Deutsches Nationaltheater & Staatskapelle Weimar Announces 2021-22 Season Featuring Iris Vermillion & Andreas Fischer

(Credit: © Deutsches Nationaltheater und Staatskapelle Weimar) The Deutsches Nationaltheater & Staatskapelle Weimar has announced its 2021-22 season. For the purpose of this article we will only focus on vocal works. Opera Stewart Copeland and Jonathan Moore’s opera “Electric Saint” opens the season with Gregor Bühl conducting a production by Jonathan Moore. Premiere Date: Sept. 5, 2021 Johann Strauss‘ “Die {…}

Apr 1, 2021

Opera Critic & Historian Fred Plotkin to Host Virtual Talk: ‘A Gay Romp Through Four Centuries of Opera’

(Photo credit: Frances Marshall) What’s opera about? Passion? Drama? Politics? Sex? All the above, of course, and it’s been that way since 1597, even in the face of censorship. Yet, the prohibitions around taboo topics such as politics and sex caused composers and librettists to get creative when including such material in their operas. Opera critic, author, and historian par {…}

Dec 31, 2020

Christian Gerhaher Headlines Oper Frankfurt Stream of ‘Die Fledermaus’ on New Year Eve

(Credit: Gregor Hohenberg/Sony) Oper Frankfurt has announced that it will ring in the New Year by streaming a 2010-11 production of Johann Strauss’ operetta “Die Fledermaus.” The operetta features Christian Gerhaher in the role of Gabriel von Eisenstein, alongside Barbara Zechmeister as Rosalinde, Thorsten Grümbel as Frank, Martin Wölfel in the roles of Prinz Orlofsky / Frosch, Stephan Rügamer as {…}

Dec 24, 2020

Opera Orlando to Stream ENCORE of ‘Fledermaus: The Revenge of the Bat’ on New Year’s Eve

Opera Orlando has announced that it will be broadcasting an ENCORE performance of its recent “Die Fledermaus: The Revenge of the Bat” production online on Dec. 31, 2020. The opera featured Soprano Susan Hellman Spatafora in the role of Rosalinda, tenor David Margulis as Alfred, Kyaunnee Richardson as Adele and Gabriel Preisser as Eisenstein. Preisser also directed the production. Other {…}

Dec 8, 2020

Opera Orlando Announces Major Cast Changes for ‘Die Fledermaus: The Revenge of the Bat’

Opera Orlando has announced a major casting change for its upcoming performance of “Die Fledermaus: The Revenge of the Bat.” Soprano Susan Hellman Spatafora will take on the role of Rosalinda, taking over for Abigail Rethwisch, who was announced as part of the cast back in mid-November. She has appeared with such companies as Palm Beach Opera, Opera Tampa, Sarasota {…}

Nov 15, 2020

Opera Orlando Returns to Live Performance with ‘Die Fledermaus’

Opera Orlando is set to return to the stage in 2020-21 with a production of “Die Fledermaus: The Revenge of the Bat.” The showcase, which will take place on Dec. 17 and 19 at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, will be feature soprano Abigail Rethwisch as Rosalinda in her company debut as well as Gabriel Preisser as {…}

Oct 8, 2020

Evelin Novak Takes Over For Olga Peretyatko In ‘Idomeneo’ at Staatsoper Berlin

(Photo Credit: Berliner Festspiele official website) Staatsoper unter der Linden has announced that soprano Evelin Novak will perform the role of Elettra in all the performances of the opera in the 2020-21 season. Novak will replace soprano Olga Peretyatko. Evelin Novak will join that cast that includes Lea Desandre in the role of Idamante, Victoria Randem as Ilia, Linard Vrielink {…}

Aug 29, 2020

Obituary: Romanian soprano Constanța Adriana Mesteș dies at 64

(Credit: Opera Naţională Română din Timişoara official website) Romanian soprano Constanța Adriana Mesteș passed away in Bucharest at the age of 64. She graduated from the singing section of the Timișoara’s High School of Arts “Ion Vidu” in 1975. That same year, she got her first job at Opera Naţională Română din Timişoara, at first as a member of the {…}

Aug 29, 2020

Obituary: Dutch Mezzo-Soprano Cora Canne Meijer Dies at 91

(Image source: YouTube) Dutch mezzo-soprano Cora Canne Meijer passed away on August 25, 2020, at the age of 91. Cora Canne Meijer graduated from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam. The mezzo-soprano debuted in 1950 with the Nederlandse Opera (now De Nationale Opera) in the role of Annina in Verdi’s “La Traviata.” During her first year at the Nederlandse Opera, Meijer sang {…}

Aug 27, 2020

Obituary: Estonian Conductor Jüri Alperten Dies at 63

(Credit: Rahvusooper Estonia) Estonian conductor Jüri Alperten has died at the age of 63, after a long illness. Alperten graduated from the Tallinn Conservatory in 1979 and was the Chief Conductor of the Estonian National Opera from 2002 to 2004; he was also the Chief Conductor of the Pärnu City Orchestra since 1998. Alperten had worked with several prominent orchestras, {…}

Dec 30, 2019

Jonas Kaufmann Set for Vienna State Opera’s New Year’s Eve ‘Die Fledermaus’

(© Gregor Hohenberg / Sony Classical) Jonas Kaufmann is set to make a surprise cameo appearance at the Vienna State Opera’s New Year’s Eve gala. The famed tenor will be among the “surprise guests” that appear during the second Act of “Die Fledermaus” at Prince Orlovsky’s part. Throughout the production’s history, the company has had a tradition of expanding the {…}