On April 13, 2023, the Metropolitan Opera opened its April run of Donizetti’s “L’Elisir d’Amore.” Bartlett Sher’s 2012 production was met with new life thanks to a number of stunning debuts from the cast. The staging itself presents a view of Italy during unification which neither rebukes nor flatters the historical context of the work, leaving an authentic, if understated, {…}
San Francisco Opera has announced its 2023-24 season, the 101st in the company’s history. The season will open with an Opera Ball featuring Roberto Alagna and Aleksandra Kurzak. Eun Sun Kim conducts the San Francisco Opera Orchestra in a program of arias and duets. Performance Date: Sept. 8, 2023 Next up is “Il Trovatore” starring Arturo Chacón-Cruz, Angel Blue, Anita {…}
(Credit: Victor Santiago) The Teatro Filarmonico has announced a cast change for its New Year’s Eve gala. The company said that Irina Lungu will replace Aleksandra Kurzak as Mimi in “La Boheme.” This marks the second cancelation for Kurzak this week, who was set to perform on Dec. 23 at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna. Lungu is coming off performances {…}
After a bumpy 2021, which still had numerous COVID cancelations, 2022 saw opera companies almost return to normalcy. There were setbacks like cyberattacks, a war that has destroyed a country, and companies losing funds from government agencies. But in all, it also showed how opera companies could unite through benefit concerts and through sheer artistry. And after releasing our favorite {…}
Aleksandra Kurzak’s early singing career saw her perform as a specialist in lyric and coloratura soprano roles before moving into heavier roles in 19th-century Romantic and verismo operas. The 2004-05 season saw her have two hugely successful debuts, at the Metropolitan Opera House and the Royal Opera House. She has since sung many leading roles in opera houses throughout the {…}
Verona’s Teatro Filarmonico is set to celebrate the New Year with a gala performance of “La Bohème.” The performance will star Aleksandra Kurzak and Roberto Alagna in a production by Stefano Trespidi. Andrea Battistoni will conduct the evening. While the company is currently performing the Puccini opera, Kurzak and Alagna will appear at the Verona company for one night only. {…}
(Credit: KarenAlmond/Metropolitan Opera) A “shabby little shocker.” That’s how musicologist Joseph Kerman described Puccini’s “Tosca.” Shabby? No. A little shocker? No. It’s a big shocker. Perhaps we’ve become inured to how dark and violent “Tosca” is with scenes of rape, murder, torture, and suicide. There was no mistaking the grittiness of Puccini’s fast-paced thriller at the Metropolitan Opera. The October {…}
(Credit: Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera) The Metropolitan Opera is set to revive Puccini’s “Tosca” for 15 performances. The production by Sir. David McVicar, which is set to open on Oct. 5 and run through April 15, 2023, will star Aleksandra Kurzak in the first run of performances alongside Michael Fabiano and Roberto Alagna. They will be joined by John Lundgren in {…}
The Teatro dell’Opera di Roma has announced its 2022-23 Season. Emma Dante conducts Poulenc’s “Dialogues des Carmelites” with Michele Mariotti conducting. Corinne Winters stars alongside Anna Caterina Antonacci, Ewa Vesin, Ekaterina Gubanova, and Jean-François Lapointe. The opera will be transmitted live on Rai Cultura and Rai5. Performance Dates: Nov. 27-Dec. 6, 2022 Donizetti’s “L’Elisir d’Amore” will be conducted by Francesco {…}
The Teatro San Carlo has announced a cast change for its production of “Il Barbiere di Siviglia.” The company noted that Aleksandra Kurzak will no longer sing the role of Rosina and will be replaced by Jessica Pratt. The change comes as Kurzak is at the Royal Opera House replacing Anita Rachvelishvili and Ermonela Jaho in productions of “Cavalleria Rusticana” {…}
The Royal Opera has announced a cast change for its production of “Cavalleria Rusticana.” The company noted that Aleksandra Kurzak will replace Anita Rachvelishvili in the role of Santuzza. Kurzak has performed the role of Santuzza at the Teatro Massimo di Palermo and the Arena di Verona. The soprano made her Royal Opera debut in 2005 as Aspasia in “Mitridate, re {…}