Page to Opera Stage: Massenet & Puccini Create Plot Holes and Dramatic Tension in Adaptations of ‘Manon Lescaut’

(Credit: Marty Sohl / Metropolitan Opera) “Page to Opera Stage” looks at stories–real-life or fiction, old and new–that have inspired operas, and the ways these narratives have been edited and dramatized to fit a new medium. In this instalment, we look at one novel–Abbé Prevost’s ‘Manon Lescaut’–and the two (very different) audience favourite operas it inspired: Jules Massenet’s “Manon” and {…}

Cecilia Molinari, Airam Hernández, Zarina Abaeva & Anna Stephany Highlight Teatro Nacional de São Carlos’ 2021 Fall Performances

(Credit: https://www.visitlisboa.com/) Portugal’s Teatro Nacional de São Carlos has announced the schedule until January 2022. Here is a look at operatic and vocal performances. Operas The season opens with concert performances of Tchaikovsky‘s “Iolanta.” The opera spotlights Misha Didyk, Evgeny Stavinsky, Guriy Guryev, and Zarina Abaeva in the title role. Graeme Jenkins conducts. Performance Dates: Sep. 29 – Oct. 3, 2021 {…}

Festival Radio France Occitanie Montpellier 2021 Announces Repertoire Change

(Credit: Lim Kiihwan) The Festival Radio France Occitanie Montpellier 2021 has announced the cancellation of the concert version of Massenet’s opera “Bacchus” that was scheduled for July 26. The opera was set to star Catherine Hunold, John Osborn, Virginie Verrez, Nicolas Testé, Jérôme Boutillier, Sébastien Droy, Florie Valiquette, and Philippe Nicolas-Martin alongside conductor Michael Schønwandt. As a replacement, the festival {…}

Marina Rebeka, Ermonela Jaho, Golda Schultz, Rachel Willis-Sørensen & Ludovic Tézier Headline Radio France’s 2021-22 Season

Radio France has announced its 2021-22 season. For the purpose of this article we will focus only on the vocal works. Here is a look. Operas Ravel’s “L’Enfant et les sortilèges” spotlights  Jodie Devos, Clara Guillon, Adèle Charvet, Marie Lenormand, Élodie Méchain, Antoine Normand, Régis Mengus, and Paul Gay. Mikko Franck conducts. Performance date: Oct. 1, 2021, Philharmonie de Paris {…}

Erin Wall’s Recording of ‘Thaïs’ With Toronto Symphony Orchestra Wins Major JUNO Award

(Credit: © Jag Gundu) The Toronto Symphony Orchestra has won the JUNO Award for Best Classical Album: Vocal or Choral for its recording of Massenet’s “Thaïs.” The recording stars Joshua Hopkins, Andrew Staples, Nathan Berg, Liv Redpath, Andrea Ludwig, Emilia Boteva, and Neil Aronoff. Sir Andrew Davis led the Toronto Symphony Orchestra with Jonathan Crow leading the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. {…}

Anna Netrebko, Jonas Kaufmann, Juan Diego Flórez, Marina Rebeka, Anita Rachvelishvili Lead Wiener Konzerthaus 2021-22 Season

(Credits: © Dario Acosta / © Gregor Hohenberg / Sony Classical / © Gregor Hohenberg / Sony Music Entertainment / © Tatiana Vlasova / © Dario Acosta) The Wiener Konzerthaus has announced its 2021-22 season featuring a variety of concerts from some of the world’s greatest performers. For the purpose of this article, we will only focus on the vocal {…}

Franco Fagioli, Maria Grazia Schiavo, Valentina Naforniţa & Jean-François Borras Lead Opéra de Lausanne’s 2021-22 Season

Opéra de Lausanne has announced its 2021-22 season. Here is a look. Mozart‘s “Le Nozze di Figaro” opens the season. The opera stars Phillip Addis as Count Almaviva, Valentina Naforniţa as Countess Almaviva, Arianna Vendittelli as Susanna, and Robert Gleadow in the title role. The cast also includes Lucia Cirillo, Ruben Amoretti, Léa Desandre, Pablo Garcia Lopez, François Piolino, Sophie {…}

Nicole Chevalier, Aušrinė Stundytė & Bo Skovhus Lead Broadcasts From Theater An Der Wien

(Credits: © Bernd Uhlig / © Werner Kmetitsch) The Theater an der Wien has announced a series of broadcasts after high uncertainty over a date of possible reopening due to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis in Austria. First up is a production of Prokofiev’s “The Fiery Angel.” The opera showcases Aušrinė Stundytė, Bo Skovhus, Natascha Petrinsky, Elena Zaremba, Nikolai Schukoff, Alexey {…}