Il Viaggio a Reims

It is 20 years since Covent Garden's one and only staging of Rossini's Il Viaggio a Reims, in a rather over-cooked production by John Cox. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Jette Parker Young Artists summer performances the opera returned for one night only on 19 July, with all the current and 2011 young artists plus returning ones including Ailish Tynana, Marina Poplavskaya and Jacques Imbraillo. The women all looked stunning in their ball gowns, Pedro Ribeiro brought just enough drama to the staging and Daniele Rustioni conducted a vibrant performance. The ENO Orchestra played on-stage (giving the ROH one a night off), they seemed to be having fun playing a repertoire they don't get a lot of at home. A good time was had by all. My full review is on Opera Today.