(Photo: Marc Brenner) They go together like cookies and milk…like bacon and eggs…like Adam and Eve! Nooooooo! Not “Cav” and “Pag,” as the fans insist on calling the operas, but Roberto Alagna and Aleksandra Kurzak! The golden couple, currently on at the Royal Opera House in “Cavalleria Rusticana,” consolidated their positions as world class artists here with spellbinding performances from {…}
Credit: Teatro Real Teatro Real closes the 2022-23 season with 17 performances of Puccini’s “Turandot.” It is a revival of their own Robert Wilson production, which premiered at Teatro Real in 2018, featuring three different casts. The opera will be screened live in several squares all over Spain, will be shown on RTVE (The main Spanish Tv channel), and will {…}
Michael Fabiano has withdrawn from his performance in “Turandot” at Teatro Real de Madrid on July 14. The tenor announced his cancelation via Instagram. Fabiano explained in the post his decision was due to “being under the weather.” Jorge De León will sing the role of Calaf in place of Fabiano. Also on this performance is Anna Pirozzi as Princess {…}
This week audiences will get rereleases of Maria Callas’ legendary performances as well as DVDs of two modern productions. Man Up / Man Down Sono Luminus releases “Man Up / Man Down,” the debut release from Constellation Men’s Ensemble (CME). Featured on the album are two world premiere recordings, both commissioned by the group for their annual new music weekend, {…}
(Credit: Javier del Real) The Metropolitan Opera has announced a cast change for Verdi’s “Aida.” The company said that Marcelo Álvarez has withdrawn from the role of Radames and will be replaced by Rafael Davila on April 30 and Jorge de León on May 6, 10, 13, and 18. This season Davila performed the role of Giasone in “Medea” and {…}
Spain’s Ópera de Tenerife has announced its 2023-24 season featuring numerous Spanish artists. Víctor Pablo Pérez conducts Antoni Parera Fons’ “María Moliner” with María José Montiel and Juan Jesús Rodríguez. Paco Azorín conducts. Performance Dates: Oct. 17-21, 2023 Sabina Puértolas and Arturo Chacón-Cruz lead Massenet s “Manon” with Christopher Franklin conducting. Emilio Sagi directs. Performance Dates: Nov. 21-25, 2023 Jorge de León and Yulia {…}
The Deutsche Oper Berlin has announced several cast changes for its production of Puccini’s “Tosca” on April 10 and 13. The company said that Natalya Romaniw will take over the title role in place of Tatjana Serjan. Meanwhile, Erwin Schrott will take over the role of Scarpia in place of Luca Salsi. On April 10, Jorge de Leon will sing the {…}
Tenor Jorge de León and soprano Saioa Hernández were announced as the first recipients of Talía Awards. León received his Talía Award in the Best Male Lyrical Performer category. He was nominated for his Radames in “Aida” at the Teatro Real. Hernández won Best Female Lyric Interpreter for her Abigaille in “Nabucco” also at Teatro Real. The company brought home {…}
(Credit: Javier del Real) The Wiener Staatsoper has announced a cast change for its performance of “Aida” on Jan. 24. The company said that Jorge de León will sing the role of Radamès instead of Jonas Kaufmann. De León recently performed the role of Radamès at the Teatro Real and has also sung it at the Metropolitan Opera, Semperoper Dresden, {…}
Spanish tenor Jorge de León has sung the first encore in his career. On Dec. 26, the tenor was asked for a “bis” at the end of his “Nessun Dorma” in “Turandot” at the Teatro Giuseppe Verdi de Salerno. De León was making his company debut with a cast that includes soprano Oksana Dyka in the title role, and Lianna Haroutounian as {…}
(This review is for the Oct. 30, 2022 performance with Anna Netrebko, Jorge de Leon, Ketevan Kemoklidze, Gevorg Hakobyan and Simón Orfila.) The Teatro Real opened its 2022-23 season at the Madrid Coliseum with Verdi’s masterpiece “Aida” (the season had officially opened with five performances of Philip Glass Orphée at Teatro del Canal theatre). Anna Netrebko was originally set to {…}