Performance Santa Fe 2017 Review – Festival of Song: Brief Encounters: Vocal Quintet & Three Short Operas Deliver Memorable Evening

On July 30, 2017, at the Scottish Rite Center, Performance Santa Fe presented a vocal quintet and 3 short operas. Fifteen-year-old Ezra Shcolnik, a graduate of Performance Santa Fe’s young artist program who currently studies at the Colburn School in Los Angeles, wrote the Quintet. Mark Adamo, Jake Heggie, and Joe Illick wrote the short operas. Maestro Illick also accompanied {…}

Aug 1, 2017

Bard SummerScape Festival 2017 Review – Dimitrij: A Flawed Production Makes Compelling Case For Dvořák’s Rarely Heard Sixth Opera

Let me start off by saying “Dimitrij” is not Dvořák’s melodic masterpiece nor is it the most important work by the composer. But Dvořák’s sixth opera is a compelling grand opera that deserves more exposure and more productions. In sum, while listening to this unique opera, one can certainly hear hints of the dramatic prowess Dvořák would eventually utilize to {…}

Aug 1, 2017

Festival della Valle D’Itria 2017 Review – Un Giorno di Regno: Great Musicians Elevate Verdi’s Undercooked Early Comedy

In 1840 Verdi’s second opera, and his first attempt at comedy, “Un Giorno di Regno,” was premiered at La Scala in Milan to widespread criticism, criticism that the composer took to heart to the point that it took more than 50 years before he would write another comedy. Of course, we know how that second comedic experiment turned out as {…}

Jul 31, 2017

Festival della Valle d’Itria Review 2017 – Margherita d’Anjou: Director Shifts Plot From 15th Century to Reality TV Setting… And It Works

Martina Franca, situated in Puglia in south east Italy, is home to the annual Festival della Valle d’Itria, which is largely, although not exclusively, devoted to the presentation of obscure, neglected, and rarely-performed operas. Its stated mission is “dedicated to researching and deepening our knowledge of Italian bel canto,” and it is in this light that it selects operas and {…}

Jul 30, 2017

Verbier Festival 2017 Review – Elektra: Esa-Pekka Salonen Leads Dramatic Performance Worth Watching Many Times Over

From start to finish, Strauss’s “Elektra” pulls us into the dark night of the soul and its tormented landscape. There Electra does with us what she does to herself – rages, grieves, strains, plots and plans, and violates any chance she has for peace of mind or human freedom. If she thinks that such a prospect will grant her ease, {…}

Jul 27, 2017

Q & A: Alek Shrader and Daniela Mack on Living Opera Careers Together

Tenor Alek Shrader and mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack have enormous operatic careers and have sung all over the world both individually and together. The couple has joined forces in such operas as “La Cenerentola” and Handel’s “Partenope” and this summer they will be reunited in Handel’s “Alcina” at Santa Fe Opera. I had the chance to speak with them on my {…}

Jul 25, 2017

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 {…}

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