«Musical results are beyond reproach»: Otello at the Royal Opera House conducted by Daniele Rustioni
«The standout performance here comes from the conductor Daniele Rustioni. The greates praise I can give to his vividly dramatic and, where required, tender-hearted account is that it is worthy of Antonio Pappano himself.»
The Daily Mail, David Mellor
«Strongly sung, excitingly conducted, the musical performance carries all before it. Daniele Rustioni has a native Italianate grip on Verdi’s music that sounds right, feels right, and drives the performance along with urgency. This is also an Otello of some majesty, culminating in a grand opera showdown that raises the roof.»
Financial Times, Richard Fairman
«In the pit, with the orchestra on thrilling form, the conductor Daniele Rustioni continues to burnish his credentials as a possible successor to Antonio Pappano — and the chorus sounds good too.»
The Times, Rebecca Franks
«Daniele Rustioni ensures that the music is a full character (as it should be in opera) driving the narrative and manipulating our emotions, revealing the disintegration of psychologies as Iago's poison seeps through the court. Verdi's score, written at 73 years of age in 1887, sounds as fresh as if it were composed by a 23 year old last week - another sign of the relevance of the work.»
BroadwayWorld, Gary Naylor
«And the hushed, radiant strings at the end of the Ave Maria are just one example of the rich tonal palette that conductor Daniele Rustioni draws from the Royal Opera Orchestra. With a chorus on good form too, the musical results are beyond reproach.»
The Stage, Edward Bhesania
«The ROH Orchestra under the baton of Daniele Rustioni captured some of Verdi’s dramatic breadth and sweep, however, communicating how the seeds of jealousy are sown, nurtured and harvested. The orchestral playing was especially precise and powerful in Acts 3 and 4, incisively responsive to the emotive and dramatic details, with colour, dynamics, textures finely graded and alert – a welcome supplement to Warner’s chiaroscuro minimalism.»
Opera Today, Claire Seymour
«Music director Antonio Pappano, sitting in the audience, will have taken a keen interest in the performances of not only Thomas but also Rustioni, his former assistant and potential successor. There was a lot to admire in the latter’s conducting: dramatic vibrancy alternating with lingering pathos and, in the jovial scene for Iago and Cassio, a mercurial touch worthy of Berlioz. He may not yet have quite the theatrical command that Pappano displayed when he conducted the production in 2017 and again in 2019, but there’s no doubt that some of the master’s magic has rubbed off on him.»
Evening Standard, Barry Millington
«In the pit, Daniele Rustioni's conducting is rousing, accomplished and highly assured, and is the final ingredient in ensuring that the second revival of Warner’s Otellois a particularly persuasive one.»
OperaOnline, Sam Smith
«Given music director Antonio Pappano is due to stand down at the end of next season, the opera rumour factory has been in overdrive trying to guess who his successor might be. One name that constantly comes up is Daniele Rustioni, whose Macbeth earlier in the season was nothing short of sensational. Likewise, his Otello was alive to every nuance of Verdi’s superlative score – overwhelming in the shattering storm that opens the opera, and spine-tingling in the insidious melodies that underpin Iago’s scheming. The orchestra played magnificently, the brass in particular covering themselves in glory. With plenty of thrilling choral singing to complement the playing, this was music-making at an exalted level. It was evident in every bar just how much these musicians relish working with Rustioni, so I can’t think of a better person to fill Pappano’s shoes. Let’s just hope this opinion chimes with the thinking in Bow Street.»
MusicOMH, Keith McDonnell