It belongs in the past, the idea of gathering excellent singers for opening night and then choosing unknown young performers for alternative casts. Teatro Real, with the participation of Quinn Kelsey, John Osborn and Gianluca Buratto, proved how strong cast C was for its production of “Rigoletto.” Quinn Kelsey as Rigoletto Baritone Quinn Kelsey portrayed the titular role. He has {…}
The Teatro Real de Madrid continued its run of “Rigoletto” with a second cast under the musical direction of Nicola Luisotti. Since our earlier review of the first cast already explores the production itself, we will jump right into an analysis of the vocal performances. Étienne Dupuis was a lyrical Rigoletto, but far too lyrical. His warm and effortless timbre {…}
(Credit: Javier del Real) A woman’s whimper, a stifled scream, echoes in the dark. She flees into the theatre, amidst the stalls, chased by a few men in ominous rabbit masks. She seeks refuge on stage, terrified in front of the bright red curtain, the pack hunts her down, overpowers her. The trombones attack the prelude, with haunting repeated notes, {…}
This review is from the third performance, on the 8th of July. The Teatro Real closed its 2021-22 season with 15 performances of what is probably Verdi’s most famous early opera: “Nabucco.” With four baritones sharing the titular role, three sopranos, and three basses, this production promised to be one of the highlights of the season. But despite having such {…}
As we enter the final month of the year, opera companies and streams are coming in full force. This week’s selections undeniably favor lovers of the standard repertory and star power. There are a number of galas and recital showcases to look forward to as well. Here is a rundown of our top 10 operas to stream this week. Die {…}
San Francisco Opera is set to stream “Celebrating the Voices of San Francisco Opera” on Dec. 4, 2020, at 7:30 p.m. PT. The virtual concert will feature a number of major artists including Janai Brugger, Ashley Dixon, Amina Edris, Sondra Radvanovsky, Michael Fabiano, Pene Pati, Artur Ruciński, Alfred Walker, Nicola Luisotti, and Members of the Company, performing from around the {…}
(Credits: Michael Cooper / www.codalario.com) Ópera XXI de España has announced that it will present its awards ceremony in a virtual event which will be held on October 25, 2020. The ceremony was initially planned for March 2020, but had to be canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, Ópera XXI de España has been working on the new {…}
(Credit: Javier del Real) (This review is for the performance on July 4, 2020) After 90 days of closure, the Teatro Real de Madrid reopened on July 1 with a semi-staged production of “La Traviata.” With the theater at half capacity due to the social distancing protocols instituted, the atmosphere on opening night was enthusiastic and hopeful. The Teatro Real {…}
“Manon Lescaut” opened at the San Francisco Opera in a revival of Olivier Tambosi and Frank Philipp Schlossmann’s production. It was a reminder of many of the opera’s riches: lush musical textures with various orchestral harmonies; the rich exploration of human drama; and the insolence of fate. When Puccini set out to compose his opera on Manon, people chided him {…}
Editor’s Note: This piece has been edited as statements have come out regarding the situation. Following accusations of sexual harassment, numerous opera personalities have come in defense of Plácido Domingo. In the wake of accusations by nine women, opera stars have taken to Twitter, Instagram, and news outlets to defend their colleague. Among them is Bulgarian superstar soprano Sonya Yoncheva {…}
(Credit: Julien Benhamou / ONP) Verdi’s “La Forza del Destino” is undeniably one of the most complex to stage. Not only is it a tremendous challenge for each of the major singers cast in the work, but it presents unique obstacles for any director who opts to take it on. The opera, despite being by one the greatest opera composers {…}