Bayerische Staatsoper 2016-17 Review – La Forza Del Destino: Jonas Kaufmann, Anja Harteros Dominate In A Personal Narrative Encapsulated In A Far Larger Context

Verdi’s “La Forza del Destino” has had an uneven performance history despite containing some of the composer’s most memorable music, not least its well-known overture, made famous through concert performances, and the emotionally charged duets that characterize the work. The problem, however, stems not from its music, but from its sprawling structure and the complex tensions that drive the narrative. {…}

Jul 25, 2017

The Glimmerglass Festival 2017 – The Siege Of Calais: Francesca Zambello, Leah Crocetto & Aleks Romano Make A Great Case For Donizetti’s Forgotten Work

It’s no surprise that most of Donizetti’s output is rarely performed, with many operas becoming obscure to many audiences. Only a few of his works have actually had a chance to make their way into the repertoire and remain there consistently. But this is not the case with “L’Assedio di Calais” which premiered in 1836 and has since been performed {…}

Jul 24, 2017

Filarmónica de Bogotá Review 2017: Verdi’s ‘Requiem’ Gets Sublime Rendition At Teatro Municipal Jorge Eliecer Gaitán

The Teatro Municipal Jorge Eliecer Gaitán is not among the most aesthetically pleasing of auditoriums in the city of Bogotá, Colombia. Dedicated to one of the great tragic figures in Colombian history, a man known for his support of the disenfranchised (his assassination led to one of the most prominent massacres in Colombian history), the theater is rather minimal in {…}

Jul 23, 2017

Verbier Festival 2017 Review – Salome: Charles Dutoit Leads a Robust Cast In Must-Watch Live Stream

One of the great delights of today’s viewer technology is sitting in your living room, a cup of chocolate in your hand, and, before you, a vibrant, young orchestra, a brilliant and famous conductor, and a dozen notable first-class singers embarked in a world of eroticism with genius music – in other words, “Salome.” Thanks to Medici TV’s ample coverage {…}

Jul 23, 2017

Festival d’Aix-En-Provence 2017 Review – Carmen: Tcherniakov’s Production Will Change the Way You See Bizet’s Masterpiece

“Carmen,” Georges Bizet’s Spanish-inspired masterpiece, was performed at the Festival d’arLyriqueue d’Aix-en-Provence’s 2017 season in an unconventional production. Russian director Dmitri Tcherniakov’s has consigned the traditional Sevillan mantillas, toreros, and abrigos de luz to distant memory and, for the hugely popular opera’s return to Aix for the first time in 60 years, has fully reviewed the story to give it {…}

Jul 20, 2017

Festival d’Aix-En-Provence 2017 Review – Eugene Onegin: A Showcase of Great Russian Talent in Tchaikovsky Great Masterpiece

Tchaikovsky’s most famous opera “Eugene Onegin” was on the program of the Festival international d’art Lyrique d’Aix-en-Provence’s 69th season in a concert performance. It was masterfully presented by Moscow’s Bolshoi’s choir and orchestra, under the baton of Tugan Sokhiev. The Theatre’s leading soloists included Igor Golovatenko in the title role, Anna Nechaeva as Tatiana, Bogdan Volkov as Lensky, soloist Svetlana {…}

Jul 19, 2017

Festival d’Aix-En-Provence 2017 Review – The Rake’s Progress: An Imaginative Production & Solid Cast Lend Insightful Reading of Stravinsky’s Neo-Classic Masterwork

“The Rake’s Progress,” an opera in three acts and an epilogue by Igor Stravinsky, was one of the six operas performed at this year’s Festival International d’art Lyrique d’Aix-en-Provence. Although relatively modern, compared to the classical opera repertoire (it premiered on 11 April 1951), Simon McBurney’s visually striking and infinitely creative staging gives it an additional innovative edge. English actor, {…}

Jul 11, 2017

The Chautauqua Opera Company 2017 Review – L’Orfeo: Respighi’s Orchestration of the Monteverdi Masterwork Asserts the Power of Music

“L’Orfeo” debuted in 1607, as Capt. John Smith sailed across the Atlantic to found a settlement in Jamestown, Virginia. It is the oldest opera in the repertoire. So for it to have an American premiere of any sort in 2017 is remarkable. But on Saturday, July 8th, 2017, the Respighi orchestration of Monteverdi’s version of the tale of Orpheus and {…}

Jul 7, 2017

OperaRox Productions 2016-17 Review – Sweets by Kate: An Uneven Work Makes History At Stonewall

Tucked away in the Legendary Greenwich Village gay bar, Stonewall, the New York premiere of “Sweets by Kate” was being held. The opera was not only making a New York premiere but it was also the first opera with lesbian protagonists to be shown at the historic LGBT monument. OperaRox Productions, an underground, indie opera company founded by mezzo-soprano Kim Feltkamp, {…}

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