Opera Theatre of St. Louis 2018 Review – Orfeo and Euridice: Johnson Cano Stellar in Probing Gluck’s Mythical Vision of Love

It has been a particularly heavy season at Opera Theatre of St. Louis, with an absolutely splendid run of Marc Blitzstein’s “Regina” and the emotionally-charged world premiere of Huang Ruo’s “An American Soldier.” It was thus welcome that the final production to debut this season, Gluck’s “Orfeo and Euridice,” provided an uplifting ending. This production by director Ron Daniels, though {…}

Jun 26, 2018

Waldebuehne 2018 Review: Magdalena Kozena Dazzles Alongside Sir Simon Rattle & Berlin Philharmonic

Sir Simon Rattle is retiring from the Berlin Philharmonic. Saturday night at the Waldbuehne, Berlin, was one of the farewell concerts. This one included his wife as guest artist – the superb mezzo-soprano, Magdalena Kozena. Despite the rain that drizzled on the 20,000+ people armed with blankets and ponchos, and its proximity to the concrete tower left over from the {…}

Jun 25, 2018

Opera in the Ozarks 2018 Review – Die Fledermaus: A Formidable Cast Enlivens Strauss Jr.’s Famed Masterwork

For 68 summers, Northwest Arkansas has been an opera haven for young singers. High atop the Rock Candy Mountain at Inspiration Point in Eureka Springs, amid lush forests and vistas of a golden horizon, Opera in the Ozarks serves as an artist colony for performers from across the United States. The experience culminates in a month-long opera festival — by {…}

Jun 21, 2018

Opéra National de Paris 2017-18 Review – Il Trovatore: Sondra Radvanovsky & Anita Rachvelishvilli Shine In Overindulgent Production

“Il Trovatore” never fails. From one note to the next, we have glory, love, pain, revenge, daring. Verdi didn’t miss. Say what you want about the twisting melodrama of a gypsy, a curse, stolen babies, a woman caught between two lovers. When you come down to it, you have opera to shout over. Last night at the Opéra National de {…}

Jun 21, 2018

Palazetto Bru Zane 2018 Festival Review: Gounod Gala Is A Goldmine of Hidden Operatic Gems

No one ever pretended that opera was a cheap art form. As an extreme example, the Salzburg Festival has a budget of over 60 million euros for just six weeks, making its balance sheet the envy of several small Pacific island states. But even in countries with an immense musical patrimony such as Italy, there is a tendency for populist {…}

Jun 20, 2018

Vienna Philharmonic 2017-18 Review: Elina Garanca Takes Us On A Transcendent Journey With Mahler

We go to Mahler for wisdom and depth and to Elina Garanca for beauty and rich interpretation. Both were present Sunday morning at the Wiener Konzerthaus. The Wiener Philharmoniker, conducted by the dynamic Venezuelan conductor, Raphael Payare, book-ended Mahler’s “Funf Lied (Five Ruckert Songs),” plus one song from “Der Knaben Wunderhorn,” with Beethoven’s Leonore Overture and Bartok’s Concerto For Orchestra. {…}

Jun 20, 2018

Palacio de Bellas Artes 2018 Review – El Juego De Los Insectos: Ibarra’s Opera Features A Fascinating Vision That Could Still Use Some Revisions

“El Juego De Los Insectos” has finally had its premiere at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City. The work was composed in 2008 and it took eight years to have the large scale, full orchestra production. The opera, by composer Federico Ibarra, was created in 2007-08 with a libretto by Verónica Musalem, based on the “Ze života hmyzu {…}

Jun 18, 2018

Royal Opera House 2017-18 Review – La Bohème: Matthew Polenzani, Maria Agresta & Company Trapped In Camp Direction

The word “Bohemian” – much like the popular terms “retro,” “Goth,” or “vintage” – is yet another label that has offered countless inferences over a plethora of different times. The “Bohème” clique of Puccini, undercut by the whimsy and exuberance of Italian verismo, would contrast with a play rendition of its source, Henri Murger’s “Scènes de la Vie de Bohème.” {…}

Jun 15, 2018

Teatro Comunale di Bologna 2017-18 Review – Don Carlo: Maria José Siri & Luca Salsi Dominate Verdi’s Masterpiece

Verdi made two distinct versions of “Don Carlos” plus a number of smaller-scale revisions. The original 1866 version written in French, was altered before its premiere, mainly for logistical reasons, as it was considered to be too long. The Italian version, written in 1884, with its Italian title “Don Carlo” contained extensive changes, most notably its reduction from five to {…}

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