Rave reviews for Steuart Bedford at Garsington

7 July 2010

Critics across the UK have showered praise on Steuart Bedford’s return to Garsington Opera, conducting Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. 

In the Independent on Sunday, Anna Picard gave glowing praise to both the production and Bedford’s conducting in her five star review, “from the first, yawning glissando, under Steuart Bedford's elegant beat, Garsington Opera's final production in its home of 21 years was faultless”. Michael Church seconded those thoughts with his own five stars in The Independent, commenting that “no other production of Britten's masterpiece that I have seen could rival this show's visionary sure-footedness. Every nuance was lovingly projected.” The Telegraph’s Rupert Christiansen also noted Bedford’s skill, “one of the last musicians still practising who worked closely with Britten, Steuart Bedford conducted with an assurance born of long experience”, while The Times’ Richard Morrison simply stated: “add Steuart Bedford’s authoritative conducting of a lively band, and you have a midsummer night’s dream of a show.”

Forthcoming highlights for Steuart include new productions of Death in Venice with the Canadian Opera Company and Salome at San Diego Opera as well as French engagements that include Linda di Chamounix in Toulon and Entführung at Opera de Rennes.