The current “Der Ring des Nibelungen” at Staatsoper Berlin came into being in October 2022 directed by Russian director Dmitri Tcherniakov and due to be conducted by Daniel Barenboim. Sadly, though, Maestro Barenboim, had to pull out of the production because of severe health issues, a great blow to all, but so disappointing for Barenboim in his 80th year. {…}
The Atlanta Opera is set to close its mainstage 2023-24 season with the second of the “Der Ring des Nibelungen” operas by Richard Wagner. General and Artistic Director Tomer Zvulun directs a production of “Die Walküre,” which will be presented between April 27 and May 5 at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center. The opera will star Greer Grimsley, Viktor {…}
(Photo: © Enrico Nawrath) As the final cycle of Bayreuth’s 2023 “Ring des Nibelungen” came to a close, the air remained electric with the sounds of Wagner’s apocalyptic horns and the swirling raptures of the Rhine. Camps came away divided into those either outraged or captivated by director Valentin Schwarz‘s reinvention of the Walsung’s messy journey into oblivion. To be {…}
Credit Frank Caliri Jonathan McPhee boasts a diverse musical portfolio. As the Music Director for the Lexington Symphony in Massachusetts and a Guest Conductor at the Houston Ballet, his expertise doesn’t stop there — he’s also a composer and arranger. With an affinity for arranging, he’s notably transformed grand pieces, such as Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring” and “Firebird” into reductions. {…}
The Wagner in Vermont Festival 2023, organized by TUNDI Productions, is scheduled to take place in Brattleboro, VT, in August 2023. “Die Walküre” will star Alan Schneider as Siegmund, Charles D. Martin as Wotan, Sondra Kelly as Fricka, Roseanne Ackerley as Sieglinde, Kirk Eichelberger as Hunding, and Jenna Rae as Brünnhilde, among others. Performance Date: August 18 & 22, 2023 {…}
The Wiener Staatsoper has announced cast changes for Shostakovich’s “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk” and Wagner’s “Die Walküre.” The company said that Elena Mikhailenko will sing the role of Katerina replacing Ausrine Stundyte. Meanwhile Simone Schneider will replace Tamara Wilson as Sieglinde on June 4 and 22, 2023. Mikhailenko will the Shostakovich opera with a cast that includes Günther Groissböck, Andrei {…}
Opera Santa Barbara closes its 2022-2023 season with “The Valkyrie” (“Die Walküre”) on April 23, 2023, at the Lobero Theater. The opera from Wagner’s epic Saga, “The Ring of the Nibelung,” will be presented in an abridged version created by composer Jonathan Dove and stage director Graham Vick. The opera will be sung in German with a translation projected on {…}
On September 17, 2022, the newly renamed Detroit Opera, formerly Michigan Opera Theatre, mounted the first production of their 2022-2023 season. What Detroit Opera (DO) presented was nothing short of unique. Marketed as a “one-night miracle” by the Los Angeles Times, DO’s digitally enhanced retelling of Act three of Wagner’s “The Valkyries,” the second in his four-opera epic “The Ring {…}
(Credit: Enrico Nawrath) Following a truly disappointing “Das Rheingold,” the August 11 “Die Walküre” proved the polar opposite. Schwarz’s realistic human approach seemed a little bit more appropriate in this title where human characters appeared for the first time (all characters from the previous opera are mythological). The Austrian director knew how to develop the feelings of the characters and {…}
La Monnaie / De Munt has announced a new production of Wagner’s “Der Ring des Nibelungen.” The production will be conducted Alain Altinoglu with Romeo Castellucci directing. First up will be “Das Rheingold” in October 2023 followed by a 2024 production of “Die Walküre.” “Siegfried” will bow in September 2024 and the cycle will come to a close with “Götterdämmerung” {…}
The Wiener Staatsoper has announced a cast change for its May 8 performance of “Die Walküre.” The company announced that Lise Davidsen will not sing the role of Sieglinde and will be replaced by Simone Schneider. Davidsen also took to social media and said, “I’m to say that I won’t be singing Sieglinde in Vienna this Sunday. I went to {…}