(Credit: Karen Almond) It’s fair to say that the 2022-23 season at the Metropolitan Opera can be dubbed “The Mozart Season.” “Idomeneo” took the stage on the second night of the season with a tremendous cast reviving Jean-Pierre Ponelle’s classic production. During the holiday season, the Met turned to its workhorse Julie Taymour production of “The Magic Flute.” And to {…}
On a cloudy California afternoon, Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall was bright with musical radiance. Nina Stemme, the great Swedish dramatic soprano, entered adorned in a red velvet gown. Her very presence cast light. From Wagner to Mahler, and Sigurd von Koch to Kurt Weill, the recital was full of beauty. This was opera royalty, “right here in river city.” Her pianist, {…}
I’m always struck by the story of “Armide.” The drama of the ancient sorceress is simultaneously transcendent and humane. The opera, after Torquato Tasso’s “Jerusalem Delivered,” ponders the prickly relationship between affect and politics, leading to the one-million-dollar question: Is his love enough? Or, even better: Is love enough? Philippe Quinault’s libretto contraposes the idea of freedom with lovelessness. Renaud’s {…}
On May 8, 2023, Young Concert Artists (YCA) held their 62nd Annual Gala at Jazz at Lincoln Center. This year’s gala honored Deborah Borda, the President and CEO of the New York Philharmonic, for her accomplishments in service to the arts. The concert was hosted by Kevin Joyce, who gave opening remarks before introducing YCA President Daniel Kellogg. “Tonight we {…}
Kodaly and Poulenc. Those are two names you don’t usually group together, unless you’re the Fairfied County Chorale and its music director David Rosenmeyer. On May 13, 2023, the ensemble performed a concert featuring the “Missa Brevis” by the former and the famed “Gloria” by the latter. And as Rosenmeyer explained in an interaction with the audience prior to the {…}
(Photo by Agathe Poupeney / Opéra national de Paris) It has been a rocky start to Paris Opera’s production of “Ariodante.” Its premiere faced a strike of the backstage staff, and the second performance was canceled due to political manifestations. Therefore, the press could only see the show weeks after its opening. Händel’s opera, however, is very much worth the {…}
(Photo: Pat Redmond) The 1950s saw the rollout of electricity across rural Ireland, a process that significantly changed not just the countryside but also the lives of its people. Electrical appliances such as kettles, cookers, hairdryers and lighting meant that life in many ways became more comfortable and freed up time for leisure activities. Moreover, it impacted traditional roles and {…}
On May 3, 2023, New Amsterdam Opera presented a concert of excerpts from Donizetti’s “Lucrezia Borgia.” Held at The Players in Gramercy, this concert comes as the company readies to mount a full production later this month, and featured the cover cast artists, accompanied by founder and artistic director, Keith Chambers. Opening the program was soprano Elizaveta Ulakhovich, who is {…}
Gaetano Donizetti’s “Roberto Devereux,” though not performed with any regularity, showcases the composer’s masterful ability to capture the characters’ raw emotions through stunning music. Salvadore Cammarano crafted the Italian libretto, drawing inspiration from François Ancelot’s tragedy “Elisabeth d’Angleterre” (1829) and Jacques Lescène des Maisons’ “Historie secrete des amours d’Elisabeth et du comte d’Essex” (1787). Devereux also served as the focus {…}