Photo credit: Agathe Poupeney-OnP Thomas Adès’s “The Exterminating Angel” is one of the most successful contemporary operas of the century. Beyond its many productions—the Parisian one being the best of them all—, the opera quickly entered the symphonic repertoire with a very well-crafted symphonic suite. The opera, based on Luís Buñuel’s homonymous film, follows its source material: more than a {…}
The Opéra de Paris has announced its 2024-25 season. Opera Verdi’s “Falstaff” opens the season with a cast that includes Ambrogio Maestri, Olivia Boen, Marie-Andrée Bouchard-Lesieur, Andrei Kymach, Gregory Bonfatti, Marie-Nicole Lemieux, Iván Ayón-Rivas, and Federica Guida. Michael Schønwandt conducts the production by Dominique Pitoiset. Performance Dates: Sept. 10-30, 2024 Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” will star Eleonora Buratto, Elena Stikhina, Aude {…}
Detroit Opera has announced its 2024-25 season. First up is “La Traviata” in a new production by Francesca Zambello, conducted by Roberto Kalb. The work stars Emily Pogorelc, Galeano Salas, and Rod Gilfry. The new production moves the action to the 1920s. Performance Dates: Oct. 19 – 27, 2024 Next up is Louisa Proske’s production of “Rinaldo” starring Anthony Roth Costanzo, {…}
Opéra de Paris has announced a cast change for its production of “Romeo et Juliette.” The company has stated that Pretty Yende has canceled the performance on June 30, 2023. As a result, the role of Juliette will be performed by Amina Edris. The news comes after Yende took to Instagram following a June 27 performance in which she said {…}
(Credit: Vincent Pontet) Making “La Bohème” in Paris is a strenuous task. After Claus Guth’s unpopular sideral production, it became evident that the City of Light’s operagoers are not eager to see overly conceptual approaches to Puccini’s opera. However, no ambitious stage director will merely imitate one of the many Zeffirelli productions. This is why Theatre des Champs-Elysées brought out {…}
The Opéra de Lille has announced its 2023-24 season celebrating its 100th anniversary. Opera Jarrett Ott sings the title role of Mozart’s “Don Giovanni“ alongside James Platt, Emőke Baráth, Eric Ferring, Chiara Skerath, Vladyslav Buialskyi, Sergio Villegas, and Marie Lys. Emmanuelle Haïm conducts the production by Guy Cassiers. Performance Dates: Oct. 5-15, 2023 Daniel Brenna and Annemarie Kremer star in {…}
Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu has announced a cast change for its April 24 performance of Massenet’s “Manon.” The company said that Amina Edris will sing the title role replacing Nadine Sierra, who performed two nights in a row on April 22 and 23, 2023. Edris has been performing the title role in the second cast of the production and {…}
The Canadian Opera Company has unveiled its 2023-24 season. “The Canadian Opera Company is a beacon for the very best in operatic storytelling and experience,” said Canadian Opera Company General Director Perryn Leech in an official press statement. “In creating this season, we collaborated extensively with creators and companies from all over the world to share new programming with our audiences. {…}
This week audiences get to listen to rarely performed operas, world premiere pieces, and two solo albums by important sopranos in the world. Maidan The new album by Valentin Silvestrov continues his longstanding association with ECM and presents a program of choir music that is as timely as it is dear to the Ukrainian composer’s heart. The new album embraces {…}
(Credit: Cory Weaver) “I am fire and air; my other elements I give to baser life.” So sings Cleopatra in John Adams’ “Antony and Cleopatra.” The baser life about which Cleopatra sings is everything that is not she and everything that was not Antony. So Adams tells us in the latest from his roster of remarkable operas. San Francisco Opera {…}
France’s Opéra de Limoges has announced its 2022-23 season featuring five productions. The season opens with Saint-Saëns’ “La Princesse jaune” under the direction of Philippe Forget. Alexandra Lacroix directs the production which stars Camille Schnoor and François Rougier. Performance Dates: Nov. 6 & 8, 2022 Julien Dran, Mélissa Petit, Jean Luc Ballestra, François Rougier, Sophie Marin-Degor, Cécile Galois, and Edouard Portal perform {…}