Rachael Wilson & Silvia Costa Headline ‘Juditha Triumphans’ at Staatsoper Stuttgart

(Credit: © Matthias Baus) The Staatsoper Stuttgart has announced the upcoming premiere of Antonio Vivaldi’s oratorio “Juditha Triumphans.” The oratorio will star five mezzo-sopranos including Stine Marie Fischer as Holofernes, Diana Haller as Vagaus, Gaia Petrone as Abra, Alexandra Urquiola as Ozias, and Rachael Wilson in the title role. Benjamin Bayl conducts a production by Silvia Costa. Vivaldi’s oratorio hold {…}

Dec 15, 2021

Obituary: Conductor Allin Vlasenko Dies at 83

On Nov. 23, Ukrainian conductor Allin Grigorievich Vlasenko passed away at the age of 83. The news was made official by the National Opera of Ukraine which said, he was “One of the Best Conductors of the Our Time.” Born in 1938 in the Russian city of Chelyabinsk, Vlasenko went on to study music in Kharkov and went on to {…}

Dec 15, 2021

Teatro dell’Opera di Roma 2021-22 Review: Julius Caesar

(Photo: Fabrizio Sansoni) In 2005, Vlaamse Opera premiered the first part of the Giorgio Battistelli’s Shakespeare trilogy, “Richard III,” to widespread acclaim. It has since gone on to receive a number of productions across Europe, although it had to wait until 2018 to receive its Italian premiere at Venice’s La Fenice. OperaWire was present for the occasion, and for what {…}

Dec 15, 2021

Obituary: Bulgarian Director Svetozar Donev Dies at 88

On Nov. 9, 2021, Bulgarian director Svetozar Donev passed away. He was 88-years-old. Born on Jan. 29, 1933 in Sofia, Bulgaria, Donev graduated in 1954 in directing and made his debut with a production of “The Youth of the Fathers” by B. Gorbatov at the Geo Milev Drama Theater – Stara Zagora. However, he later specialized in opera directing in {…}

Dec 15, 2021

Martina Serafín, Daniela Tabernig, Valeriano Lanchas Headline Teatro Julio Mario Santo Domingo’s ‘Tosca’

The Teatro Julio Mario Santo Domingo in Bogotá, Colombia is set to present Puccini’s “Tosca” on Dec. 17-19, 2021. The showcase represents the first time in 24 years that the famed Italian work is performed in Colombia. The co-production withLa Compañía Estable will be conducted by Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Principal Conductor of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, and directed by Pedro Salazar. {…}

Dec 14, 2021

Opéra National du Rhin Cancels ‘Carmen’ Due to COVID-19

(Credit: Visit Alsace official website) The Opéra National du Rhin in Strasbourg has announced the cancelation of a performance of Bizet’s “Carmen” on Dec. 15, 2021. “The health situation has deteriorated in the last few days among the teams participating in our production of ‘Carmen’,” said the opera house in an official statement. The opera was set to star Edgaras {…}

Dec 14, 2021

Staatsoper Hannover Cancels 2022 Opera Ball

The Staatsoper Hannover has announced the cancelation of its Opera Ball, which was originally set to be held on Feb 18 & 19, 2022. According to current rules in Germany to contain the spread of COVID-19, an event with more than 2,000 guests is not allowed, especially since nobody knows yet which rules will apply in February. “Due to the extensive {…}

Dec 14, 2021

Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra Cancels Performances Following Decision by Government of Norway

(Credit: https://www.highresaudio.com/) The Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra has canceled all performances until at least Jan. 13, 2022. Among the canceled performances is Bach’s “Christmas Oratorio” that was supposed to star soprano Beate Mordal, mezzo-soprano Marianne Beate Kielland, tenor Fabio Trümpy, and baritone Sebastian Noack alongside conductor Jan Willem de Vriend. The Bergen Philharmonic has shut down following the decision of the {…}

Dec 14, 2021

Den Norske Opera Cancels Performances After Norwegian Government Announces New COVID Restrictions

(Credit: Erik Berg) The government of Norway has announced new restrictive measures in a bid to prevent the large incoming Omicron wave in January 2022. Per the warning of health officials, the country could face up to 300,000 daily COVID-19 cases if no swift and decisive measures are taken to curb the spread of a new and highly aggressive Omicron {…}

Dec 14, 2021

Isabel Leonard Leads Metropolitan Opera’s Holiday ‘Cinderella’

(Credit: Karen Almond / Met Opera) The Metropolitan Opera will continue its holiday season with a new installment in its series of abridged, English-language opera adaptations with Massenet’s “Cinderella.” The opera, which will be performed eight times between Dec. 17, 2021 and Jan. 3, 2022, is directed by Laurent Pelly. The 90-minute abridged version with an English translation, based on the {…}

Dec 14, 2021

Jonas Kaufmann, Maria Agresta, Annalisa Stroppa & Ambrogio Maestri Lead Free Streams From Semperoper Dresden

(© Semperoper Dresden/Matthias Creutziger) The Semperoper Dresden has announced that it will stream the 2016 double-bill production of Mascagni’s “Cavalleria Rusticana” and Leoncavallo’s “Pagliacci.” The operas star Maria Agresta, Liudmyla Monastyrska, Annalisa Stroppa, Stefania Toczyska, Tansel Akzeybek, Alessio Arduini, Jonas Kaufmann, Ambrogio Maestri and Dimitri Platanias. Christian Thielemann conducts the Staatskapelle Dresden. This Unitel recording is made available in collaboration {…}