Lise Davidsen, Mary Elizabeth Williams, Ana Maria Martinez, Jennifer Rowley Headline Top 10 Operas to Stream this Week
By David SalazarThis is it. Next week will bring us into the traditional fall opera season where most opera companies would have initially started to open up their initial productions. In Europe, this trend will continue. In North America, it won’t.
So the streaming will continue in unique and diverse formats. This week’s recommendations are no different.
As always, don’t forget to check out important discussions taking place regarding issues of race and equality in opera with such programs as Karen Slack’s “KikiKonversations,” Kenneth Overton’s “Black Opera Live,” and Mark S. Doss’ “Heart and Soul” series on Sunday afternoons. We can now add Bill Doggett’s series “Composer Conversations.”
There will also be a unique conversation by River City Opera featuring Meroë Khalia Adeeb, Liz Bouk, Imani Mosley, and Gabriel Hernández as they talk about opera’s ideal future.
Strands – Opera Colorado (NOW)
Opera Colorado recently launched a new online series of song features many of its artists in residence. This online program provides audiences with a chance to explore American song. Performers include Laura Soto-Bayomi, Kira Dills-DeSurra, Thomas Cilluffo, Isaiah Feken, Eric McConnell, and Tyler Tucker. The video was directed by Cherity Koepke.
Candide – The Knights (August 25)
The Knights will celebrate Leonard Bernstein’s 102nd birthday with a production of his “Candide.” Cast members include Miles Mykkanen in the title role with Sharleen Joynt as Cunegonde, Margaret Gawrsyak as the Old Lady, and Evan Jones as Pangloss, Voltaire, and Cacambo. Other cast members include Alexander Elliot, Alex Mansoori, Sarah Larsen, Emma Sorenson, Zoe Johnson, Chandler Johnson, Luke Macmillan, John Eirich, and Courtney Lopes.
Tosca – Opera San Antonio (August 25)
For those who would prefer to listen without necessarily having to watch, Opera San Antonio and Texas Public Radio will stream a production of “Tosca” starring Jennifer Rowley in her signature role. She is joined by Michael Chioldi as Scarpia and Rafael Davila as Cavaradossi. Rowley is one of the best Toscas out there right now, so this is a chance to check out her unique rendition.
Ana María Martinez in Recital – LAO At Home (August 25)
Soprano Ana María Martinez will present a recital that will include the famed “Song to the Moon” and a selection of Spanish songs.
#OperaHarmony – OperaVision (August 25)
OperaVision is marching along with its #OperaHarmony series. This week’s edition will showcase five new operas including “Apart / Mental,” “Grief,” “Walk Out of Yourself,” “La Solitudine,” and “My Neighbor Figaro.” For those that have been keeping track of these weekly programs, they provide an opportunity to see the wide-ranging creativity around the opera world and how artists are finding ways to make opera with friends and digital technology.
The Serenade – Victor Herbert Renaissance Project Live (August 25-30)
The Victor Herbert Renaissance Project Live! will kick off a series of online streams with a production of the composer’s operetta “The Serenade,” running from August 25 – 30. The performance comes from April 2016 and all funds collected for the showcase will be used to help artists who worked on the production. Victor Herbert is renowned for his operettas and while he doesn’t quite get as much attention in the modern opera world, his works were deeply influential to the modern musical theatre scene and undoubtedly provide a unique contrast for opera lovers in terms of the exploration of dramatic music.
Songs of Summer with Mary Elizabeth Williams – Seattle Opera (August 27)
In its latest recital experience, Seattle Opera will present soprano Mary Elizabeth Williams. Williams will perform selections from “Les Troyens,” “Tristan und Isolde,” and “Turandot.” She will be joined by Debora Mori at the piano.
Woodland Scenes – Wolftrap Opera (August 29)
WolfTrap will continue to present online performances. This time around the company will showcase a virtual pop-up performance from Woodland park featuring music from “Falstaff,” “Into the Woods,” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” with such artists as Brian Michael Moore, Conor McDonald, Alex Munger, Alexandra Nowakowski, Yuri Aoki, and Nicholas Newton.
Met Stars Live in Concert: Lise Davidsen in Oslo – Metropolitan Opera (August 29)
The Met Opera continues its live concert series with a performance from Oslo featuring Lise Davidsen. The soprano has been hailed as one of the great Wagnerian sopranos of today AND tomorrow and she will present a program that features not only opera arias by Verdi, Wagner, and Puccini but also songs by Grieg, Strauss, Britten, and many others. She will be joined by pianist James Baillieu.
The series has improved with each subsequent performance so it should be interesting to see what this exciting rising star pulls off with one of the most extensive and varied programs to date.
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg – Glyndebourne Open House (August 30)
Glyndebourne has been one of the most consistent streamers of opera productions over the last few months. But the company has now announced that it will conclude this programming this coming week when it showcases Wagner’s “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.” This final showcase features Vladimir Jurowski conducting a cast starring Marco Jentzsch, Anna Gabler, Topi Lehtipuu, Alastair Miles, Johannes Martin Kränzle, Gerald Finley, Colin Judson, Andrew Slater, Henry Waddington, Robert Poulton, Alasdair Elliott, Daniel Norman, Adrian Thompson, Graeme Broadbent, Maxim Mikhailov, and Mats Almgren.
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