HamburgMusik 2024-25 Review: Idomeneo

(Photo Credit: Claudia Hoehne) René Jacobs’ concert performance of Mozart’s “Idomeneo” at the Elbphilharmonie provided a resplendent conclusion to Hamburg’s Amadeus Festival, bringing the celebration of Mozart’s genius to a fittingly grand finale. This semi-staged version was a testament to how a concert performance can achieve full theatricality. Compared to his 2009 recording, Jacobs presented a fresh and immediate interpretation, {…}

MetLiveArts & VisionIntoArt 2025 Review: Primero Sueño

(Photos: Jill Steinberg) Paola Prestini (composer, librettist and orchestrator), Magos Herrera (composer, librettist and Sor Juana), and Louisa Proske (director) transformed the Met Cloisters for their world premiere processional opera, “Primero Sueño,” for a sold out audience on January 26th, 2025. OperaWire’s initial introduction to a collaboration piece by Prestini and Herrera, “Con Alma,” made this premiere feel extra exciting {…}

Opéra de Monte-Carlo 2024 Review: Mozart in Monaco Festival

(Photos: Marco Borrelli) The Opéra de Monte-Carlo ushered in the new year with two standout productions as part of the “Mozart in Monaco” festival, organized by the resident Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo. The festival’s first offering was a semi-staged “Don Giovanni,” presented by the Wiener Staatsoper on January 19th. Cecilia Bartoli, director of the Opéra de Monte-Carlo, continued her fruitful {…}