(Photo: Felix Grünscloß) Although “Siroe, re di Persia” managed a good run of 17 performances, following its premiere at the King’s Theatre, London in 1728, Händel never revived the work. Apart from a couple of productions in Brunswick in 1730 and 1735, it lay dormant until the 20th century, has never managed to establish itself in the repertoire, and remains {…}
(Photo: Felix Grünscloß) Among the offerings at this year’s Karlsruhe Händelfestspiele was a performance of “Phèdre,” an opera by the fairly obscure French composer Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne. What the connection is to Händel, however, is somewhat of a mystery. There was no explanation provided in the program. The two composers never met; in fact, Lemoyne would have only been eight years {…}
Another day, another “Norma.” Not that that is a hardship: lucky Vienna, has two new productions in which to indulge. And they proved very different beasts. The opera hasn’t been staged at the Staatsoper for almost 50 years so it was long overdue to have an outing there. And Cyril Teste’s production did the job well enough, if not excitingly, {…}
(Credit: Monika Rittershaus) Two new productions of “Norma” collided in a strange surfeit of Bellini in Vienna in February and March. What an interesting opportunity to get to grips with the Gauls twice in a row, a case of “Buy one ‘Norma’, get one free!” First up was the Theater an der Wien, in a staging by Vasily Barkhatov and {…}
Of course, this isn’t a review of the great Metropolitan Opera House, per se, but as a most fortunate and frequent attendee of the Royal Opera House, (now frustratingly called the Royal Ballet and Opera), it proved somewhat impossible for me to make comparisons. Yes, of COURSE, it IS big; it’s the biggest opera house in the world, as the {…}
(Photo credit: Carlita Sari) Lillian Hellman, who suggested the idea of the musical “Candide” to the great American composer Leonard Bernstein, once described Voltaire’s original 1759 novel on which the show is based as “the greatest piece of slapdash ever written.” The novel certainly packs a breathless pace as it follows its eponymous hero on an adversity-filled journey around the {…}
(Credit: Nilz Böhme) Contrary to what the opera indicates in most scenes, with the exception of the duel between Lensky and Onegin, the Swiss director sets the first three acts outdoors. Only the final act at Prince Gremin’s house, where the final confrontation between Tatiana Princess Gremin and Eugene Onegin takes place, is performed indoors. Underlining the fact that everything {…}
(Credit: Brescia e Amisano ©Teatro alla Scala) On the recommendation of mezzo-soprano Yelizaveta Lavrovskaya, Tchaikovsky began reading “Eugene Onegin” by Alexander Pushkin, initially more out of obligation than pleasure. However, the novel captivated him, especially the figure of Tatiana, which led him to compose a series of “lyrical scenes.” In a letter addressed to Karl Albrecht, Musical Inspector of the Imperial {…}
Mozart’s “Mitridate, re di Ponto” premiered on the day of Germany’s elections on February 23, 2025 at the Staatsoper Hamburg. It was conducted by Adam Fischer and directed by Birgit Kajtna-Wönig, marking an ambitious co-production with the Salzburg Festival. Set in the final days of Pontic Greek King Mitridate VI’s resistance against Rome, the opera explores power, betrayal, and dynastic {…}