Photo: © Monika Rittershaus “Così Fan Tutte” has become the most uncomfortable of the three Mozart-Da Ponte operas. “Le Nozze di Figaro” has secured itself as a revolutionary and anti-establishment opera. “Don Giovanni” is unavoidable and unforgettable. “Così,” on the other hand, struggled to find its public for most of the nineteenth century. Its plot is often seen as both {…}
(Photo credit: Festival d’Aix-en-Provence © Vincent Beaume) In an arbored patio, Pretty Yende, ethereally sings the final terzett of the last Petrarch sonnet by Liszt, “ed era il cielo a l’armonia sí intento,” “che non se vedea in ramo mover foglia,” “tanta dolcezza avea pien l’aere e ’l vento.” (“and heaven so intent upon the harmony, no leaf was seen {…}
(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 {…}
Five opera companies are joining forces to research ways for opera creation to be more sustainable. The companies in question include La Monnaie / De Munt, the Théâtre Chatelet, the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, the Opéra de Paris, and the Opéra de Lyon. Entitled “Collectif de 17h25” the project will initiate a study of the “study of the possibilities for standardizing structural {…}
Today, Pierre Audi announced the program for the seventieth-fifth Festival d’Aix-en-Provence. The festival will take place between the 4 th and 24th of July, 2023, staging six works, three operas in concert, and many recitals. The full program is below: The season opens with “The Threepenny Opera” by Bertolt Brecht, Kurt Weill, and Elisabeth Hauptmann. Maxime Pascal conducts the production {…}
(Photo: Jean-Louis Fernandez) Postponed from last year, owing to COVID restrictions, Kaija Saariaho’s new opera “Innocence” finally received its world premiere at this year’s Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, and it did not disappoint. The libretto, written by Sofi Oksanen, interweaves two narratives which relate to a school shooting. One focuses on the students and their teacher who were present at the time {…}
FEDORA has announced the launch of the nominee phase for its 2021 prizes. Jury nominees in the opera category belong to Kaija Saariaho and Sofi Oksanen’s “Innocence” in a co-production by Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, Dutch National Opera, Finnish National Opera & Ballet, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, and San Francisco Opera; Jamie Man and Peter Stamm’s “Zelle, wenn es dunkel wird” {…}
FEDORA, The European Circle of Philanthropists of Ballet and Opera, announced its shortlist of projects selected for the 2021 FEDORA Prizes. The group chose 34 projects for the public voting phase, which began on Feb. 1 and runs through Feb. 26. The voting phase determines which projects move to the next level of the competition and follows the December 2020 {…}
(Credit: Ray Burmiston) “One voice in a million.” This is the kind of phrase on which legacies, mythologies, histories are built. And it’s the phrase that continues to crop up whenever Norwegian soprano Lise Davidsen enters the operatic conversation. The soprano has definitely played her part in bringing about this idea that her voice is of a unique power. She {…}
(Photo Credit / Source: Magdalena Kozena Facebook / Kamil Szkopik / Warner Classic) The Festival d’Aix-en-Provence has announced a revamped approach to its 202 Festival which is set to take place online due to the continued impact of COVID-19. For 10 days, audience members will get the opportunity to engage with four distinct events which will be accessible via Arte {…}
(Credit: Festival D’aix-En-Provence) On July 11, 2019, Arte is set to stream to Kurt Weill’s “Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny” from the Festival D’Aix-En-Provence. The new production by Ivo van Hove, which is set to make its way to the Metropolitan Opera, stars Karita Mattila, Alan Oke, Sir Willard White, Annette Dasch, Nikolai Schukoff, Sean Panikkar, Thomas Oliemans, and Peixin Chen. Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts the {…}