On a bend in the River Vltava in southern Bohemia, perched on a high rocky outcrop, stands the impressive castle of Česky Krumlov. It was founded in the first half of the 13th century by the Lords of Krumlov. Although the dynasty died out, the castle continued to develop under a series of new owners, along with the small town {…}
(Photo credit: Clive Barda/Royal Opera House) Nestling zest into impressionable appetites, bel canto master Donizetti’s “L’elisir d’amore” is a succulent confectioner’s delight: a cavalcade of strawberry and rhubarb shades that never age out of their calorific bubble. High on hyperactive captures of unravelling roulades and supercilious trills, its teasing feast of overblown, meringue-like vows empowers risk-taking directors. Decking his décor {…}
(Credit: Javier del Real) Teatro Real opened its 2023-24 season with Cherubini’s masterpiece “Medea.” The opera had a great success and was very popular in Europe during the XIX century, where it was usually performed in German or Italian and with a newly written recitative instead of the original French dialogues between arias and scenes. “Medea” was rarely performed during {…}
(Film still: provided by Unison Media & IMAX) “Renée Fleming’s Cities That Sing: Venice (2023)” debuted in IMAX theaters on September 16, 2023. This very special feature-length film captures the most beautiful parts of Venice and explores opera’s nuanced details in vivid IMAX and Stage Access display. Fleming’s natural gift for storytelling and enriching the minds of audiences through her {…}
Verdi’s “Il Trovatore” conjures up fire from the outset like firelight. It burns and blazes with passion. It smolders. The more Verdi wrote, the more his imagination leapt into flames. One magnificent, powerful and engaging aria, duet, trio, quartet and chorus, emerging after the other. Dazzling. And what a story – an Italian troubadour with love affairs and babies tossed {…}
(Photo Credit: Chris Lee) On September 12, 2023, the New York Philharmonic opened its “The Art of the Score” series with Steven Spielberg’s 2021 film adaptation of Leonard Bernstein’s “West Side Story.” The series features the orchestra playing the score to a selection of films projected onto the screen above the stage, creating a truly immersive musical experience. The choice {…}
Ópera de Oviedo commemorated their 75th season by presenting Massenet’s “Manon,” a new coproduction between opera de Oviedo, Teatro Municipal Santiago de Chile and Auditorio de Tenerife. All performances were dedicated to the great Spanish soprano Victoria de los Angeles who performed 75 years ago at the Oviedo coliseum. Emilio Sagi’s Beautiful Labyrinth The veteran and admired stage director Emilio Sagi {…}
No doubt Musica Solis’ newest release is a labor of love initiated in 2010 by writer and musical scholar Lucy Miller Murray whose well curated selection of 15 of her own poems lies at the very heart of “Turning into Song.” Thematically, they are inspired by the likes of Paul Verlaine and French writers from the Symbolist orbit. Miller Murray {…}
(Photo credit: Ken Yotsukura) Boston Lyric Opera (BLO) has decided the need to move Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” away from racism in order to save Puccini from himself. In doing so, BLO’s main production asset is its vocal cast composed mostly of people of Asian descent—an asset that BLO has been very eager to publicize. However, this narrows interpretations of what {…}