★★★★☆
Prominent in the publicity for English Touring Opera’s new Mozart production is the boast that the cast largely comprises black and minority ethnic singers. That’s a reasonable selling point, because it’s rare enough to see one non-white face in a British opera production, let alone seven taking important roles in the same show.
However, highlighting their skin colour does smack of special pleading, which is unfortunate. This show deserves to be remembered not for its ethnic mix, but its musical qualities. It is exceptionally well conducted by Christopher Stark, a rising star best known for presenting thunderous contemporary scores in a Peckham car park with his Multi-Story Orchestra. Here, however, he shows how elegantly he can shape Mozart, coaxing beautiful textures from his players