Ivor Bolton

Five-star reviews for sensational Salzburg performances of ‘Iolanta’ and ‘Le rossignol’

wildkat — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 07:56:01 +0000

The first of Ivor’s two performances of Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta and Stravinsky’s Le rossignol at the Salzburg Festival have received rapturous five-star reviews. The two operas in a double-bill concert performance are sung by a sensational cast of today’s very finest singers, including soprano Anna Netrebko, and tenor Piotr Beczala, bass baritones John Relyea and Evgeny Nikitin (in Iolante) and sopranos Julia Novikova and Julia Lezhneva (in Le Rossignol). A second perfomance, entriely sold-out, will follow this Saturday 20th August.

“Ivor Bolton and the Mozarteumorchester Salzburg supported the singers with their equally colourful and richly detailed orchestral timbre, avoiding unnecessary opulence, and presented Tschaikovsy’s music in all its complexity – and did the same with the strict rhythms and transparent sounds of Igor Stravinsky’s first opera Le Rossignol which earlier that evening had resounded through the Groβes Festspielhaus.” – Heidemarie Klabacher, Der Standard

“Vocally, Netrebko captivated with her dark, melancholy timbre and her fabulous high notes. Their expressive power is impressive… At her side, the excellent tenor Piotr Beczala as Vaudemont, the powerful bass baritone John Relyea as her father, Evgeny Nikitin as the Moorish Physician and Alexey Markov as the Duke of Burgundy. A fantastic ensemble, the Mozarteumorchester under the baton of Ivor Bolton, took its place beautifully in the centre. The Russian soundworld suited the orchestra very well.” – Ernst P. Strobl, Salzburger Nachrichten

“The title role gave her (Julia Novikova) opportunities to rejoice and to shine with sweet coloratura and top notes. A charming appearance. Her young co-performances also distinguished themselves: Julia Lezhneva (Köchin), Antonio Poli (Fischer), Andrei Bondarenko (Kaiser), André Schuen (Kammerherr) und Maria Radner (Der Tod). Although Stravinsky is not its core repertoire, the Mozarteumorchester under Ivor Bolton certainly proved its worth.” – Die Kurier

Forthcoming Mozart Matinées with star countertenor Bejun Mehta

wildkat — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 07:45:41 +0000

After the great success of their performances of Le Rossignol and Iolante with a starry cast including soprano Anna Netrebko and tenor Piotr Beczala, Ivor and the Mozarteumorchester will appear in two Mozart Matinées later this month with Bejun Mehta, one of the finest countertenors of our day. Mehta will sing arias from Mozart’s Ascanio in Alba and Handel’s Agrippina and Riccardo Primo. The programme also includes Mozart’s Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra KV 191 (soloist Philipp Tutzer) and Symphony in G minor KV 550. Performances take place on 27th and 28th August: click here for more information.

German Record Critics’ award for ‘Theodora’

wildkat — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 06:32:16 +0000

The recent DVD and Bluray release of Handel’s Theodora has been awarded the Quarterly Critics’ Choice (“Bestenliste”) of the German Record Critics’ Award Association (“Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik”). The Quarterly Critics’ Choice is awarded to new releases of outstanding importance, which merit special attention for quality of interpretation, creativity, and value to the repertoire.

Theodora, in a new production by Christof Loy, was recorded live at the Salzburg Festival 2009, with the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra under the baton of Ivor Bolton, and is now available online and in stores on the Unitel/C major labels.

Press for Salzburg Festival Mozart Matinées

wildkat — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 17:23:04 +0000

Ivor’s first two performances in this year’s Salzburg Festival have won high critical praise. Of Ivor’s performance with Julia Fischer and the Mozarteum Orchester on 6th August, Oliver Schneider writes: “Ivor Bolton and the Mozarteum Orchester opened the Matinée with Mozart’s ‘Paris’ Symphony KV 297… The Mozarteum Orchester allowed the festive D major character of the outer movements to ring out with verve. The trumpets shone brilliantly… As in the first Mozart Matinée, the programme included one of the Salzburg symphonies: the Symphony in C major KV 200… In the introductory Allegro spirituoso, Bolton allowed the dynamic and thematic contrasts to shine through vividly. The conducting of the Minuet brought out its angular appeal. The final Presto was a crowning glory, which even without timpani resounded firmly.” (www.drehpunktkultur.at)

Ivor at the Salzburg Festival

wildkat — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 16:17:19 +0000

As in previous years, Ivor features heavily at this year’s Salzburg Festival, now in full swing.

He conducts no fewer than four sold-out Mozart Matinées: two concerts on 6th and 7th August which share a programme of Mozart including the Violin Concerto No. 3 in G, K 216, performed by renowned violinist Julia Fischer, and a further two performances on 27th and 28th August with leading countertenor Bejun Mehta.

Ivor also conducts two double-bill concert performances on 15th and 20th August of Stravinsky’s Le Rossignol and Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta, the latter featuring starry soloists Anna Netrebko and Piotr Beczala. Both performances are fully sold-out.

Last but hardly least, Ivor once more conducts the final performance of the Young Singers Project on 25th August.

For further information visit: www.salzburgerfestspiele.at.

Brilliant reviews for Bayerische Staatsoper ‘Mitridate’

wildkat — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 20:31:33 +0000

Ivor’s performances of Mozart’s early opera Mitridate at the Bayerische Staatsoper in July has won great critical acclaim. Ivor conducted the Bavarian State Orchestra in a production by director David Bösch, starring Patricia Petibon, Barry Banks, Lawrence Zazzo and Anna Bonitatibus.

“Thanks to Ivor Bolton’s sizzling conducting of the playing of the Bavarian State Orchestra, four hours in the theatre passed quickly. I’ve rarely heard Bolton on such dynamic form, justifying his local reputation as a Handel and Mozart conductor of the highest quality.” – Hugh Canning, The Times

“Bolton’s al fresco conducting style delivers a fresh, crisp and rhetorically pithy sound…” – Karl Harbmünchen, Salzburger Nachrichten

“The Bayerische State Orchestra… finds itself under Ivor Bolton’s alert, never formulaic conducting, with a crisp, fresh tone combining a baroque core of sound and a youthful emotional sensibility.” – Die Welt

“The Bavarian State Orchestra under Ivor Bolton, playing in a historically-informed way, allowed not a touch of harshness to disturb the music, but emphasised its springing brilliance.” – Robert Braunmüller, Abendzeitung München

“Ivor’s Bolton’s rather vigorous conducting style is well-matched to the score” – Oliver Schneider, Dreh Punkt Kultur

Teatro Real ‘Jenůfa’ now available

wildkat — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 16:29:54 +0000

Ivor’s performance of Janacek’s Jenůfa, recorded live at the Teatro Real in October 2009 with Amanda Roocroft in the title role, is now available for purchase on DVD and Blu-Ray. For more information or to purchase, visit the Opus Arte website.

Forthcoming release of Janáček's 'Jenůfa' on DVD and Blu-ray

wildkat — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 20:00:23 +0000

Recorded live at the Teatro Real in October 2009, Ivor Bolton conducts Stéphane Braunschweig’s production of Jenůfa starring English soprano Amanda Roocroft in one of her signature roles as the opera’s heroine, Slovac tenor Miroslav Dvorský as Laca, and the great dramatic soprano Deborah Polaski as Kostelnicka. Due for release by Opus Arte on DVD and Blu-ray in August this year.

“Not only did he [Ivor Bolton] conduct the score superbly, with extraordinary tension and sensitivity throughout, but he drew some truly wonderful playing from his orchestra, significantly better than anything I have heard from them under other batons.” Seen and Heard International

"Moments of staggering originality": imminent release of Bruckner 6 live recording

wildkat — Mon, 16 May 2011 08:03:57 +0000

Soon to be released is the next instalment on disc of Ivor Bolton’s Bruckner cycle with the Mozarteumorchester Salzburg. The release in July this year of Symphony No. 6 on Oehms Classics follows previous recordings of Symphonies 3, 5, 7, and 8, which earned high plaudits from the critics: “moments of staggering interpretative originality”, (musicwebinternational.com); “Bolton lets emotional enthusiasm for Bruckner’s expressive world roam free, and the orchestra follows him, clear and committed, and impresses with it clear phrasing, rich string timbre and cleanly-tuned winds” (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 20.01.11, review of Bruckner 8).

Symphony No. 6 was recorded live in Salzburg’s Grosses Fespielhaus in October last year, and impressive reviews of the performance promise a highly-prized addition to this Bruckner cycle: “Not an ounce of fat, no excess pathos, but a lean structure and sharply-described colours… These were the hallmarks of a most impressive account” (Salzburger Nachrichten, 27.10.10).

21 July: Ivor's 18th production for the Bayerische Staatsoper

wildkat — Mon, 16 May 2011 08:01:25 +0000

This July will witness Ivor Bolton’s 18th production for the Bayerische Staatsoper with a new production of Mozart’s Mitridate. Since his debut in 1994, Ivor has conducted a wide range of new productions for the Bayerische Staatsoper, most notably of Monteverdi, Handel and Mozart, and in 1998 he was awarded the prestigious Bayerische Theaterpreis for his outstanding work in Munich.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Mitridate, rè di Ponto

21, 24, 26, 29 July 2011
Prinzregententheater, Munich

Ivor Bolton- Conductor
Barry Banks/Richard Croft – Mitridate
Patricia Petibon/Anja Nina Bahrmann – Aspasia
Anna Bonitatibus – Sifare
Lawrence Zazzo – Farnace
Lisette Oropesa – Ismene
Alexey Kudrya – Marzio
Eri Nakamura – Arbate

David Bösch – Director
Patrick Bannwart – Set Designer
Falko Herold – Costume Designer
Michael Bauer – Lighting Designer