No apologies are made for starting this review of Monteverdi’s “L’Orfeo” with a description of the venue, Vicenza’s Teatro Olimpico, which must count as one of the world’s most beautiful and architectural significant theatres. Designed by Palladio in 1580, it was described by Goethe as “a theatre based on the ancient model, but in small proportions and indescribably beautiful…”. Palladio {…}
Written in only 11 days, “L’occasione fa il ladro” was the fourth of five operas Rossini had been contracted to write for Venice’s Teatro San Moisè. Although only a relatively small theater, with a limited budget and basic scenery and boasting only a small cast of singers and without a chorus, it was the perfect size for the one act {…}
On August 26, 2017, the Tanglewood Music Festival continued with an opera gala featuring Kristine Opolais and Bryn Terfel. Andris Nelsons conducted the Boston Symphony Orchestra in a performance that featured the second act of Puccini’s “Tosca” and a number of arias from “Porgy and Bess” and other opera classics. The results were delightful and they showcased two artists at {…}
“Madama Butterfly”, a perennial favorite with the opera-going public, seems to be, for good or ill, immune to large-scale meddling from directors attempting to impose their own reading on, what is by opera standards, a well-known story. Rarely do productions step outside late 19th/early 20th century Japan, replete with kanzashi hairstyles, colorful kimonos and obi, houses with paper walls adorned {…}
Last year the Bayerische Staatsoper opened a new production of Donizetti’s beloved French work “La Favorite.” It was specifically created for Elīna Garanča, who was making her staged role debut after having impressed in the work in a concert performance at the Salzburg Festival alongside Juan Diego Flórez. This time around the company brought along two of her frequent collaborators, Mariusz Kwiecien {…}
If Mary Shelley bumped into Libby Larsen at West EdgeOpera, at the final matinee of “Frankenstein,” what would she have said? “Good job, Girl. Another new vista. A moving monster and a compelling draw away from the axe Viktor Frankenstein had to grind?” Or, “What on earth are you talking about – my monster and his maker, a 21st century {…}
“Halka” is considered one of the first great Polish operas in the canon. While it is rarely performed outside of Poland, Stanisław Moniuszko’s work has had a couple of outings in the United States. This season, the Bard Music Festival presented it in collaboration with the Polish National Opera in a semi-staged version that while not completely satisfying in its {…}
Salzburg Festival is about luxury. The audience is filled with celebrities, the casts are filled with stars, and the (relatively) higher priced tickets, all show its luxury. Yet, what defines its luxury, for me, is its long rehearsal period. When Anna Netrebko said in an interview how she wanted more rehearsals and Riccardo Muti said “preparing an opera the way {…}
This review is for the performance on August 4, 2017 and was written in collaboration with Editor-in-Chief David Salazar. “Va pensiero,” the famous chorus from Verdi’s “Nabucco” is often cited as an unofficial national anthem for Italy and proved as such throughout the Risorgimento when the country was battling for its independence from the Austrian Empire. The choral passage, with {…}