An exciting new project by New Camerata Opera, the animated short-film opera entitled “One Train,” bears the markers of a great path towards making opera more inviting. A joint effort by librettist Hannah McDermott and Hilary Purrington, the story weaves a path of awareness, magic and selflessness. It is bound to surprise even the most well-seasoned opera goer. This {…}
(Callas greeting fans. Credit: © Archiv Lebeck.) Editor’s Note: In anticipation of the release of “The Callas Imprint: A Centennial Biography” on Dec. 2, 2023, OperaWire is sharing a preview. “Greatness” is a noun too frequently assigned to humans. Victims of this label view the happening of “genius” as a capricious, “limited time only” gift. Here we follow Callas on {…}
This week the Lithuanian National Opera is set to bring a new production of “Aida” this week with one of the most sought-after sopranos of her generation. Kristine Opolais will make her debut with the company in the title role of Aida, a work she last performed completely 15 years ago in Riga. The last time she performed a part {…}
(Photo Credit: Scott Suchman) Throughout this new series, we will be looking at the history of American opera beginning in the 2000s to the present through a revisit of certain iconic works of the decade and OperaWire’s coverage of them throughout the 21st century. In this first part, we will look at the development of American opera during the 2000s, {…}
As the day opens up and the bustle of Seville begins to come to life, the barber makes his grand entrance with his mighty welcoming melody announcing his presence before his body can do the job. I’m talking about our beloved friend as depicted in Rossini’s acclaimed opera “Il Barbiere di Sivilgia” and his electric cavatina, “Largo al factotum.” But {…}
(Credit: Marty Sohl) This week, Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s latest work “Intelligence” will make its world premiere at the Houston Grand Opera (HGO). Moreover, this production represents an extension of the long-standing relationship between Heggie and HGO, as the company has also showcased the first performances of “End of the Affair (2004),” “Three Decembers (2008),” “Pieces of 9/11 (2011),” {…}
Having explored the tricky terrain of opera’s more conventional genres, as well as its regional varieties, what is left are the rather obscure versions of opera that have grown from different types of traditions and histories. What would happen if modern politics and opera were combined? What do you get when you feature a small break between each scene of {…}
This week the Metropolitan Opera opened its 2023-24 season with the Met premiere of Jake Heggie’s “Dead Man Walking” with it an all-star cast. Among the performers is Latonia Moore, making her role debut as Sister Rose. In a recent interview with OperaWire, Moore noted that Heggie music “is composed in a Bel Canto way and composed with the singer {…}
Around the world, opera has very different forms. Although the artform has touched almost every continent on the planet, that does not mean that it looks the same. Whether that means an Italian opera that is translated into a different language, or a domestic artform resembling opera that evolved endogenously, the fabric of opera is multi-dimensional! In Part One of {…}
