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"Richard Balcombe's reduction is inspired." (Carmen) |
For some years now Richard Balcombe has been recognised as the most successful re-orchestrator of main stream repertoire opera. His reduced orchestrations have been used by most of the smaller touring companies in the UK and in the past few years in America, Australia and Europe.
In the UK these companies included Travelling Opera, Pimlico Opera, Crystal Clear Opera, Opera on a Shoestring, Opera Box, London City Opera, Opera 74, Opera at Bearwood, Opera Theatre Kernow, Opera della Luna, Kentish Opera, Opera Nova, Opera 2000, London Opera Players, Central Festival Opera, Visible Music Productions, Opera and Concert Productions Worldwide and Midsummer Opera.
Favourable press notices have accompanied many of these orchestrations -
Rigoletto Verdi's orchestration had been astutely cut by Richard Balcombe ... an arrangement that managed to retain all of the opera's vital textural effects Independent (Anthony Payne)
Don Pasquale ... the orchestral arrangement ... preserves the intricate fun and brilliant detail of the original. The Stage
Don Giovanni Balcombe's reduction of the score ... brings a chamber-like quality to the music. The Times (John Allison)
Carmen Richard Balcombe's reduction ... is inspired. For most of the time we seemed to be listening to pure Bizet. Country Life
Rigoletto Richard Balcombe has done a masterly job in rescoring the opera. Country Life (Hugo Cole)
Wonderful Town ...the star of the evening is the conductor Richard Balcombe, who gives the score and easy flow and comes up with some pzazz for the showstoppers The Stage Online (George Hall)