Almost every year, a multitude of operas are premiered, some of which never really get publicly highlighted as they should due to certain operas taking the limelight, funds, and critical attention. Thus, in this three-month series entitled, Opera History Flashbacks, we’ll be taking a look at three historically important years and the operas that were premiered during those years. If {…}
(Credit: Gianfranco Rota) This week, the Donizetti Opera Festival is set to open with the composer’s final work, one that has been rarely heard. Major sopranos have performed the work, and this revival will feature a major Bel Canto specialist. Carmela Remigio, who has become one of the festival’s mainstays, is one of the world’s most celebrated bel canto interpreters, {…}
This week, the Royal Opera House is set to unveil a new production of “The Makropoulos Case,” a rarely performed Janáček work. The opera plays with the idea of immortality and has historically been a vehicle for a great diva. This week, the London company does just that, but also brings Katie Mitchell, a director who has been known for {…}
Earlier this summer, I returned to Cooperstown to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Glimmerglass Festival, a place that, quite simply, changed the course of my life. Standing once again on their majestic campus, I was inspired to reflect on my own journey as a performer and as a person, as well as the impact the Festival has had {…}
Following its win for “Best Musical Film” at the Cannes World Film Festival, John Aylward’s one-act opera film “Oblivion” will be performed and screened internationally this fall. First, Enigma Chamber Opera will present a live workshop performance of “Oblivion” at the Goethe-Institut Boston on Nov. 6. This event will feature live vocal performances alongside projected film excerpts, offering audiences a {…}
(Photo credit: Chuck Gilmore) Southern Appalachia is typically acknowledged as the heart of traditional American folk music, from old-time string bands to bluegrass, and haunting ballads, but there are more connections to opera and classical singing than one might realize. Pioneers like Cecil Sharp, Maud Karpeles, and John Jacob Niles collected folk songs throughout southern Appalachia, such as “The Lover’s {…}
(credit Yunchis Artyom5) This week the Metropolitan Opera’s “La Boheme” returns to the stage with a young cast of rising stars. Among them will be Juliana Grigoryan, who will sing her first lead role at the Metropolitan after debuting in 2024. The Armenian soprano will sing the role of Mimi, which she has already performed at the Ravenna Festival and {…}
This week, the Glyndebourne Festival is set to open its autumn festival, featuring several rising stars. Among those is Armenian baritone Aksel Daveyan, who is making his debut with the company. Over the years, the baritone has established himself as one of the most promising baritones of his generation. Over the years, he has appeared at the Zürich Opera in {…}
Currently, opera in America in a state of unprecedented upheaveal. With the ongoing precarity occurring at the Metropolitan Opera House, from the recent dip into their endowement, noticeable drop in attendance, and the highly controversial partnership with Saudi Arabia, the idea of American opera is in a state of flux. While this was defended by Gelb as an example of {…}
