Had there been no Franz Schubert, the German Carl Loewe would have had the monopoly on 19th century art songs. His songs are melodious, witty, and with an unfailing blend of Romanticism and comely Biedermeier aesthetics. The most famous are “Die Uhr” and ballads like “Der Erlkönig” or “Herr Oluf.” All are based on German and Nordic folklore. Yet in {…}
(Photo: Birgit Gufler) At the final curtain call of the Innsbruck Early Music Festival’s splendid production of Vivaldi’s only surviving oratorio, “Judtha Triumphans,” the loudest acclamation was reserved for its conductor, Alessandro De Marchi. After 13 years as its artistic director, he is stepping down from the position. The genuine warmth the festival audience showed towards De Marchi was clearly {…}
(Photo: © Ruth Walz) A couple of weeks ago, I had a lovely conversation with one of the dramaturgists of Salzburg Festival’s production of Verdi’s “Falstaff.” He pinpointed how strange it is for a dramaturg to hear that the staging for this production did not work, but the music did. To him, music and theater are part of the same {…}
(Photo: Amati Bacciardi) As the orchestra begins the overture of Rossini’s 1817 opera “Adelaide di Borgogna,” the curtain rises to reveal a busy stage with the stagehands running about, moving scenery and props. The singers are scattered about the stage. Some are preparing themselves for a rehearsal, while others are getting a drink from the vending machine or chatting among {…}
Finals for singing competitions are an interesting experience to cover. On one hand, everyone on stage is a winner. In the case of the 2023 edition of the Queen Sonja Singing Competition, the six singers who took the stage on August 26 were picked from an overall pool of 521 contestants from around the world; not mention that the competition {…}
(Photo: Amati Bacciardi) Having just completed his opera “Ermione” for Naples in March 1819, Rossini was under pressure to meet the deadline for a new opera for Venice’s Teatro San Benedetto the following month. He quickly cobbled together numbers from at least four of his past operas: “Adelaide di Bogogna,” “Ricciardo e Zoriaide,” “Mosè in Egitto,” and “Ermione,” along with {…}
(Photo: ©SF Marco Borrelli) It is believed that there are no bad orchestras, just bad conductors. Following this rationale, Marco Armiliato conducting my high school orchestra in David Gefffen Hall would be greeted with rave reviews. It is not that he wrung water out of stones—this miracle belongs exclusively to Moses’s staff. But, he did lead Salzburg’s Mozarteum Orchestra to {…}
(Photo: Amati Bacciardi) A group of shepherds wander onto the stage. Among them are three goats being given some food to eat. There should have been four goats, but apparently one had escaped. They spent their time chewing away, seemingly oblivious to the ongoing stage movement and singing, strange surroundings of the theatre and the sound of the orchestra. At {…}
(Photo: SF/Monika Rittershaus) Bohuslav Martinů’s opera “The Greek Passion” is a work still in search of its audience. The opera, seldom performed, is considered to be one of Martinů’s finest compositions. This season’s Salzburg Festival tried hard to make “The Greek Passion” a rare and visually noteworthy production. But it didn’t quite work out. The opera’s political radicalness and musical accomplishments are {…}