Opernhaus Zürich has announced a cast change for its production of Bizet’s “Carmen.” The company said, “Edgaras Montvidas takes over the role of Don José in the ‘Carmen’ performance on Friday, April 19, 2024, replacing Saimir Pirgu.” Montvidas has performed with the Opéra National du Rhin Strasbourg, the Bregenzer Festspiele, the Opernhaus Zürich, Berlin Staatsoper Unter den Linden, Teater an {…}
Opernhaus Zürich has announced its 2024-25 season. Premieres Samuel Penderbayne’s “Wir pfeifen auf den Gurkenkönig” will be conducted by Thomas Barthel and Ann-Katrin Stöcker. Claudia Blersch directs the production which will star Liliana Nikiteanu, Sylwia Salamonska, Irène Friedli, Philipp Mayer, Stanislav Vorobyov, Valeriy Murga, Gary Martin, Martin Zysset, Carl Hieger, Christian Sturm, Indyana Schneider, Céline Akçağ, Sylwia Salamonska, and Rebeca {…}
Opernhaus Zürich has announced a cast change for its Feb. 25 performance of “The Merry Widow.” The company noted that Eleazar Rodriguez will replace Andrew Owens as Camille de Rossilon. Rodriguez has performed with such companies as Opera North, English National Opera, Frankfurt Opera, Graz Opera, Staatstheater Saarbrücken, Theater Luzern, Konzert Theater Bern, and the Michigan Opera Theater. The tenor is {…}
Opernhaus Zürich has announced a cast change for its Feb. 16, 2024 performances of Lehar’s “The Merry Widow.” The company said that Anastasiya Taratorkina will take over the role of Valencienne replacing Katharina Konradi. Taratorkina will make her house debut. The soprano is a resident artist at Hessian State Theatre Wiesbaden and has performed at the International Hamburg Music Festival, Elbphilharmonie, the {…}
The Opernhaus Zürich presents a new production of a French Baroque masterpiece: “Platée,” a ballet-bouffon composed by Jean-Philippe Rameau in 1745. The premiere took place in Versailles as part of the festivities for the wedding of Louis XV with María Teresa Rafaela of Spain. The libretto, by Adrien-Joseph Le Valois d’Orville, draws inspiration from Greek mythology. It narrates the tale {…}
(Credit: Victor Santiago) Olga Peretaytako has canceled her second performance of “Il Turco in Italia” at the Opernhaus Zürich. The soprano took to social media and said, “Dear friends and music lovers, I regret to inform you that, due to this illness, I will not be able to perform tomorrow. This flu has proven to be stronger than expected, and {…}
The Opernhaus Zürich opened the 2023-24 season with one of Giacomo Puccini’s last operas, “La rondine” and one of the least fortunate in terms of fame. There are several reasons for this, none of which have anything to do with the artistic value of the work. The Carltheater in Vienna commissioned an operetta from Puccini, but he instructed the librettist {…}
(Photo: Monica Ritterhaus) Piotr Beczała has withdrawn from his remaining performances of “Turandot” at the Opernhaus Zürich. The tenor took to social media to announce that he has been struggling with a severe viral infection over the last six weeks and that unfortunately his body is too weak to take on the performances. Beczała He wrote, “Dear friends, as you {…}
By the end of the first act, I knew it: to watch Sabine Devieilhe singing “Lakmé” is one of the greatest privileges of my life. Sopranos who can undertake Leo Delibes’ most cultivated operatic role are so rare that generations could be named after them: from Mady Mesplé to Natalie Dessay, Joan Sutherland to Christiane Eda-Pierre, Mado Robin to {…}
The Opernhaus Zürich has announced its 2023-24 season featuring more than 20 productions, concerts, and reictals. Ermonela Jaho stars in Puccini’s “La Rondine” with Sandra Hamaoui, Benjamin Bernheim, Juan Francisco Gatell, and Vladimir Stoyanov. Marco Armiliato conducts the production by Christof Loy. Performance Dates: Sept. 17-Oct. 28, 2023 Nahuel Di Pierro, Olga Peretyatko, Renato Girolami, Alasdair Kent, Pietro Spagnoli, and {…}
The Opernhaus Zürich has announced a cast change for its Feb. 26 performance of Donizetti’s “Roberto Devereux.” The company said that Elena Moşuc will sing the role of Elisabetta, replacing Inga Kalna, who continues to be ill. This will be the fourth performance Moşuc sings in the run. She first performed on Feb. 12 from the wings of the theater {…}