Tobias Ringborg’s return to Royal Swedish Opera sparked enthusiastic reviews, as he conducted Umberto Giordano’s Fedora in a new production by Christof Loy. Since his 2001 debut at the house with La bohème, he has returned there regularly for operas including Don Giovanni, Rigoletto, Tosca and Turandot.
Reviews for Fedora praise the Swedish conductor for his “great precision and sensitivity” and described his orchestral sound as “lustrous”:
“The orchestra of the Royal Opera House, conducted by Tobias Ringborg, did a very good job of driving the action forward and giving the singers a rich musical carpet on which to shine. Ringborg conducted with force, never timid or afraid of covering his singers, but nevertheless careful of their needs. The strings provided a lustrous wall of sound when required. Several elegant details in the complex score were correctly highlighted. A very good performance.”
Laura Servidei, Bachtrack ****
”[The bicycle scene] has all the fun details in the score as Tobias Ringborg elegantly highlights. He directs with great sensitivity and precision, a perfect counterpart to Loy’s precise touch on the scene.”
Bo Löfvendahl, Svenska Dagbladet
”... the glossy orchestral sound Tobias Ringborg gets out of the Royal Orchestra ...”
Per Feltzin, Sveriges Radio
“The Royal Orchestra was led by Tobias Ringborg, who managed to bring an almost perfect representation of the work with the orchestra. Great compliment.”
Peter Franken, place de l’opera
“Fedora is a suspenseful melodrama dressed in gorgeous clothes and lush Pucciniesque music, which orchestra conductor Tobias Ringborg brings out and enhances so that you really do not get why nobody played this opera in Scandinavia before. The Royal Orchestra plays it sensitively and extremely balanced. Nothing is lost.”
Gunilla Brodrej, Expressen
“Ringborg and the Royal Orchestra and the Royal Opera Chorus make this Fedora resurrection are unforgettable.”
Eleonore Büning, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
“The third musical star is conductor Tobias Ringborg with his terrific grip on Giordano’s very colourful tonal language.”
Camilla Lundberg, svt
“Tobias Ringborg conducts with audible passion and excitement. The first bars already move the audience to a state of ecstasy, which … does not lift until the finale note. He plays with the passion in the ravishing and billowing melodies and together with Royal Orchestra he makes the evening perfect.”
Jochen Rüth, Opernfreund
Performances run until 18 January. Earlier this season Tobias conducted Figaro at Scottish Opera and I Puritani for Danish National Opera, where he will return to conduct its 70th anniversary tour. Later this season he conducts Karl-Birger Blomdahl’s Aniara for Malmö Opera.
