REVIEWS

Paradise Shostakovich Opera - Grand Theatre, Leeds
Rating: ***** by Pauline Fairclough
Guardian 05/05/2001

Shostakovich consigned his only operetta, Moscow , Cheryomushki, to his personal B-list. The composer went so far as to beg his friends not to attend the premiere of a work which, in a dark moment, he described as "boring, feeble and stupid".

Those are not words that leap to mind after seeing Opera North's new production. Renamed Paradise Moscow, this is a reorchestrated, expanded version of the 1994 Pimlico Opera production arranged for small band by Gerard McBurney. It uses director David Pountney's sharp, incisive translation - a vast improvement on the rather stilted original. Add McBurney's keen instinct for theatre scoring,

Craig Revel Horwood's inspired choreography and an outstanding cast, and you have one of Opera North's finest creations in years.