Mozart’s “Così fan tutte,” a drama giocoso in two acts, was performed in Geneva, Switzerland’s second-largest city, during the first half of May 2017 to popular and media acclaim. The staging, scenery, costumes, and accessories were produced entirely by the Grand Thèâtre de Genève, a pillar of the city’s bustling and diverse cultural life. Opera has thrived in Geneva since {…}
The starting point for any production of Peter Grimes lies in the interpretation of the opera’s central character, namely Peter Grimes himself: to what extent should the audience be encouraged to view the anti-hero as an outsider, a victim of the underlying, but all-pervading intolerance and hypocrisy which saturates the Borough, rather than simply as a sadistic sociopath? Clearly, any {…}
It was one of New York City’s truly beautiful, spring days on May 14, 2017, which made it all the harder to leave the sun and enter into the glass lobby of the Alice Tully Recital Hall, but Carolyn Sampson was here to give a recital of her floral-themed program of art song, from her CD “Fleurs,” released in 2015. {…}
This is a review for the final performance of the run, which took place on May 12, 2017. The first opera I saw during the Metropolitan Opera’s 2016-17 season was Richard Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde.” So it was only fitting that the last one I saw this season was “Der Fliegende Holländer,” the first to truly establish the composer as {…}
It was the day before the closing of the Metropolitan Opera’s season and Lincoln Center Plaza was packed like my previous rush hour transfer at Times Square. As dusk approached and the chandeliers began to glow, I made my way into, not the Met for the closing of “Der Fliegende Holländer,” but Koch Theater next door. Tonight was part of {…}
Mission statement: “We want to find those people out there that have never heard an opera, never sat inside of a concert hall, are intimidated by the mere mention of classical music and think it’s only for the rich white people, and we want to sing for them and blow their minds.” Well, consider mission accomplished. Opera On Tap NYC {…}
Buzzing in conversation, an increasingly larger group of people sat around the circular West Side Community Gardens, their proximity one another as close as it was to the numerous flower beds growing around them. A wind octet and string bass were perched on the Northern side of the central circle with conductor Geoffrey McDonald waiting patiently as more and more {…}
As Music director Designate Yannick Nézet-Séguin kicked off the first notes of Bernstein’s Overture to “West Side Story,” audiences got to view a video showcasing the artistic design and progression toward the creation of the new Metropolitan Opera house. The graphic design and special effects hinted at a nostalgic evening filled with a look back, some looks forward, all while {…}
New York City Opera first became famous for the re-discovery of forgotten works in 1966 when Beverly Sills sang in “Giulio Cesare,” even though the opera was not performed in its original format. However, City Opera can be given credit for re-starting the Baroque Revival that is still going on today. In its new incarnation, the company continues its tradition {…}