This week the Opera de Bellas Artes is set to revive Verdi’s “Giovanna d’Arco” for the first time in 167 years. The company will showcase a cast of leading Mexican artists, including legendary tenor Ramon Vargas, who last year celebrated his 40th anniversary at the legendary Mexican theater. Throughout his illustrious career, Vargas has received raves for his “golden” tone {…}
The St. Gallen Festival has canceled its forthcoming performance of Tchaikovsky’s “The Maid of Orleans.” The company announced that “In view of the unabated ongoing war in Eastern Europe, we cannot justify performing a Russian work in public space whose music is based on acts of war.” The company will replace the Tchaikovsky opera (which focuses on Jeanne d’Arc) with {…}
On Oct. 17, Rai Radio3 will broadcast the debut of Verdi’s “Giovanna d’Arco” from the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma. The production is part of Teatro Costanzi’s special reopening for the 2021-22 season and marks the first time in 50 years that the Verdi work is presented with the company. Daniele Gatti conducts the new production which is being directed by {…}
(Credit: Opera Australia official website) Celebrated Australian opera director Elijah Moshinsky has died at the age of 75. Moshinsky graduated from the University of Melbourne and made his operatic debut in 1975 at the Royal Opera House with a production of Britten’s opera “Peter Grimes.” The famed director went on to stage a number of highly successful productions at the {…}
The Teatro Real closed its season with a lot of Verdi – 14 performances of “Il Trovatore” and three concert-version performances of “Giovanna d’Arco.” It has been largely argued whether opera is to be only performed with staging or not. I mostly agree that Opera is a theatrical composition, and therefore should always be staged, but this concert performances usually {…}
Verdi’s seventh opera, “Giovanna d’Arco,” had its world premiere on Feb. 15, 1845, at La Scala in Milan. It was one of many operas that has attempted to tell the tale of the famed heroine, but like many others, it has yet to find a place in the standard repertoire. The opera has recently managed to get some more exposure {…}
Friedrich Schiller is one of the great writers in history, his work focusing on major philosophy and a number of major dramas. Of course, his legacy is preserved in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, the text to the final music set to Schiller’s poetry. Born on Nov. 10, 1759, his philosophical essays centered on ethics and aesthetics, two such works centering on {…}
The Boston Odyssey Opera has announced its new season and it is packed with a number of operatic gems. With the 2016-17 season dedicated to the writings of Oscar Wilde, the 2017-18 will shift focus to Joan of Arc. Aptly titled “Trial by Fire: Joan of Arc and the Hundred Years War,” the new season will feature operas related to {…}
“It’s like having a crime and then trying to justify it and find why it was committed.” That is how soprano Marina Rebeka, currently making her role debut as Donna Elvira at the Metropolitan Opera, approaches every single opera role or artistic endeavor she takes on. The soprano recently spoke with OperaWire regarding her upcoming projects, putting a spotlight on {…}
On Wednesday, Dec. 7, the legendary Teatro all Scala opens its 2016-17 season with Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly.” The opera stars rising star Maria Jose Siri, Bryan Hymel and Carlos Alvarez and is led by music director Riccardo Chailly. The opening continues La Scala’s tradition of inaugurating the season on Dec. 7 and continues Chailly’s Puccini cycle, which he began back {…}