Metropolitan Opera 2017-18 Review – Madama Butterfly: Ermonela Jaho Triumphs In Tragic Portrayal Of Puccini’s Heroine

Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” has been a staple of the repertoire for years and at the Metropolitan Opera, it has had somewhat of a renaissance ever since Anthony Minghella’s inventive production came opened in 2006. The opera is really a showcase for a great soprano who can bring forth intense emotions and who can captivate an audience with the lead character’s suffering. For this {…}

Feb 27, 2018

Editorial: Searching For A Greater Meaning in Lawrence Brownlee’s “Cycles of My Being”

Is art merely a form of entertainment or can it serve a greater purpose? Many people believe the latter is true although it’s possible that they are deluding themselves in order to partake in something they enjoy. It’s a question that can be debated forever. It came to mind for me this past week when I attended Lawrence Brownlee’s “Cycles {…}

Feb 26, 2018

The Cantanti Project 2018 Review – Euridice: An Intimate Experience That Shows Us What Opera Is, and What It Could Be

“Euridice” by Giulio Caccini was printed in 1600, as the first publication of an opera score. This signified the birth of opera and forever established the ground-breaking genre that we still admire today. Causing a stir at the start, Caccini is said to have been in direct competition for the publication of this score with another regarded composer of the {…}

Feb 22, 2018

Barbican 2017-18 Review – Dead Man Walking: Joyce DiDonato Shines In Jake Heggie’s Haunting Disarray Of An Opera

Jake Heggie’s 2000 opera “Dead Man Walking” – based on the memoirs of Sister Helen Prejean and inspired by the film of the same name – hardly conforms to operatic standards. An intersection of “Porgy and Bess”-like motifs, rock opera recitatives, and the echoes of New Orleans jazz, it treats the opera template with a moderate respect: scant arias and {…}

Feb 20, 2018

Metropolitan Opera 2017-18 Review – Semiramide: Elizabeth DeShong Shines In Disappointing Revival

Of Rossini’s opera’s “Semiramide,” his final Italian work, is often considered one of his finest. You probably would not draw that conclusion from the performance at the Metropolitan Opera on Monday, Feb. 19, 2018. The opera, which tells the tale of the “battle” for the throne of Babylon in the wake of its fallen monarch Nino, is a rather long {…}

Feb 17, 2018

Metropolitan Opera 2017-18 Review – La Bohème: Michael Fabiano In Top Form Alongside Splendid Sonya Yoncheva, Susanna Phillips, Lucas Meachem & Others

Puccini’s “La Bohème” made a return to the Metropolitan Opera on Friday, February 16, 2018, with a cast that is slated for an HD performance a week from today. On the evidence of this opening night performance, that transmission the world over should be quite special. Zeffirelli’s production needs no introduction (though if you want some commentary, check out these {…}

Feb 17, 2018

New York Philharmonic 2017-18 Review – Die Walküre: Jaap van Zweden & Soloists Deliver Sublime Rendition of Act One of Wagner Masterwork

In 2018-19, Jaap van Zweden, the current Music Director Designate of the New York Philharmonic, will drop the Designate part of that label. And if the concert on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018 is any indication, he is going to be providing audiences with some dazzling music for years to come. In a series of concerts that kicked off on Valentine’s {…}

Feb 14, 2018

Lyric Opera of Chicago 2017-18 Review – I Puritani: Shagimuratova and Brownlee Thrill in Bellini’s Final Work

Fans of bel canto opera were treated nearly a year ago to the first mounting of “Norma” at Lyric Opera of Chicago in 20 years with a dream cast that included Sondra Radvanovsky in the title role. Those fans have waited since the 1991-92 season to see Bellini’s final work, the masterful “I Puritani,” which I saw Saturday night in {…}