Peter de Caluwe, the Intendant of La Monnaie / De Munt, is firing back at tenor Roberto Alagna over his recent cancelation of “Tosca” at the Gran Teatre del Liceu. De Caluwe reached out to OperaWire with a statement that he shared on social media in which he questions Alagna’s sincerity in his statements to Conessi all’Opera. In those statements, {…}
(Credit: Monika Ritterhaus) A lot of modern opera is based on original and new stories. But it wasn’t always like that. For hundreds of years, operas in the standard repertory, regardless of their style (baroque, classical, romantic, impressionistic) were based on some other story or event. So in honor of that unique aspect of opera (other art forms are also {…}
ABAO Txiki is set to close out its 2021-22 season with “Allegro Vivace.” The showcase, which is set for May 14 and 15, 2022, will feature three performances for families in Bilbao, Spain. “Allegro Vivace” was created by Joan Font and tells the story of a young girl, who in her rush to find a locale for a party, ends {…}
What would you do, say, and believe for love, and most importantly, what would you ignore for the sake of love? Such standardized questions seem to permeate the fabric of the operatic world from time immemorial to the present, and the well is not showing signs of running dry anytime soon. But we must ask a second and more important {…}
North Carolina Opera has announced its 2022-23 season, featuring two company premieres and audience favorites. Here’s what the company has in store for audiences. NCO will present its season opener and company premiere of Puccini’s “Manon Lescaut” in concert for one night only. The presentation stars Marina Costa-Jackson, Jonathan Burton, Levi Hernandez, and Donald Hartmann. NCO’s presentation of Puccini’s devastating {…}
(Credit: Fabrizio Sansoni / TOR) Ten days after La Accademia di Santa Cecilia performed a concert version of “Turandot,” Il teatro dell’opera di Roma presented a new production of Puccini’s last opera, directed by the versatile Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei. Oksana Lyniv conducted the performance which starred Oksana Dyka in the titular role: both are Ukrainian artists, and {…}
(Photo: Musacchio, Ianniello & Pasqualini) Warner Classics produced a new recording of Puccini’s “Turandot” with a dream cast consisting of some of today’s best singers, all under the baton of Antonio Pappano. After one week of recording sessions, a concert version was offered on March 12 at the Sala Santa Cecilia, in the Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome. The {…}
(Credit: Richard Termine) While there’s no doubt that Puccini’s operas bring with them a level of difficulty, perhaps none is more complex or challenging than the central role in his “Madama Butterfly.” Modern issues of interpretation aside (and this opera brings forth a great deal, many of which have been contended for decades and some that are now being questioned {…}
On Site Opera is set to continue its 10th anniversary celebration with a production of Puccini’s “Gianni Schicchi.” The showcase, which opens on April 7, 2022 and runs through the 10th, will take place at The Prince George Ballroom in New York City. In the process, the work will be updated from the 13th century to the roaring 1920s. The {…}
Mid Wales Opera is set to present “La Bohème” starting on March 5, 2022. The famed Puccini masterpiece will star tenor Robyn Lyn Evans as Rodolfo, soprano Galina Averina as Mimì, baritone Philip Smith as Marcello, and soprano Mari Wyn Williams as Musetta. Dan D’Souza, Emyr Wn Jones, and Wyn Pencarreg will round out the cast as Shaunard, Colline, and {…}
The worlds of classical operatic and its temperamental present have a complex relationship when dealing with the upholding and rejection of entrenched classicism in operatic productions. It is a relationship that seems to neither effectively nor fully answer the question of “Who is opera for today?” It appears as if modern opera is stuck in a limbo, where directors valiantly {…}