Having grown up with opera in the traditional format, meaning either you go and sit quietly while the opera is performed and only then do you show your adoration or you perform in the opera following a very strict set of procedures which you’re lucky if you get to extend as a soloist. My gut reaction to opera innovation is {…}
Photo credit: SF Bernd Uhlig In one of his literary excursions, the great Portuguese author Eça de Queiroz reviewed the premiere of Verdi’s “Macbeth” in Lisbon. He did not see the original Italian version of the opera, but the revised French one and quite likely with the same cast as in Paris. Eça insisted that Verdi was the greatest living {…}
Credit: Danae Kinova The Olympia City Music Theatre Maria Callas has unveiled its 2023-24 season, which includes three operas in both staged productions and concert versions. The season features a blend of Greek artists and international stars, including a concert by soprano Julie Fuchs. For the purposes of this article only opera and classical voice performances are listed. The season {…}
(Photo: Clive Barda) How does one portray a famous person from history in a work of fiction? Take for example Ambroise Thomas’ opera “Le Songe d’un nuit d’été.” This opera was written to a libretto by Joseph-Bernard Rosier and Adolphe de Leuven, that premiered in 1850 at Paris’ L’Opéra- Comique, and has just been revived by Wexford Festival Opera. It {…}
(Credit: © Julia Lamoureux) Opéra Comique in Paris has announced its 2022 season, featuring seven operas. Here is the full slate. Ambroise Thomas’ “Hamlet” opens the season with Sabine Devieilhe as Ophélie and Stéphane Degout in the title role. The cast also includes Laurent Alvaro, Sylvie Brunet-Grupposo, Pierre Derhet, Jérôme Varnier, Yu Shao, Geoffroy Buffière, and Nicolas Legoux. Louis Langrée {…}
(Photo: Marina Andrenucci) With Wexford Festival Opera about to start its 70th season, OperaWire thought it would be a good opportunity to interview one of this year’s star singers. Fortunately, we were able to catch up with the Italian soprano Valentina Mastrangelo the day before she flew to Ireland to start rehearsals. She will be appearing in the role Olivia {…}
(Credit: Athole Still Artists official website) Conductor Andrew Greenwood has died. Greenwood was born in Yorkshire. He graduated from Clare College, Cambridge. He went on to join the music staff at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden from 1977 until 1984. He then became a Chorus Master at the Welsh Opera until 1990. He served as Artistic Director of the {…}
(Credit: © Lorraine Wauters) The Mayor of Liège Willy Demeyer has ordered that all theaters in the city immediately shut down due to the rise in COVID-19 cases. As a result, the Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège has cancelled its performances of Ambroise Thomas’ “Hamlet.” The opera was slated to open on Oct. 29, 2020, and run until Nov. 10, 2020. {…}
Of course, it is impossible – to rewrite, even for opera, Shakespeare’s masterpiece. It is untouchable, even if the Bard wouldn’t have sized up the various Folios and Quartos and come up with a right-as-rain manuscript. But, for Ambroise Thomas, in 19th century France, (1868) to tackle the probing young man and make him sing for his supper – well, {…}