On Jan. 27, the Teatro de la Zarzuela is set to present Bretón’s “La Dolores” for the first time since 1937. The production will also mark 100 years since the composer’s death and will feature an international cast led by Saioa Hernández. For Hérnandez, La Dolores will mark a role debut and a return to Spanish opera, which she has {…}
This week the Seattle Opera will present Camille Saint-Saens’ “Samson et Dalila” for the first time since 1965. The opera, which will be presented in concert performance, will see two of the brightest in the opera world making debuts. Korean tenor Yonghoon Lee is one of the stars that will take on the title role of Samson. Lee will not {…}
On Jan. 12, Opera Hong Kong will open a production of “La Bohème.” The production will bring together artists from around the world, including some local talent. The cast will also feature leading soprano Francesca Dotto in her company role debut. Dotto has a history with Puccini’s masterpiece as it was with in the role of Musetta that she made {…}
On December 31st, 1990, acclaimed Australian dramatic soprano Dame Joan Sutherland would give her last stage appearance, marking the end of a 40+ year, international career which brought her to audiences around the world, changing lives and minds everywhere she went. Singing in a gala performance of several operatic excerpts including Die Fledermaus’ Act 2 at the Royal Opera House {…}
On December 31, David McVicar’s new production of Umberto Giordano’s “Fedora” opens at the Metropolitan Opera. The controversial work has not been performed there complete in 25 years. Yet, many alluring facets of “Fedora” make the opera a most inspired New Year’s Eve choice. The second act’s opening party sequence, for instance, includes a grand waltz danced in Fedora‘s lavish Paris {…}
Ukrainian writer Ivan Kotlyarevsky wrote the original story of “Natalka Poltavka” in 1819. Scholars and nationals alike consider Kotlyarevsky to be the “father” of Ukraine’s literature. Having helped Ukrainian literature make the jump from its older form to its new form in the late 18th to early 19th centuries, Kotlyarevsky (much like Pushkin for Russian literature) mirrored the societies in which {…}
(Photo Credit: Christian Dageförde) Dating as far back as the 17th century, vocal works about Christmas and themes about the Holy Nativity (i.e., the birth of Jesus Christ) and the events surrounding the pilgrimage of the shepherds, angels, and wise men have been created in quick succession. Everyone from Italian composer Carlo Francesco Cesarini, Russian composer P. I. Tchaikovsky, German {…}
(Photo Credit: Chris Lee) December 11, 2022, saw acclaimed mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato return to Carnegie Hall for a series of master classes with five emerging artists. Over the following three days, DiDonato and students worked on a variety of musical and dramatic techniques catered to each artist’s particular strengths and current place in their career, giving the audience an intimate {…}
After a bumpy 2021, which still had numerous COVID cancelations, 2022 saw opera companies almost return to normalcy. There were setbacks like cyberattacks, a war that has destroyed a country, and companies losing funds from government agencies. But in all, it also showed how opera companies could unite through benefit concerts and through sheer artistry. And after releasing our favorite {…}
