(Photo: Keith Saunders In her thought-provoking program essay on “Idomeneo,” the final opera in Opera Australia’s 2024 summer season which premiered at Sydney Opera House on Feb 20, director Lindy Hume quotes Anne Carson’s “Grief Lessons” of 2008: “Myths are stories about people who become too big for their lives temporarily, so that they crash into other lives or brush {…}
Michael Schade is one of the leading tenors of our times who has appeared at many of the greatest theaters in the world including the Wiener Staatsoper, Metropolitan Opera, Canadian Opera Company, Hamburg State Opera, and the Berlin State Opera, among others. Throughout his career, he has performed a diverse repertoire that includes the music of Strauss, Rossini, Wagner, and {…}
On May 13, 2023, the Hungarian State Opera will stage Mozart’s “Idomeneo.” This new production by András Almási-Tóth will mark the first time the work has been performed within the country in 50 years. Conductor Balázs Kocsár leads the HSO Orchestra and a cast comprised of Szabolcs Brickner, Emőke Baráth, Gabriella Balga, Zsuzsanna Ádám, and Laura Topolánszky. The production features {…}
For the second straight night, the Metropolitan Opera orchestra was at its peak level. After an incredibly immersive opening night performing in Cherubini’s “Medea,” the ensemble, under the musical direction of Manfred Honeck nearly outdid itself. From the thunderous overture all the way to the final triumphant march, Honeck had the ensemble surging forward with unbridled passion and a {…}
The Metropolitan Opera is set to present a revival of Mozart’s “Idomeneo.” The production, which is set to run between Sept. 28 and Oct. 20, will be conducted by Manfred Honeck, the music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. The cast will also include Michael Spyres in the title role of the king of Crete, Ying Fang as Ilia, Federica Lombardi as {…}
(Photo: Jean-Louis Fernandez) As a rule of thumb, you know that if you have to rely on the director’s program notes to make sense of what is happening on stage, then the production is likely to disappoint. Of course, even in such circumstances it is sometimes possible to develop an intuitive understanding, even where the explicit meaning remains elusive, which {…}
Albina Shagimuratova will no longer sing in the revival of the Metropolitan Opera’s upcoming production of “Idomeneo.” Per the Met’s website, the Russian soprano will be replaced by Federica Lombardi, who will sing the role of Elettra. Shagimuratova recently performed at the Mariinsky Theatre in the theater’s Stars of the White Night Festival in a production of “Lucia di Lammermoor” {…}
The Festival D’Aix-En-Provence has announced its 2022 slate featuring a varied repertoire and international stars. The festival will begin on July 4 and is set to run through July 23, 2022. Here is a look at the upcoming season: Mahler’s “Resurrection” will be conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen in a production by Romeo Castellucci. Golda Schultz and Marianne Crebassa star. Performance {…}
Teatro Grattacielo and Camerata Bardi Vocal Academy has announced a performance of Mozart’s “Idomeneo alla Breve” this September in Greece. The showcase, which is set to take place on Sept. 7, will be presented in collaboration with the Rhodes International Festival and Cultural Center of Crete. There will also be a Gala Concert on Sept. 9 dedicated to legendary soprano {…}
The Bayerische Staatsoper has announced a conductor change for Mozart’s “Idomeneo” on July 22, 2021. The company announced that Gabriel Venzago will take over conducting for Constantinos Carydis and will make his company debut. Venzago has conducted at the Salzburger Landestheater and Stadttheater Bremerhaven in such works as “Carmen,” “My Fair Lady,” “The Magic Flute,” “La Cenerentola,” and “Pagliacci,” among {…}
(Credit: Rosa Frank) The Wiener Staatsoper has announced that soprano Vera-Lotte Boecker will sing the role of Micaëla for the premiere of Bizet’s “Carmen,” replacing Olga Kulchynska. Boecker is the second cast change in the production after Piotr Beczała took over the role of Don José replacing Charles Castronovo. Last month there was a COVID-19 outbreak at the opera house {…}