Conductor(s):
Semyon Bychkov

Orchestra(s):
The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House; Royal Opera Chorus

Artist(s):
Asmik Grigorian; David Butt Philip; Aleksei Isaev; Emma Bell; Sarah Connolly; Ross Ramgobin; Hongni Wu; The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House; Royal Opera Chorus; Semyon Bychkov

"... a superb cast with no weak links ... On the podium Semyon Bychkov was equally responsive to the folksy lilt and expansive lyricism in this glorious score. Annemarie Woods supplied striking costumes and Paule Constable evocative lighting to complete the five-woman team responsible for this remarkable feminist-orientated and incidentally ecologically sustainable production." (The Evening Standard ★★★★)

"Lithuanian soprano Asmik Grigorian has a voice in a thousand. Then – first heard in the distance – comes the voice of the prince, British tenor David Butt Philip, a sweetly expressive foil to the protagonist." (The Independent ★★★)

"Ann Yee and Natalie Abrahami’s thoughtful and effective new production shapes Dvorák’s opera into a tale of mankind versus nature. A first-rate cast is matched by Semyon Bychkov in the pit.

Asmik Grigorian’s first Rusalka in the UK doesn’t disappoint: her polished-steel soprano glints and flashes. David Butt Philip is her outstanding match as the fickle Prince, his tenor soaring, and the rest of the cast is first-rate, from Emma Bell’s imperious yet flirty Duchess ... to the comic pair of Ross Ramgobin and Hongni Wu as the forester and his nephew. All are supported at every turn by Bychkov’s wonderfully elastic and idiomatic-sounding orchestra. Yee and Abrahami may have transformed rags into riches on stage but it’s in the pit that the magic of this Rusalka really happens." (The Guardian ★★★★)

"The cast was superb, with great performances from Lithuanian soprano Asmik Grigorian as Rusalka, Russian baritone Aleksei Isaev as her father Vodnik and British tenor David Butt Philip as the Prince, with British soprano Emma Bell and mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly both deliciously evil as the Duchess and Ježibaba.

Despite the excellence of the music and the cast, however, the most impressive contribution to this production came from Natalie Abrahami and Ann Yee whose joint direction and Ann Yee's choreography brought the story beautifully to life.

The set design was impressive without being overbearing and the costumes were striking without ever being gaudy.

Altogether a very fine production of an opera that deserves to be seen more often." (The Daily Express)

"... forces superbly marshalled by conductor Semyon Bychkov in the pit… The balance between pit and stage is perfect, allowing Grigorian’s glorious soprano to gleam amid the shifting harmonies, with David Butt Philip equally impressive." (British Theatre Guide)

"Musically…much here is wonderful. Grigorian’s dramatic commitment is never in doubt… [Butt] is equally superb, warmer in tone…passionate in his delivery throughout… Bychkov conducts it wonderfully well, too, his spacious speeds allowing both emotion and detail to register fully." (Gramophone)

"EDITORS CHOICE: Bleak, yes, but powerful, especially when the cast sings and acts as insightfully as they do here… Conductor and cast lend musical weight as Dvořák’s fairytale goes green. " (Limelight Magazine ★★★★)