English conductor Ivor Bolton triumphs at the Bavarian State Opera with his rendering of Simone Giovanni Mayr’s forgotten masterpiece ‘Medea in Corinto’ (1821), in a new production by German director Hans Neuenfels. Premiered on Monday 7 June in Munich, the production features German soprano Nadja Michael as Medea. Ramón Vargas (Giasone), Alasdair Miles (Creonte), Alek Shrader (Egeo) and Elena Tsallagova (Creusa) complete the strong cast. Whilst critics differ in their opinions of Neuenfels’ vision of Mayr’s work, Ivor Bolton’s interpretation of and commitment to this wrongly forgotten score had amazed and delighted reviewers. Reinhard J. Brembeck from the Süddeutsche Zeitung describes Ivor Bolton and the Bavarian State Orchestra as “the great delight of this three-hour-long evening”, whilst the Augsburger Allgemeine notes that Ivor Bolton was “enthusiastically acclaimed by the audience” and “deservedly won the laurels of the night”. Critics note the “remarkable intimacy” (Frankfurter Rundschau) of Ivor Bolton’s “dedicated and vital interpretation” (Nürnberger Zeitung), his sensitivity in “elaborating the harmonic and instrumental facets of the score, which renders thrilling dramatic moments as convincingly as coaxing belcanto melodies” (Klassikinfo). Ivor Bolton’s passion for lesser known works and his expertise in opera from the baroque and classical periods, was obvious – “Ivor Bolton extracted the maximum possible from the piece” (Kultiversum). Hans-Klaus Jungheinrich from the Frankfurter Rundschau writes: “It is delightful how this music manages to deeply move the listener, when it is presented with such instantaneous power and (…) performed in the most lively manner by the choruses and the orchestra. There is no doubt, Simon Mayr’s ‘Medea’ has found its way into the repertoire.” For a conductor who actively seeks to attract the attention of a larger audience to hidden operatic gems, which more beautiful compliment could there be?