(Credit: Stephan Rabold) This week, the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin is set to present Bernard Foccroulle’s “Cassandra” for the first time. The work combines the figures of the ancient prophetess Cassandra and the popular researcher Sandra. The opera premiered in 2023 to rave reviews and now brings back some of the cast that created the work, including Katarina {…}
I. In a city as operatically overdetermined as Berlin, even a new production of Richard Strauss’s “Die Frau ohne Schatten” might be expected to pass with respectable indifference. But when Tobias Kratzer mounted the late-Romantic behemoth this January at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, capping a Strauss trilogy that had begun with “Arabella” and “Intermezzo,” the result was not just another {…}
This past week, the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis world premiered the new work by Ricky Ian Gordon, “This House.” The work tells the story of the Walker family, who have lived in the same Harlem brownstone since the 1920s, and they fought hard to keep what they have. The work is conducted by Daniela Candillari, the Principal Conductor of {…}
This week, the Royal Opera House will revive Gounod’s “Faust” with a cast of rising stars, including Carolina Lopez Moreno. Moreno will make her Royal Opera House debut and her debut as Marguerite. It is perhaps one of her highest profile assignments to date after the soprano’s whirlwind months, which have seen her make unexpected debuts with the Gran Teatre {…}
(Photo Credit @ Micah Shumake / Detroit Opera) As summer approaches, there are many exciting things on the horizon for the operatic world. While the 2025-2026 season at the Metropolitan Opera has many new names, across the world there are numerous premieres that inspire, one great example being the IN Series’ focus on new works and the Bayerische Staatsoper’s premiere of {…}
(Credit: Fabrizio Sansoni) On May 14, the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma will present a new production of Mozart’s “Il Re Pastore” with a cast of Mozart specialists, including Benedetta Torre, who will sing the role of Tamiri. The soprano will make a double debut as she will sing the role for the first time in her career while making her {…}
(Photo Credit @Paramount Pictures) Stephen Frears‘ 2016 film, “Florence Foster Jenkins,” was a instantaneous, worldwide success among critics and the public alike. It was one of the most popular biopic projects in recent Hollywood history to touch upon the musical scene before the release of Pablo Larraín’s “Maria.” The film tells of the exploits of Florence Foster Jenkins (1868-1944), who {…}
(Credit: © Sandra Then) The sounds of history often linger, echoing into the present in ways that demand our attention. Sometimes they whisper, unsettling but distant; other times, they crash through with devastating force. In Germany, the past is never far from the surface, but it has rarely felt as raw and urgent as it does now. At the Hanover {…}
This weekend, the Pittsburgh Opera is set to present the world premiere of “Woman with Eyes Closed” by Jennifer Higdon. The work is experimental in nature as it needs to be seen at least twice, as each night of the production has the possibility of a completely new ending. Over the years, Higdon has become one of the most acclaimed {…}
