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The Guardian
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Così Fan Tutte review – country house remix offers fresh farce, fun and energy
Atop its elegant Leicestershire hill, the operatic foundations of the Nevill Holt festival feel more secure right now than those of the beleaguered state funded companies down in the cities. The stable courtyard at Nevill Holt was converted into a comfortable 400-seat opera house seven years ago, and now this year's festival also offers the first fruits of a tie-up with Leeds-based Opera North, who will take a new production south for the coming five years. This summer's Così Fan Tutte offers alternating casts under the assured and energised conducting of Chris Hopkins. But it is not in every respect a wholly new production. Cecilia Stinton's direction and George Leigh's designs provide a specially created version of Mozart's opera for the Nevill Holt residency. Yet there remain traces, notably in the costumes, of the Tim Albery production that did sterling work for Opera North from 2009. Perhaps it is best to think of this as a country house remix of Albery's Cosi. Another survival is that this version is in English. This brings terrific immediacy, even for those who can follow Lorenzo Da Ponte's punning Italian original. The programme gives no single writer the credit, but it is a witty and succinct translation that adds to the overall fun and pace. 'One man is as good as another; and they are all good for nothing,' sings Dorabella, as she and her sister Fiordiligi debate how to deal with their respective suitors. Stinton places the cynical philosopher Don Alfonso at the centre of things. This Alfonso is not simply trying to prove his misogynistic point about women's affections. He is trying to prove it inside an opera-within-an-opera version of Così that he is himself writing and directing. Confused? It sometimes gets that way. But it is a device that offers plenty of opportunities for stage farce, as well as adding fresh layers of transgressive ambiguity to an opera that is already full of them. Vocally, all six principals make a mark. Seán Boylan's stylish Guglielmo and Egor Zhuravskii's ardently sung Ferrando are a well-matched pair of officers turned increasingly troubled pawns in Alfonso's game. Among the women, Ella Taylor's Fiordiligi is particularly fine in her two formidable arias and for her ability to command expressive softness as well as strength. Heather Lowe's Dorabella is bright voiced and engagingly acted. Claire Lees knows all the ropes as Despina and has little difficulty stealing the show when she needs to do so. It helps most of all, though, that William Dazeley is such a well acted and sung Alfonso. Mozart may have denied Alfonso the chance to shine in an aria of his own, but he is very much the puppet-master. Or at least in this version he is until the final moments, when his traumatised charges finally revolt against his loveless philosophy and chase him from the stage. Nevill Holt festival continues until 22 June
9 News
5 days ago
- Business
- 9 News
Aussies are spending way more on booze than they were last year
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here Households might be holding back on their spending, but there's one thing Australians have been happy to splash out on recently: booze. New ABS data released this morning showed spending growth was essentially flat in April, rising by just 0.1 per cent for the month, it fell 1.2 when only goods were considered. That came on the back of fresh GDP figures yesterday , which showed the proportion of income Australians are saving has risen to 5.2 per cent – up from less than 4 per cent late last year. Australians are spending more on beer each month than they were this time last year. (Chris Hopkins) But while households are clearly still keeping their belts tight after years of high inflation and interest rate rises, they've been happy to spend more on alcohol recently. A survey by comparison site Canstar Blue found Australians are spending $77 on wine every month, on average, an increase of 17 per cent from the same time last year, when the figure was sitting at $66. The jump in beer spending has been even steeper: up 30 per cent, going from $76 to $99. That's well in excess of inflation, as the average price of beer rose a far more modest 4.5 per cent in the 12 months to March. Spending on wine is also up, although not by as much. (Louie Douvis/AFR) "The Easter holidays helped pick up spending slightly for the month of April, but these latest figures show households chose to spend more on experiences than on discretionary items, like clothing and footwear," Canstar Blue spokesperson Eden Radford said. "Despite spending on alcoholic beverages and tobacco falling for the month, Canstar Blue research shows average monthly spending specifically on wine and beer has increased over the last year, with survey data showing $99 for beer and $77 for wine. "If this month's figures are anything to go by, households will continue to keep a close eye on their budgets, with many likely holding out for big sale seasons or tax returns, before making any big purchases." Yesterday's relatively weak GDP figures have fuelled expectations that the Reserve Bank will reduce interest rates again when it next meets in July, with the market now pricing in an 86 per cent chance of a cut, up from 81 per cent on Tuesday. Consumer national Australia money Cost of Living finance alcohol CONTACT US
Reuters
29-04-2025
- Business
- Reuters
23andMe will have court-appointed overseer for genetic data in bankruptcy
NEW YORK, April 29 (Reuters) - Genetic testing company 23andMe agreed on Tuesday to allow a court-appointed overseer to take charge of ensuring customers' genetic data remains protected during the company's bankruptcy, settling a dispute with several U.S. states. Those states had argued the company was not taking data security seriously enough. Make sense of the latest ESG trends affecting companies and governments with the Reuters Sustainable Switch newsletter. Sign up here. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Brian Walsh approved the agreement at a court hearing in St. Louis, Missouri, ordering the appointment of a consumer protection ombudsman who will be empowered to review 23andMe's handling of customers' genetic information and its security policies. The ombudsman will also review any sale of 23andMe's business or data during the company's bankruptcy, and report to the court about how any sale would impact customers' data. 23andMe had initially proposed hiring a "customer data representative" who would have had a more limited focus on ensuring that a future sale of the company or its data complied with the company's existing privacy policies. But a group of more than 25 states objected, saying that 23andMe simply wanted to hire someone who would "tell this court everything is fine." 23andMe has collected genetic data from 15 million customers who ordered DNA testing kits online and provided saliva samples to the company. The company has said it won't go through with a sale that imperils customers' genetic data, but the bankruptcy has drawn scrutiny from state attorneys general and lawmakers who warn that customer data could be sold to unscrupulous buyers. The consumer protection ombudsman will have an initial budget of $300,000 for their work, with the ability to ask the court for more money if needed. 23andMe filed for bankruptcy last month, seeking to sell its business after a drop-off in consumer demand and a 2023 data breach that exposed millions of customers' genetic data. The company is still negotiating with potential buyers for its business. It had hoped to name a bidder last week to serve as a minimum bid for other companies to compete against in a future auction. But those talks remain ongoing, and 23andMe has pushed the deadline to April 30, Chris Hopkins, a lawyer for the company, said at Tuesday's hearing. 23andMe founder Anne Wojcicki has also expressed interest in buying back the company. During the hearing, attorneys representing a class of more than 6 million customers affected by the 2023 data breach raised concerns about the bankruptcy's impact on a $30 million settlement reached last year. 23andMe's attorneys said the value of the class action settlement is in dispute now that the company is in bankruptcy. Walsh said he will address potential disputes about the class action settlement at a later date.
