Jonas Kaufmann, Jessye Norman, Christine Goerke, Lawrence Brownlee Headline Top 10 Operas to Stream This Week
By David SalazarWith the Easter holiday coming at the end of the week, there should be no surprise that there are a lot of Wagnerian offerings in the operatic streaming world.
And so Wagner figures prominently on this week’s list. But there’s also a lot more going on that we’re happy to share. So without further ado, here come the top 10 operas to stream this week.
Siegfried – Göteborg Opera (March 28-31)
The first big Wagner production of the week comes to you from Sweden. The third opera in Wagner’s iconic tetralogy is presented in a production directed by Stephen Landgridge and conducted by Evan Rogister. Viewers will get a chance to check out Daniel Brenna’s renowned interpretation of the title role alongside Dan Karlström as Mime, Ólafur Sigurdarson as Alberich, Mats Almgren as Fafner, Hege Høisaeter as Erda, Sofie Asplund as the Woodbird, and Ingela Brimberg as Brünnhilde. There is also an interesting choice to split up the role of the Wanderer between Anders Lorentzon (Act one and two) and Fredrik Zetterström (Act three).
Die Walküre – Vienna State Opera (March 29)
And if you want another “Ring” opera to suit your fancy, the Vienna State Opera is showcasing its 2016 production of “Die Walküre.” The opera stars Christopher Ventris, Ain Anger, Waltraud Meier, Linda Watson, and Tomasz Konieczny. Ádám Fischer conducts the production by Sven-Eric Bechtolf. The opera was filmed on Jan. 13, 2016.
Streaming date: March 29, 2021
Jessye Norman: Women of Legend, Fantasy, and Lore – Lincoln Center (March 29)
If you want to go back in time to see a legend at the peak of her art, then there is simply nothing better than this concert performance featuring Jessye Norman taking on iconic arias from “Samson et Dalila,” “Dido and Aeneas,” “Carmen;” “Joan of Arc,” “Antony and Cleopatra,” “Capriccio,” and “La Perichole.”
Christine Goerke in Concert – Cal Performances (April 1)
Those who want something a bit more intimate can’t go wrong with this recital offering from Cal Performances. Star soprano Christine Goerke will join forces with pianist Craig Terry for a program of music by Handel, Schumann, Brahms, R. Strauss, Mascagni, Owens, Jacobs-Bond, Zandonai, Ricci, and Bernstein.
Rienzi – Deutsche Oper Berlin (April 1)
We come to Wagnerian offering number three, and it’s a rare one. “Rienzi” has never been among the composer’s most beloved operas (he even rejected it as canon), but appreciation has developed over the years. Audiences will get a chance to see on what side of the argument they stand in this production by Philipp Stölzl that premiered at Berlin’s largest opera house back in 2010. And to top it all off, the production features a star-studded cast including Camilla Nylund, Kate Aldrich, Torsten Kerl, Ante Jerkunica, Krzysztof Szumański, Lenus Carlson, Clemens Bieber, and Stephen Bronk.
Le Nozze di Figaro – Staatsoper Berlin (April 1)
Not feeling Wagner this week? We understand. Well, the Staatsoper Berlin is offering up a star-studded stream of Mozart’s greatest opera (?). The opera will star Elsa Dreisig, Nadine Sierra, Emily D’Angelo, and Riccardo Fassi in the title role. General Music Director Daniel Barenboim is set to conduct the Staatskapelle Berlin in the production by Vincent Huguet.
Werther – Metropolitan Opera (April 2)
Parsifal – Staatsoper Stuttgart (April 2)
And we come to the last Wagnerian offering on the week, and unsurprisingly the most predictable. As is often the tradition in the opera world, Wagner’s final masterpiece gets a lot of play during Easter weekend, so we had to include it. For this production by notable iconoclast Calixto Bieito, the Staatsoper Stuttgart is presenting the work with a cast starring Markus Marquardt, Attila Jun, Tobias Schabel, Christiane Libor, Matthias Hölle, Heinz Göhrig, Michael Nagl, Josefin Feiler, Diana Haller, Torsten Hofmann, Moritz Kallenberg, Estelle Kruger, Fiorella Hincapié, Mirella Bunoaica, Aoife Gibney, and Daniel Kirch in the title role. Sylvain Cambreling conducts.
Platée – Theater an der Wien (April 3)
And now for a little changeup. We’ve been heavy on the romantics on this list so far (even Goerke’s recital leans in that direction) with a shot of Mozart. But now we’re going to go to the opposite end of the spectrum with Rameau’s”Platée.” The presentation spotlights Marcel Beekman, Jeanine de Bique, Cyril Auvity, Marc Mauillon, Edwin Crossley-Mercer, Emmanuelle de Negri, Emilie Renard, Ilona Revolskaya, and Padraic Rowan. Two masters, conductor William Christie and director Robert Carsen lead the charge.
Don Pasquale – San Francisco Opera (April 3-4)
And for the last offering of the week we give the Bel Canto repertory some love. In this case, we’re going to recommend you check out San Francisco’s first post-Ring stream, coming in the form of what I firmly believe to be Donizetti’s greatest comedy “Don Pasquale.” This production from 2016 stars Lawrence Brownlee, Lucas Meachem, Heidi Stober, and Maurizio Muraro in the title role.
