In order to successfully produce any work for the theatre, be it an opera or otherwise, a director must have a clear vision of the themes they wish to explore or highlight, and of the means by which they will present them, so that the audience can engage with the work in an intelligent and meaningful way. Fiona Shaw, the {…}
Wexford Festival Opera’s shortworks, performed during the afternoon at White’s, a local hotel, are small-scale productions of known and lesser-known works in a reduced format with piano accompaniment. The aim is to provide an opportunity for festival singers appearing in minor roles or the chorus to showcase their talents in more substantial roles. Of course, it also provides further opportunities {…}
The Lyric Opera of Chicago opened its season with a fabulous collaboration with the Joffrey Ballet with the French version of “Orphée et Eurydice.” It was a sensational production, although the fact that Gluck’s work doesn’t really feature a great amount of singing perhaps left a void for some hearty Lyric operagoers. Anybody who felt that way certainly had their {…}
Following Donizetti’s death in 1848 the mantle of Italian opera eventually passed onto Verdi, something that today appears to have been a natural and uncontested succession. Yet, this was not so certain a transition as it now seems. A number of other composer also vied for the accolade, including a now almost unknown composer from Verona, called Jacopo Foroni. Hailing {…}
On October 27, 2017, Pacific Opera Project presented the world premiere of Brooke DeRosa’s “The Monkey’s Paw” along with a revival of Gian Carlo Menotti’s “The Medium” at the Ebell Club in Los Angeles. Brooke based the libretto for her opera on W.W. Jacobs’ 1902 supernatural thriller of the same name. The mystic tale, sometimes read in high school classes, {…}
If you were to see The New York City Opera’s production of “Dolores Claiborne” — and I recommend you do, though this sold-out run has just finished –it might be a useful to cite some references that occurred to me. There were many, and they were diverse. But just to orient those new to the opera — and its source, {…}
One of the world’s most loved sopranos took to Carnegie Hall again in a program equal in traditional and contemporary repertoire on Oct. 23, alongside pianist Inon Barnatan. Warming up, in a dress resembling tarnished, silver, chainmail by Vivienne Westwood, the first selections featured seven lieder by Brahms. It was not Fleming’s best moment as vocally it was unsteady and {…}
There may be no more haunting work in opera than Benjamin Britten’s “Peter Grimes,” the story of an outsider accused twice of murder by his community. It has been called the greatest British opera that has ever been written by director Keith Warner, who helmed Oper Frankfurt’s current production of this spellbinding work. “Peter Grimes” is based on an early {…}
On Saturday, Oct. 21, Sir Antonio Pappano, soprano Barbara Hannigan, and the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia (Rome) presented an impressive program with two pieces from opposite ends of the musical spectrum. The world-class orchestra, combined with Pappano’s infectious energy, brought the hall to life. It has become common practice among orchestras to mix up the evening by programming {…}