English National Opera kicked off its season with a one-off concert, Mozart’s Women, at the London Coliseum, hosted by broadcaster Lauren Laverne. The event, filmed for Sky Arts, featured excerpts from nine Mozart operas performed by the ENO orchestra under conductor Clelia Cafiero, with a periwigged child actor appearing as a silent host.
The evening aimed to explore Mozart’s female influences but offered little insight, according to critics. Laverne’s scripted links mentioned several women in the composer’s life, but the format, which mixed interviews with arias, struggled to balance entertainment and education. Singers were asked to speak personally before switching into emotionally charged roles, which some found constraining.
Light-hearted moments fared best under director Annilise Miskimmon. Golda Schultz and Ailish Tynan turned the letter duet from The Marriage of Figaro into a texting scene, while Tynan and Rainelle Krause sparred as rival divas in Der Schauspieldirektor. Heavier arias, such as Nardus Williams’ introspective Donna Anna, lost impact without context.
The concert ended on a high with Rainelle Krause’s rendition of the Queen of the Night’s second aria from The Magic Flute, described as “electric” with crystal-clear high notes. The performance concluded just as the musical atmosphere peaked.
