On April 10, the Opernhaus Zürich will revive its acclaimed production of Verdi’s “Rigoletto.” The production will feature veteran performers and some of the most acclaimed interpreters of the opera. However, there will be a newcomer to the opera, Sandra Hamaoui. The French-American soprano will make her role debut as Gilda following her successful turn as Constance in a new {…}
On April 2, the Metropolitan Opera will revive a production of “Le Nozze di Figaro” with a new cast featuring some of the world’s greatest Mozartians and some rising stars. Among the rising stars set to grace the Met stage is Ying Fang who will sing her first Susanna on the Met stage. Having made her Met debut in 2013, {…}
Perhaps no other work within the conventional canon of comic opera, of which Rossini, Donizetti, Mozart, Webern, and Lehar find their respective places, has achieved so much lasting success as Jacques Offenbach’s two (then four) act opéra bouffon “Orphée aux enfers.” It was composed between 1855 and 1858 as a humorous reaction to the stuffy court opera aesthetic and hyper-focus {…}
This weekend Kevin Puts and Grieg Pierce’s “The Hours” will make its world premiere. The work is one of the most anticipated operas of the year as it is based on the popular Michael Cunningham novel, which was later turned into an Oscar-winning film. Now three divas will get the chance to shine in three iconic roles with the Philadelphia {…}
Annalisa Stroppa is in the prime of her career performing on the great stages in the opera world and singing a diverse repertoire that spans Verdi, Donizetti, Bizet, Offenbach, Puccini, and Bellini. This week she returns to one of her signature roles in Bellini’s “Norma.” The mezzo, who has become a specialist in the Bel Canto repertoire, has championed the {…}
“Opera Meets Film” is a feature dedicated to exploring the way that opera has been employed in cinema. We will select a section or a film in its entirety, highlighting the impact that utilizing the operatic form or sections from an opera can alter our perception of a film that we are viewing. This week’s installment features a look at {…}
We are going to switch things up this week with a new format to the puzzle. In lieu of our usual, complete the name, we are going to ask you to find the last name of the artist referenced in the clue. So get out your history books and brush up on your “Ariadne auf Naxos” interpreters because this puzzle {…}
(Credit: Ken Howard Metropolitan Opera) “Page to Opera Stage” looks at stories – real-life or fiction, old and new – that have inspired operas, and the ways these narratives have been edited and dramatised to fit a new medium. This month, we head to the 20th and 21st century with Winston Graham’s quasi-Freudian psychological thriller “Marnie”, adapted into an opera {…}
Damiano Michieletto is well known for his operatic productions throughout Europe. He has directed almost every major work in the repertoire and has collaborated with every major theater in the world including the Royal Opera, Teatro alla Scala, Salzburg Festival, Rossini Opera Festival, Wiener Staatsoper. This week Michieletto returns to his home city of Venice for the world premiere of {…}
