. Annilese Miskimmon's simple but darkly atmospheric and character-focused production is beautifully conducted by Stuart Stratford, who makes the City of London Sinfonia sound sumptuous in arias and propulsive in conversational passages.
Peter Auty's voice is searing, Mikhail Svetlov provides genuine Russian plushness as the king, and Carole Wilson, Aled Hall and Keel Watson fill small roles with presence. Orla Boylan plays the title role convincingly and her soprano soars gloriously."
Erica Jeal, The Guardian

"Soprano Orla Boylan and tenor Peter Auty sang with such heroic ferocity and stormy passion that you quite feared for the safety of Holland Park Opera's awning. This was the company's last new production of the season, another beguiling rarity of the kind at which Holland Park excels. Vocal standards were impressive, with Mikhail Svetlov's King, Toby Stafford-Allen's Ibn-Hakia and Mark Stone's Robert heading a large ensemble cast, stirringly conducted by Stuart Stratford."
Fiona Maddocks, Evening Standard

"An inspired production of Tchaikovsky's last opera Iolanta…no recording or performance I have heard or seen before has approached this level of conviction and intensity, with acting and singing to match, while Stuart Stratford's conducting is magnificent. Orla Boylan is wonderful in the title role, singing as securely and warmly as a Tchaikovsky heroine needs to, while also being as fragile and vulnerable. The loving Vaudemont is just as well portrayed by Peter Auty and the King, sung with authentic Slav boom by Mikhail Svetlov. At OHP we get star casting in minor roles."
Michael Tanner, The Spectator

"Annilese Miskimmon's production is the finest I have seen, her direction intense and probing. Nicky Shaw's Edwardian costumes are elegant and the stage is starkly beautiful. Conductor Stuart Stratford draws warm playing from the City of London Sinfonia and achieves subtle ebb and flow. A strong cast is led by Orla Boylan who has a glinting soprano. In Mikhail Svetlev, Holland Park has a genuine Russian bass. Toby Stafford Allen builds Ibn-Hakia's beguiling aria with firm musical phasing and Mark Stone smoulders as Robert. One of Opera Holland Park's best achievements."
John Allison, Sunday Telegraph