Opera Philadelphia’s new commission based on Peter Ackroyd’s “The Trial of Elizabeth Cree” came as a breath of fresh air; when I heard the announcement of its coming, I jumped in excitement at the opportunity for a female title character in a new opera. While the traditional canon of opera has plenty of operas named after their lead female characters, the contemporary repertoire {…}
Let me preface this by saying that I love the Metropolitan Opera. It is my home opera house and OperaWire.com does not exist if not for the hundreds of nights spent at that house over the past decade. But it was truly disheartening this week to read that the company is still struggling to fill the theater. The New York {…}
During this weekend’s broadcast of “I Puritani,” Metropolitan Opera General Manager Peter Gelb was given the floor to talk about the company’s upcoming 2017-18 season, which was announced this past Wednesday. But instead of launching into his offerings, Gelb moved in a different direction, turning his attention toward the social-political challenges facing arts institutions. “I think it’s really important that {…}