To paraphrase Shakespeare “an opera by any other name would sound as sweet.” There are multiple nomenclatures for the lyric theatre ranging A-Z from “Azione teatrale” to “Zarzuela.” Not to forget Wagner’s singular appellation of “Parsifal” as a “Bühnenweihfestspiel” or Richard Strauss’ designation of “Capriccio” as a “Konversationsstück für Musik.” Karol Szymanowski stands unique in that the original description of {…}
Half way through the second act of Donizetti’s “Anna Bolena,” Giovanna Seymour enters the prison cell of Anna Bolena in an attempt to save her from the execution block by getting her to admit that she is guilty of adultery, precipitating a musical and dramatic confrontation between the two rivals for Enrico’s love. It is a confrontation of epic proportions, {…}
Like a prank fallen flat, Jan Philipp Gloger’s 2016 production of “Così fan tutte” is loaded with unfunny clichés the audience always sees coming. Boasting cardboard imitations of forests, a doctor’s costume making its Despina look like Jesus Christ, huge placards with classic fonts spelling out the Italian words “fedeltà,” “amore” and others, some parts are embarrassing to watch. With {…}
Henry Purcell’s “Dido and Aeneas” has always left room for discussion in regards to musical content and timeline. However, it is with this openness that Juilliard took the opportunity to mold this opera into what was a remarkably intimate production of English Chamber music that told the heartbreaking story of a hell-bent Queen of Carthage. More specifically, Conductor Avi Stein {…}
There are good singers, there are good actors, and there are good performers. but it is a miracle of the arts when you can find all three of them combined in the same artist, as is the case with Bryn Terfel. What this bass-baritone presented on the stage of Teatro Real on Feb. 22, 2019 was something rarely seen or {…}
What would you choose: love or game? This is the central question facing Herman, the protagonist of “The Queen of Spades.” It’s also one that the authors had to confront. Pushkin wrote his story from a social perspective and analyzed how addiction can ruin lives. So in his analysis, Herman was an addicted player and Liza was just a victim. {…}
Following on from its production of “Il Sogno di Scipione,” Venice’s La Fenice staged another Mozart rarity, “Il Re Pastore.” Although being a more mature work, the two operas share many characteristics; both were set to a libretto by Metastasio, written for sopranos and tenor voices (although in the latter work the role of Aminta was written for a castrato, {…}
The last time the formidable mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato appeared at UC Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall, she concocted a program centered on an off-the-shelf theme labeled “War and Peace,” serving as the justification to string together a splendid collection of arias and laments. Set within a choreographed concert with a fairly substantial mise-en-scène, any pretense of that evening’s concept and symbolism inevitably {…}
This review is for the performance on Feb. 22, 2019. The month of February might be the Met’s best in 2018-19. Just a few weeks ago, the company revived Donizetti’s “La Fille du Régiment” and it proved to be one of its great successes of the season. Propped up by star performances and a brilliant production, it has kept audiences {…}