(Credit: Marty Sohl / Met Opera) On Nov. 23, the Metropolitan Opera will make history premiering Matthew Aucoin and Sarah Ruhl’s “Eurydice.” Aucoin will make history as the youngest composer to have a Met premiere since 1938. But this opera will also mark the first time that soprano Erin Morley headlines a brand new production at the Metropolitan Opera. Morley {…}
“Page to Opera Stage” looks at stories – real-life or fiction, old and new – that have inspired operas, and the ways these narratives have been edited and dramatized to fit a new medium. This month, we return to Pushkin and Tchaikovsky with “The Queen of Spades”, where an opera has expanded the original novella, radically altering characters and atmosphere {…}
On Nov. 19, the English National Opera will open a new Ring Cycle. The production will mark the first time the company stages the monumental tetralogy in more than 15 years. Taking on this major task is director Richard Jones. Jones first staged Wagner’s Cycle in 1989 at the Scottish Opera before bringing his take in 1993 to the Royal {…}
On Nov. 14, the Teatro Comunale di Bologna will finally open a new production of Cilea’s “Adriana Lecouvreur.” The production by Rosetta Cucchi was previously filmed as a movie in Bologna during the time theaters were shuttered due to COVID-19. Now after almost a year of delays, the show will go on and soprano Kristine Opolais will get to make {…}
The Madison Opera is set to open its 2021-22 season with Donizetti’s masterpiece “Lucia di Lammermoor.” The opera is most famous for its soprano role and her corresponding mad scene. However, one cannot deny the prominence of the tenor role of Edgardo, especially considering that fact that it is this character that ends the work with a searing dramatic scene. {…}
(Credit: Anna Cillan) Following the halt on live performances due to COVID-19, opera houses and companies alike were forced to reform how they brought music to their traditionally in-person audiences. Via digital means, like prerecorded content, subscription-based videos, and online events, the traditional venues of opera were radically altered. But as lockdowns start to end, and restrictions begin to be {…}
(Credit: Anja Koehler) For this week’s word search, we turn the spotlight on composers born in October. For this puzzle, we provide you with the name of an opera and it’s your job to find the composer’s full name. Instructions: You are free to solve the word search directly on your mobile or desktop device; just click the first and {…}
“Page to Opera Stage” looks at stories – real-life or fiction, old and new – that have inspired operas, and the ways these narratives have been edited and dramatized to fit a new medium. In this instalment, Thomas Mann’s “Death in Venice” proved the inspiration for a very different opera It is often said all writers draw from their own {…}
The Wexford Festival Opera is an internationally recognized event that programs unusual and rare works. It also prides itself in supporting rising stars and giving them opportunities to explore a diverse repertoire. This season the company will present Catalani’s “Edmea” for its inaugural production, starring Luciano Ganci, one of Italy’s leading tenors. Ganci will make his role debut as Oberto {…}
