Welcome back for this week’s look at the latest CD and DVD releases in the opera world. This week, audiences are in for a treat with two solo highly anticipated solo albums and a complete opera with an all-star cast. Sea Songs Bryn Terfel’s new album “Sea Songs” presents a rich and diverse repertory of traditional music with sea shanties, {…}
(photo credit: Festival d’Aix-en-Provence © Vincent Beaume) In the audience, on my right side, a young person wears a T-Shirt that reads “Meyerbeer Fan.” On my left side, a spinster cries “Justice for Meyerbeer.” Rarely does an opera in concert raise so many people’s spirits. But, Giacomo Meyerbeer is not a composer. He is an idealist. History has Dreyfuss, but only {…}
(credit: Kristin Hoebermann) The Festival d’Aix-En-Provence has announced a cast change for its concert performance of Meyerbeer’s “Le Prophète.” The company said that Elizabeth DeShong will sing the role of Fidès replacing Anita Rachvelishvili, who was originally announced. DeShong performs regularly at the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Dallas Opera, and Royal Opera House. She has also performed with the {…}
Scotland, near Edinburgh: Malvina Douglas, while still in mourning, is set to marry Arturo Murray, a staunch Cromwellian and political adversary to her purportedly dead first husband, Giorgio Argyll. Yet at the very height of the celebration, the latter storms in and, to the utmost horror of the bride – who is the only one to recognize him – is {…}
(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 {…}
(Credit: Kristin Hoebermann) The Washington Concert Opera has announced a cast change for “Roberto Devereux.” The company noted that Julie Boulianne will no longer portray the role of Sara and will be replaced by Elizabeth DeShong. DeShong has performed all over the world at the Metropolitan Opera, Glyndebourne, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Haymarket Opera, and the Barbican Hall. Her repertoire {…}
The Opéra National de Bordeaux has announced its 2022-23 season featuring opera, ballet, concert, and great voices. Opera Paul Daniel conducts Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” with Yoshi Oïda directing. Karah Son, Virginie Verrez, Riccardo Massi, and André Heyboer. Performance Dates: Nov. 10-21, 2022 Roberto González-Monjas conducts Mozart’s Requiem in a production by Stéphane Braunschweig. The cast includes Hélène Carpentier, Fleur Barron, {…}
The Palau de les Arts in Valencia has announced its 2022-23 season featuring opera, zarzuela concerts and inetrnational stars. Opera Jamie Man’s “Zelle” will be showcased with countertenor Steve Katona, Ryoko Aoki, Jackie Janssens, Asko|Schönberg, Wiek Hijmans, Joey Marijs, and Tatiana Rosa. Man conducts his work. Performance Date: Sept. 16, 2022 Alex Esposito, Eleonora Buratto, Silvia Tro Santafé, and Ismael {…}
(Credit: Richard Termine) While there’s no doubt that Puccini’s operas bring with them a level of difficulty, perhaps none is more complex or challenging than the central role in his “Madama Butterfly.” Modern issues of interpretation aside (and this opera brings forth a great deal, many of which have been contended for decades and some that are now being questioned {…}
Music of the Baroque has announced its 2022-23 season. For the purposes of this article, our focus will be solely on vocal and operatic performances for the Chicago-based company. The season kicks off with Händel’s “Jephtha” starring David Portillo, Lauren Snouffer, Clara Osowsi, Aryeh Nussbaum-Cohen, Neal Davies, and Katelyn Lee. Dame Jane Glover conducts. Performance Dates: Sept. 18 & 19, {…}
The Dallas Opera has announced its 2022-23 season. The season opens with Verdi’s “Rigoletto.” Emmanuel Villaume conducts a cast starring George Gagnidze, Madison Leonard, René Barbera, Nadia Krasteva, Raymond Aceto, Nicholas Newtown, Erik Earl Larson, Julius Ahn, Alison Bolshoi, and Malcolm Payne Jr., among others. The production will be directed by Tomer Zvulun and is presented in collaboration with Houston {…}