English National Opera Reviews - "musically and dramatically first-class"
And in a superb house debut, it’s beautifully conducted by Corinna Niemeyer and faultlessly played.
An outstanding achievement, and it should, by right, belong in ENO’s regular repertory. (Tim Ashley, 29.9.24)
The English National Opera Orchestra played Puccini’s score superbly under the eloquent baton of Corinne Niemeyer, while a selection of the ENO Chorus together with some distinguished solo singers completed an impeccable all-female company. (Mark Valencia, 28.9.24)
The conductor Corinna Niemeyer coaxed excellent playing from the ENO orchestra — often delicately misty and evocative but with a fierce tragic force unleashed at the tragic climax of one of Puccini’s most underrated scores.
Suor Angelica needs an intelligent conductor. This is not an opera of highlights (only really Angelica’s ‘Senza mamma’ has gained independent traction), so it needs someone who can see the whole while relishing detail, and Corinna Niemeyer seems to be just that person. (...)
Christine Rice's account of what most will know as ‘Il principe Gualtiero vostro padre’ was mesmeric, underpinned by a truly dark-timbred orchestra and perfect pacing from Niemeyer. (...)
For so many reasons, this is a compelling hour. (...) The opera (...) does make quite an impression in its own right. And given Corinna Niemeyer’s confident, intelligent conducting, she is certainly a conductor I would seek out again; the ENO Orchestra rise to her every whim. (Colin Clark, 29.9.24)
Under Corinna Niemeyer’s musical leadership, Annilese Miskimmon’s production rises to the heights (...)
Everyone involved has clearly committed to the piece and its subject, not least ENO’s superb orchestra, who shade in the subtle colours and gentle harmonies of a score that once or twice rises to extraordinary heights of either emotional desperation or spiritual exaltation under the inspiring leadership of conductor Corinna Niemeyer. (George Hall, 30.9.24)
Corinna Niemeyer (...) making her ENO debut with Suor Angelica, managed the vocal and instrumental sound resources at her disposal quite brilliantly. The sound world of the opera is not dissimilar to that of Madama Butterfly using high string writing, harp and woodwinds to create an ethereal, spiritual atmosphere and the band did the score justice as did the chorus – their off-stage Ave Maria was almost enough to make me convert! With a team of star singers, this production of Suor Angelica was musically and dramatically first-class. (...) (Adrian York, 28.9.24)
Conductor Corinna Niemeyer elicits an extremely balanced sound from the English National Opera Orchestra, and the most climactic passages towards the end feel both objectively powerful and emotionally intense. (Sam Smith, 27.9.24)
Corinna Niemeyer, conducting without a baton, sweeps the music into a frightening mix of sentiment, religiosity, and despair. (Nicholas Kenyon, 28.4.24)
Corinna Niemeyer’s conducting debut with ENO is noteworthy. This is a challenging work, and her reputation for attention to detail is key here. The structure is continuous, with no breaks between sections. The tempo shifts continuously, with frequent rubato. The tonality is fluid, moving between lush melodies in major keys, spiritual modes, and moments of unsettling entropy, where diminished and augmented chords destabilize the harmony and add to the unease. At times, the strings mirror the choral lines, enhancing the emotional weight. Elsewhere, the brass and timpani quietly evoke foreboding. Yet, in moments of hope, Puccini’s signature lyrical richness emerges, reminding us of his earlier works. Niemeyer navigated these shifts with skill, and the orchestra’s playing was integral to the psychological development of the story. (Susan Furnell, 28.9.24)
Puccini may have written a melodrama, but Miskimmon and conductor Corinna Niemeyer (coaxing such soft sheen from the ENO Orchestra) give us something else: a tragedy with a core of truth more brutal than any imagined horrors. What a shame no one else will get to see this one-night only show, which deserves an encore. (Alexandra Coghlan, 28.9.24)
All of the music is masterfully performed under conductor Corinna Niemeyer and the Orchestra of the ENO. (Michael Higgs, 30.9.24)
The orchestra, under the expert baton of Corinna Niemeyer, gave a nuanced and sensitive performance of Puccini’s score. The music swelled and receded with the emotional tides of the story, supporting the singers without overwhelming them. Niemeyer masterfully navigated the transitions between the stark convent scenes and the operatic tragedy (...)
Miskimmon’s vision, combined with Campbell-Wallace’s powerhouse performance and Niemeyer’ sensitive musical direction, make this production a compelling and unforgettable experience. (Maxine Morse, 1.10.24)