Photo Credits: Sabine Toepffer Almost every year, a multitude of operas are premiered, some of which never really get publicly highlighted as they should due to certain operas taking the limelight, funds, and critical attention. Thus, in this three-month series entitled, Opera History Flashbacks, we’ll be taking a look at three historically important years and the operas that were premiered {…}
(credit Yunchis Artyom5) This week the Metropolitan Opera’s “La Boheme” returns to the stage with a young cast of rising stars. Among them will be Juliana Grigoryan, who will sing her first lead role at the Metropolitan after debuting in 2024. The Armenian soprano will sing the role of Mimi, which she has already performed at the Ravenna Festival and {…}
This week, the Glyndebourne Festival is set to open its autumn festival, featuring several rising stars. Among those is Armenian baritone Aksel Daveyan, who is making his debut with the company. Over the years, the baritone has established himself as one of the most promising baritones of his generation. Over the years, he has appeared at the Zürich Opera in {…}
The Atlanta Opera Film Studio is set to release 18 new cinematic opera films. Past Atlanta Opera productions such as, “La bohème,” “The Anonymous Lover,” and “Das Rheingold,” have been developed from live performances into richly produced films which will be available to watch on the company’s streaming platform. Beginning Sept. 25, subscribers of the Film Studio will receive access {…}
Photo Credit: Hugo Thomassen/Nationale Opera & Ballet Striking a balance between innovation and tradition, the genre of opera films often toes the fine line between two ways of viewing both art-forms. When opera is treated as the subject it comes to life, playing the leading role, whereas when opera is perceived as the object its role becomes supportive, and life {…}
This week, the Teatro alla Scala is set to world premiere “Anna A.,” a new work by Silvia Colasanti. The work is conceived primarily for a young audience and tells the story of the poet Anna Akhmatova in 20th-century Russia. Narrated through a language that blends music and spoken word, the opera delivers a universal message about the conflict between {…}
(Credit: Emily Shur) When the Metropolitan Opera announced that Emmy Award–winning actress Sandra Oh would make her debut this season as the Duchess of Krakenthorp in Donizetti’s “La Fille du Régiment,” my first thought was: finally. Finally, the Met has made a casting decision that is not just exciting but relevant. The Duchess of Krakenthorp is a speaking role, traditionally {…}
(Credit: Javier del Real) This week, the Teatro Real de Madrid is set to open the 2025-26 season with a revival production of “Otello.” The production will star two of the world’s most important dramatic voices, including Brian Jagde, who will sing the title role for the first time. Otello is known as one of the most challenging roles in {…}
Much ink has been spilled, in varying shades of nostalgia, on the unravelling of the contracts, institutions, and principles that have fostered peace and prosperity since the end of the Second World War. Undoubtedly, much of this concern is justified: in Europe, national borders are once again flexible around the whims of the powerful; Multilateral Organisations have demonstrated their hollowness {…}
