(Callas greeting fans. Credit: © Archiv Lebeck.) Editor’s Note: In anticipation of the release of “The Callas Imprint: A Centennial Biography” on Dec. 2, 2023, OperaWire is sharing a preview. “Greatness” is a noun too frequently assigned to humans. Victims of this label view the happening of “genius” as a capricious, “limited time only” gift. Here we follow Callas on {…}
The Royal Opera House’s General Director Oliver Mears is addressing his upcoming collaboration with Anna Netrebko at the Salzburg Easter Festival and her relationship with the Royal Opera House. In a recent interview with the Times UK, Mears defended Netrebko’s March 2022 statement noting, “She has made a very clear statement condemning the war in Ukraine. Tony (Antonio Pappano) and {…}
(Photo credit: Marc Brenner) “Giant,” a new opera by composer Sarah Angliss, poet Ross Sutherland and director Sarah Fahie will open at the Royal Opera House’s Linbury Theatre in spring 2024. The opera tells the tale of surgeon John Hunter and his obsession with Charles Byrne – a man he would ultimately betray in one of the most disturbing acts {…}
(© Laura Scaccabarozzi) When you talk about Verdi baritones in the modern era, few singers fit the bill quite like Amartuvshin Enkhbat. The Mongolian baritone possesses a potent voice with a confident upper range that can then transform into the most gentle of vocal caresses. His vast vocal palette has made him a go-to in the Italian composer’s iconic roles. {…}
(Photo credit: Clive Barda/Royal Opera House) Nestling zest into impressionable appetites, bel canto master Donizetti’s “L’elisir d’amore” is a succulent confectioner’s delight: a cavalcade of strawberry and rhubarb shades that never age out of their calorific bubble. High on hyperactive captures of unravelling roulades and supercilious trills, its teasing feast of overblown, meringue-like vows empowers risk-taking directors. Decking his décor {…}
The Royal Opera’s orchestra members have voted in favor of potential strike action in a ballot that closed on July 17. According to the Musicians’ Union, the orchestra voted 89.87 percent in favor, based on a turnout of 92.94 percent. The decision was made due to the salary that the orchestra is currently being paid. The members are asking for {…}
(Photograph by James Bellorini) The Royal Opera House is set to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Maria Callas’ birth with an exclusive exhibition showcasing career-defining photographs and stories of the famed diva. “Callas at Covent Garden” will open to the public on July 14, 2023. Visitors will have the opportunity to view photographs capturing Callas’ performances at the ROH as well {…}
Photo: Camilla Greenwell/Royal Opera House 2023 The Linbury Theatre at the Royal Opera House has been home to some of the most incisive and bracing opera happening at Covent Garden in recent times. Work there has been self-consciously political, physical and experimental. Most notable is Laura Bowler’s “The Blue Woman,” directed by Katie Mitchell, Oliver Leith’s “Last Days,” and “Least {…}
Opera, especially Grand Opera, has always had a predilection for throwing up stories that test the boundaries of credibility and border on indelicacy, and Verdi operas frequently bask in both. “Don Carlo,” one of Verdi’s later works although arguably written whilst in his prime, is a truly convoluted tale, mostly fictional although involving true historical figures, that involves conflict, war, {…}
If you’re not fully conversant with the tale that is the centerpiece of one of Giuseppe Verdi’s most celebrated and performed works, “Il Trovatore,” then I highly recommend a little further reading and research before attempting to digest this opera. It may well help to alleviate some of the confusion in following the plot. There’s little one can do, however, {…}
(Photo credit: Sony Music) The Royal Opera House has announced a cast change for the June 28, 2023 performance of “Werther.” The company revealed that tenor Jonas Kaufmann has withdrawn from the production due to illness. In his stead, audiences will hear Juan Diego Flórez in the title role. The Peruvian tenor returns to the Massenet opera after performances at {…}