(Photo: Teatro Carlo Felice) The great French chanson singer Édith Piaf possessed one of the most naturally expressive and recognizable voices of the 20th century. It was a raw, untrained voice, shot through with emotional honesty, born from her own tough and painful experiences of an early life spent in poverty and exposure to the seedy underbelly of society. In {…}
(Photo: Steven Pisano) Death of Classical‘s 2023-24 season concluded The Crypt Sessions with David Lang‘s very timely “The Little Match Girl Passion” featuring the Ekmeles Vocal Ensemble at NYC’s Church of the Intercession on December 12, 2023. “The Little Match Girl Passion,” based on The Little Match Girl by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, originally debuted in 2007 at Zankel {…}
(Photo Brno: Marek Olbryzmek) Britten’s “Peter Grimes” is a director’s dream. Who is Grimes? It is certain he is a loner; an outsider and a social misfit open to fits of temper. Yet there is also a sensitive side to his nature that comes out intermittently throughout the opera, notably in his aria “Now the Great Bear and the Pleiades” {…}
(Credit: Emilie Brouchon) Offenbach’s “Les Contes d’Hoffmann” might be the most passionate love letter ever written to opera. After a career creating operettas and comic works, the composer set his sights on creating an opera, a work that would align with his style and sensibilities, but also one that would transcend them. And from it came a work that is {…}
It belongs in the past, the idea of gathering excellent singers for opening night and then choosing unknown young performers for alternative casts. Teatro Real, with the participation of Quinn Kelsey, John Osborn and Gianluca Buratto, proved how strong cast C was for its production of “Rigoletto.” Quinn Kelsey as Rigoletto Baritone Quinn Kelsey portrayed the titular role. He has {…}
The Teatro Real de Madrid continued its run of “Rigoletto” with a second cast under the musical direction of Nicola Luisotti. Since our earlier review of the first cast already explores the production itself, we will jump right into an analysis of the vocal performances. Étienne Dupuis was a lyrical Rigoletto, but far too lyrical. His warm and effortless timbre {…}
(Credit: Brescia e Amisano ©Teatro alla Scala) The Teatro alla Scala’s opening night production is always a major event. But this year’s “Don Carlo” had particular high expectations to fulfill. The major reason for this was undoubtedly the A-list cast, headlined by two of the world’s most famous divas Anna Netrebko and Elīna Garanča. But they were also flanked by {…}
The Opernhaus Zürich presents a new production of a French Baroque masterpiece: “Platée,” a ballet-bouffon composed by Jean-Philippe Rameau in 1745. The premiere took place in Versailles as part of the festivities for the wedding of Louis XV with María Teresa Rafaela of Spain. The libretto, by Adrien-Joseph Le Valois d’Orville, draws inspiration from Greek mythology. It narrates the tale {…}
(Photo: Marc Brenner) They go together like cookies and milk…like bacon and eggs…like Adam and Eve! Nooooooo! Not “Cav” and “Pag,” as the fans insist on calling the operas, but Roberto Alagna and Aleksandra Kurzak! The golden couple, currently on at the Royal Opera House in “Cavalleria Rusticana,” consolidated their positions as world class artists here with spellbinding performances from {…}