Jonas Kaufmann, Julie Fuchs, Kristine Opolais, Marlis Petersen, Andrew Stenson Headline Top 10 Operas to Stream This Week
By David SalazarAudiences who crave seeing opera’s biggest stars on the small screen will have a lot to enjoy. From a Jonas Kaufmann triumph at the Met to a new role for Marlis Petersen and a video showcase for Kristine Opolais, this week’s selection should certainly fulfill a lot of operatic wishes.
But there are also two world premieres – one in the U.S. and one in Australia, both about widely different subjects, but with similar themes on identity.
Without further ado, here are this week’s top 10 operas to stream.
Adriana Lecouvreur – Teatro Comunale di Bologna (NOW)
Last week, Raiplay released a film recording of Adriana Lecouvreur filmed recently at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna. The work stars Kristine Opolais in the title role alongside Nicola Alaimo, Luciano Gaci, Veronica Simeoni, and Romano Dal Zovo. The main attraction here is undoubtedly Opolais, a perennial actor whose talent shines here.
Aida – Vienna State Opera (March 15)
The Vienna State Opera will kick off the week with Verdi’s “Aida.” The iconic opera is headlined by Elena Guseva, Gregory Kunde, Ekaterina Gubanova, and Simone Piazzola. Marco Armiliato conducts Nicolas Joel’s production.
La Fanciulla del West – Metropolitan Opera (March 16)
The Met’s streaming slate turns to a recent performance of Puccini’s epic opera with a cast headlined by Jonas Kaufmann, Eva-Maria Westbroek, and Zeljko Lucic. Most might come for Kaufmann’s heroics, but Westbroek is the true hero of this production in one of her finest vocal displays on the Met stage.
Don Giovanni – Seattle Opera (March 19-21)
Seattle Opera will continue to stream recent productions of noted operas, this time shining a spotlight on Mozart and Da Ponte’s famed masterwork. This iconic masterpiece will star Jared Bybee in the title role with Vanessa Goikotxea as Donna Anna and Laura Wilde as Donna Elvira. Michael Sumuel will take on the role of Leporello while Jasmine Habersham will interpret Zerlina. Kenneth Kellogg will appear as the Commendatore while Adam Lau will perform as Masetto. Rounding out the cast will be Andrew Stenson as Don Ottavio.
The opera will be conducted by Lidiya Yankovskaya with stage direction by Brenna Corner.
L’amour des trois oranges – Staatsoper Stuttgart (March 19)
For those seeking out something more on the comic side of things (and that is rarely performed), Staatsoper Stuttgart will showcase Prokofiev’s satirical opera with a cast that includes Patrick Zielke, Kai Kluge, Stine Marie Fischer, Shigeo Ishino, Daniel Kluge, Johannes Kammler, Michael Ebbecke, Carole Wilson, Aytaj Shikhalizadev, Fiorella Hincapié, Carina Schmieger, Matthew Anchel, and Christopher Sokolowski. Alejo Pérez conducts the production by Axel Ranisch.
Il Turco in Italia – Teatro San Carlo di Napoli (March 19)
Julie Fuchs will headline the Teatro San Carlo di Napoli’s concert performance of the Rossini classic. She will be joined by Marko Mimica, Ruzil Gatin, and Paolo Bordogna. Carlo Montanaro will conduct the opera buffa which will also star Alessandro Luongo, Gaia Petrone, and Filippo Adami.
Echo and Narcissus / Cassandra – Victorian Opera (March 19)
The Australian opera company is set to showcase two world premieres for audiences around the world. First up will be “Echo and Narcissus,” a collaboration between composer Kevin March and librettist Jane Montgomery Griffiths, while “Cassandra” was created by Simon Bruckard and Constantine Costi.
The opera stars soprano Kathryn Radcliffe, baritone Nathan Lay, mezzo-soprano Shakira Dugan, tenor Samuel Sakker, and baritone Simon Meadows.
The Puppy Episode – Chicago Opera Theater (March 20)
Those seeking out a unique new opera will find a lot to explore with this new work by Matthew Recio and Royce Vavrek. The work, which stars tenor Justin Berkowitz, baritone Evan Bravos, mezzo Morgan Middleton, and soprano Laura Wilde, explores the lives of four characters across generations as a major coming-out story is playing out on television for the first time.
Siegfried – San Francisco Opera (March 20-21)
San Francisco Opera will continue its month-long Ring Cycle with the third installment in the tetralogy. The opera will star Daniel Brenna in the title role with Irene Theorin as Brünnhilde.
Der Rosenkavalier – Bayerische Staatsoper (March 21)
The Bayerische Staatsoper is set to present a live stream of “Der Rosenkavalier” with a star-studded cast headlined by Marlis Petersen in her debut as the Marschallin. She will be joined by Christof Fischesser as Baron Ochs and Samantha Hankey as role of Octavian. The performance will also star Johannes Martin Kränzle, Katharina Konradi, Daniela Köhler, Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke, Ursula Hesse von den Steinen, Martin Snell, Manuel Günther, Caspar Singh, Christian Rieger, Galeano Salas, Eliza Boom, and George Vîrban. Vladimir Jurowski conducts.
