Opera Meets Film: The Psychological Heart of Opera in Niklas Paschburg’s ‘Opera’

Who knew that a music video entitled “Opera” could instigate a conversation on the nature of opera and being human? Thanks must be given to Niklas Paschburg, a German {…}

The Many Extremes of Opera in 5 Examples

(Picture Credit @Wonge Bergmann) What happens when opera is pushed to the far reaches of the socially acceptable, artistically expected, narratively conventional, and formally structured? You end up with controversial productions, reconstructed variations of well-known stories, and strange configurations of unknown ones. One may remember what happened not so long ago with Stutgart’s “Sancta Susanna” or, longer ago, Adams’ “The {…}

Artist of the Week: Lidia Fridman

(Credit: Michele Crosera) This week, the Teatro La Fenice opens a new production of Donizetti’s masterpiece “Anna Bolena” featuring a cast of Bel Canto {…}

Opera Meets Film: Opera Is Life in Kevin Sullivan’s ‘Magic Flute Diaries’

Released in 2008, Canadian director Kevin Sullivan’s reimagining of “The Magic Flute” in his film, “Magic Flute Diaries,” was a profound statement on the way operatic narratives could be fused into the real world through a cross-relationship of experience, emotion, and feeling. Starring Canadian soprano Mireille Asselin as Masha/Pamina and baritone Olivier Laquerre as Papageno, the film continued the trend {…}

Artist of the Week: Brandon Jovanovich

(Credit: Karen Almond / Met Opera) This week, the Metropolitan Opera is set to present Jake Heggie’s “Moby Dick” for the first time in the company’s {…}