Oliver Mears’s staging of Handel’s dramma per musica offers a strikingly dark and provocative reinterpretation of Semele, now running at Covent Garden through July 18. Mears places the tale in a glitzy yet soulless the 1960s luxury hotel, where ambition and betrayal play out against sleek Art Deco backdrops and an ever-present furnace motif. This … Continue reading “Bold, bleak, and unforgettable: Semele at the Royal Opera House”
Category: Review
Istanbul Jazz Festival 2025: A Celebration of Sound, Soul, and the Spirit of the Times
Jazz first captivated European audiences in the early decades of the 20th century. A century later, its vibrant pulse still resonates across the continent — perhaps nowhere more powerfully than in Istanbul, where the 32nd International Jazz Festival is now in full swing. A city at the crossroads of East and West, Istanbul becomes a … Continue reading “Istanbul Jazz Festival 2025: A Celebration of Sound, Soul, and the Spirit of the Times”