The State Opera Prague will showcase Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor” starting on March 11, 2023. For this production, Lucie Kaňková will take on the title role. She will be joined by Matteo Desole as Edgardo and Pavol Kubán as Enrico. Rounding out the cast will be Daniel Matoušek as Arturo, Iurie Maimescu as Raimondo, Lucie Hilscherová as Alisa, and Ivan {…}
(Credit: Marty Sohl / Met Opera) Last month the Metropolitan Opera opened its final run of Sonja Frisell’s legendary “Aida” staging. The production, which opened in 1988, remains somewhat of a splendor for its lush and detailed sets. As I noted in my recent review, I have never been the biggest fan of this particular mise-en-scène, but on this revival, {…}
(Photo: Pat Redmond) The reaction of the audience at Dundalk’s Táin Theatre to Irish National Opera’s performance of Donizetti’s “Don Pasquale” said it all! Every scene, every joke, every overplayed reaction, every facial exaggeration was met with unaffected laughter. Rarely does one find an audience so totally engaged with a piece. At the final curtain, the performance was met with {…}
Superstar tenor Juan Diego Flórez will perform in recital at the Los Angeles Opera this coming January. On Jan. 23, 2023, the tenor will appear alongside longtime collaborator Vincenzo Scalera. The showcase will feature Italian songs alongside arias by such composers as Rossini, Donizetti, Verdi, Puccini, Gounod, and Lalo. The showcase starts at 7:30 p.m. local time at the Dorothy {…}
Aleksandra Kurzak’s early singing career saw her perform as a specialist in lyric and coloratura soprano roles before moving into heavier roles in 19th-century Romantic and verismo operas. The 2004-05 season saw her have two hugely successful debuts, at the Metropolitan Opera House and the Royal Opera House. She has since sung many leading roles in opera houses throughout the {…}
(Credits Gianfranco Rota) This year’s edition of the Donizetti Opera Festival is yet another perfect example of how much diversity there can be in the repertoire of one great Italian composer. As with every previous year, as I looked at the line-up of three operas chosen for the festival, I was left wondering which one was going to be the {…}
The Opéra National de Paris is set to present a series of concerts featuring artists from the Académie au Palais Garnier. First up will be an aria and ensembles concert. That showcase will feature music by Rossini, Thomas, Poulenc, Britten, Gounod, Massenet, and Donizetti from such operas as “Guillaume Tell,” “Semiramide,” “Il Barbiere di Siviglia,” “Hamlet,” “Dialogues des Carmélites,” “Gloriana,” {…}
Musica Viva in Hong Kong is set to present Donizetti’s “Maria Stuarda” this December. The opera, which opens on Dec. 9, 2022 and runs through the 11th, will take place at the Concert Hall at Hong Kong City Hall. The opera will feature two casts. Taking on the role of Maria Stuarda are Lee Sang-eun and Meryl Dominguez. As Elisabetta, {…}
On May 20, 2023, New Amsterdam Opera will preset Donizetti’s “Lucrezia Borgia” in a one-night-only performance at The Sanctuary Theater at The Center at West Park in New York City. Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Keith Chamber will lead the NAO Orchestra and Chorus in this seldom-staged bel canto work, with the last fully-orchestrated performance being done in 2000 by {…}
The Jerusalem Lyric Opera Festival has announced its 2023 Festival lineup, featuring works beloved by opera-goers. The Festival will run July 4-25, 2023. The Jerusalem International Opera Competition kicks off the season in July. Favorite arias are on tap as singers compete before a jury comprising conductors, singers, and casting directors from several of the world’s top opera houses. Performance {…}
Pentatone is set to release a new album featuring Lisette Oropesa this October. The album, entitled “Rossini & Donizetti: French Bel Canto Arias” will be available digitally and exclusively on Pentatone’s official website before going into wide digital release on Oct. 7, 2022 In the album, which features the famed soprano alongside Corrado Rovaris and the Dresdener Philharomonie and the {…}