Grange Park Opera 2022 Review: La Gioconda

(Credit: © Marc Brenner) “La Gioconda,” or “‘The Ballad singer” to give the opera its usual English translation, actually translates to, “The Happy Woman.” Irony overload, indeed, for an opera infused with sin, bitter revenge, betrayal, adultery, suicide, murder, cruelty and the Roman Inquisition. “La Gioconda” is a bit of a bizarre opera, by any standards. Encapsulating passion, violence and ultimately tragedy it {…}

Joseph Calleja, Amanda Echalaz, Phillip Rhodes, Erika Grimaldi & Simone Piazzola Lead New Zealand Opera’s 2022 Season

(Credits: Dragana Ranković/Semperoper Dresden official website/ NZ Opera official website/ Bayerische Staatsoper official website/Bayerische Staatsoper official website) The New Zealand Opera has announced its 2022 slate, featuring numerous international artists and productions. “Summer of Opera” will take place in Wellington, Auckland, and at Hamilton Garden Arts Festival. The event will spotlight music by Bizet, Bernstein, and other famous composers. Performance {…}

Luciano Pavarotti, Renée Fleming, Leona Mitchell, Shirley Verrett Headline Next Month of Metropolitan Opera Nightly Streams

The Metropolitan Opera has announced the next month of nightly streams which focus on a number of unique themes including operas in English, holiday works, and even an entire work dedicated to one of the most iconic artists of all time.  Week 39– In Plain English Monday, December 7 – Thomas Adès’s The Tempest Starring Audrey Luna, Isabel Leonard, Iestyn Davies, Alek Shrader, {…}

Susan Graham, Ryan McKinny, Amanda Echalaz To Host ‘Songs from the Santa Fe Opera’ Performance Series

Santa Fe Opera has announced a new digital performance series that will take place throughout July. The series, entitled “Songs from the Santa Fe Opera,” will celebrate the opening nights of the operas that the company was originally set to perform throughout the 2020 season. “We feel strongly about bringing the joy of opera to our communities during this difficult {…}

Plácido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, Anna Netrebko, Renée Fleming, Shirley Verrett Headline Weeks 11 & 12 of Metropolitan Opera Nightly Streams

For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown theaters around the world, the Metropolitan Opera has announced not one but two weeks of nightly streams in advance. The next few weeks feature a mix of more recent performances with some classic showcases from decades ago. Here’s the rundown. Monday, May 25 – Berlioz’s La Damnation de Faust Conducted by James {…}

Metropolitan Opera 2017-18 Review – The Exterminating Angel: Thomas Adès Opera May Prove Polarizing Emotionally

Luis Buñuel’s “The Exterminating Angel” is one of the iconic surrealist masterpieces of all cinema. Set at an upper-class dinner, the film analyzes how people revert to their basest of instincts when they get stuck in a room that they inexplicably cannot escape. The film succeeds in its ability to blend the normal with the unreal in rather claustrophobic fashion, {…}

Weekend Preview – International (2/3- 2/5): Anna Netrebko And Roberto Alagna Headline A New Production Of ‘Il Trovatore’

The weekend kicks off with numerous companies performing some of Verdi’s timeless classics. There will also be Mozart, Wagner and some rare gems by Weill and Heggie. Check out what’s playing near you! Austria At the Vienna State Opera Puccini’s “Tosca” kicks off with Sae-Kyung Rim in the title role alongside Aleksandrs Antonenko and Marco Vratogna. On Saturday the company will {…}