(Photo Credits: Photofest) It’s no surprise that Richard Wagner’s music is a popular choice for cinematic moments of intense dramaticism, humor, horror, suspense, philosophical gravity, and pleasure. From the many comical moments in the 1957 Warner Bros’ film, “What’s Opera, Doc?,” Werner Herzog’s sobering 1992 documentary experience, “Lessons of Darkness,” the endearing 1930 film, “Fire At The Opera,” or the {…}
On Nov. 20, the Teatro San Carlo is set to open its 2024-25 season with a new production of “Rusalka.” The company has assembled an all-star cast including Asmik Grigorian and Adam Smith, among many other notable names. But the evening is even more special as Georgian Mezzo superstar Anita Rachvelishvili will make a return to the opera stage. After {…}
(Credit: Jonathan Tichler / Met Opera) “After 18 years running the Met, and a lifetime of experience in classical music and opera, it’s clear to me that the solution to sustaining opera is through artistic reinvention, both with new operas by living composers, and reimagined productions of classics that can resonate with audiences of today.” So writes Met Opera General {…}
This week, The Dallas Opera is set to open a production of “Pelléas et Mélisande,” a work that is rarely performed. The production will showcase rising stars in the opera world including one unexpected debut. Edward Nelson will make his house debut singing the title role after being announced only a week before performances. Nelson is well-known for his interpretation {…}
(Photo Credit: San Francisco Opera) On November 1, at 8 p.m. (PDT), the new film, “Eun Sun Kim: A Journey Into Lohengrin,” was broadcast for the first time, although being available for viewing already. Featuring the Korean conductor Eun Sun Kim and her labors around the preparation of San Francisco Opera’s 2023 production of Wagner’s “Lohengrin,” the behind-the-scenes film is {…}
(Credit: Ludwig Olah/Semperoper Dresden) This week the Berlin State Opera is set to open its production of Strauss’ epic opera “Die Frau Ohne Schatten.” The work is rarely performed because of the immense cast and orchestra it requires so it is always a special work to hear it when it is presented. With this revival, the Berlin State Opera has {…}
(Photo Credit: Israeli Opera House) Taking three years to write, composer Yonatan Cnaan and director Ido Ricklin’s opera, “Theodor: The Unknown Story of Herzl,” is a summarization of Theodor Herzl’s life. It was premiered by the Israeli Opera House in 2023, following the attacks on October 7th, 2023. Conducted by Nimrod David Pfeffer, the evening was powerful and monumental. Luckily, {…}
This week the Seattle Opera is set to world premiere “Jubilee” created by Tazewell Thompson and with vocal arrangements by Dianne Adams McDowell and orchestrations by Michael Ellis Ingram. The work tells the story of the historic Fisk Jubilee Singers that came together after the emancipation and the end of the Civil War. The work features important spiritual and and {…}
(Photo credit: Peter Oppenländer) OperaWire was invited to experience the 5th annual Waiblingen International Opera Workshop led by baritone Thomas Hampson and Wailblingen-native and soprano Melanie Diener. The workshop, which took place Sept. 15-21, included daily breathing workshops led by Claudia Stefke-Leuser and individual coaching with Hampson and Diener, two masterclasses, two performances, and an educational outreach program. The participants {…}
