The role of Carmen is one of the most iconic in the repertoire. It’s a role that most mezzos dream of performing for its famous arias and its complex heroine. This week mezzo-soprano Raffaella Lupinacci sings the title role for the first time in her career. Lupinacci will bring her first interpretation of the title role to the prestigious Luglio {…}
(Credit: Jessi Oliano) In the 21st century when opera is perceived as elitist and out-of-touch with contemporary issues, there are many hated buzz words which encapsulate hurdles that modern opera companies must meet if they want to survive. “Relevancy” is one such buzz word. In a society that is far-removed from the aristocracy, powdered wigs and hoop skirts, common in {…}
(Photo: Maria Laura Antonelli/AGF) This summer, Spoleto’s Festival of the Two Worlds, now in its 62nd year, premiered “Proserpine” a new opera by the Italian composer, Silvia Colasanti. The work is a rendering of a well-known Greek myth, in which Proserpine is abducted by Pluto and taken down into the Underworld. Over the centuries it has had many retellings and {…}
OperaVision will present a live stream of “Le Nozze di Figaro” from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden on July 9, 2019. The stream kicks off at 8 p.m. local time. That’s around 3 p.m. EDT and 12 p.m. PST for the start time. The live stream will be available for one month on the platform. The Mozart masterpiece will {…}
The Semperoper Dresden has announced that Franco Vassallo will perform Rodrigo in a highly anticipated new production of Verdi’s “Don Carlo.” Vassallo will sing all four performances, which are all sold out. The production is highly anticipated as it marks the return of Anna Netrebko to the Semperoper Dresden and her role debut as Elisabetta in the work. Vassallo will {…}
Mariusz Kwiecień has withdrawn from today’s performance of Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro.” The Bayerische Staatsoper announced that due to illness the baritone would not be able to perform the role of the Count. As a result, Christoph Pohl will replace the baritone. Pohl is currently performing a new production of Meyerbeer’s “Les Huguenots” at the Semperoper Dresden. He has {…}
The Sinfonia Nacional de Galicia has announced its 2019-20 season. For the purposes of this article, we will only focus on the vocal or opera-related concerts. Here is a look: The Compania Nacional is set to present “Carmen” in a ballet version using the music of Bizet and Rodion Shchedrin. Performance Dates: Nov. 22 & 23, 2020 Gian Battista Pergolesi/Johann {…}
(Production photo: Duane Tinkey/Des Moines Metro Opera’s “Billy Goats Gruff”) Father of six, retired bass-baritone John Davies first attempted to write a children’s opera for an unusual reason. “Around 1978,” he remembered in an interview with OperaWire, “it seemed to me that the tobacco industry was advertising to my young children, with the Marlboro Man, Joe Camel, and Virginia Slims {…}
(Credit: Royal Opera House) How one experiences Barrie Kosky’s “Carmen,” which is currently being presented at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, really depends on your relationship to the work itself. Those who have never seen the opera might actually find themselves riveted by Kosky’s conception and execution. Those who hate it might find this a breath of fresh air. {…}
(Photo: Monika Rittershaus) Murderous political machinations and pandemic debauchery in the Kingdom of Lombardy in the 7th century were as rampant as any episode of “Game of Thrones” over a millennium later. A neophyte watching the latest series of the Westeros saga without any prior knowledge of its protagonists would find it similarly challenging to work out who is trying {…}
The Real Filharmonía de Galicia has announced its 2019-20 season. For purposes of this article, we will only concentrate on the vocal performances. Miren Urbieta Vega and Damián Del Castillo perform a night of Zarzuela with works by J. Guridi, F. Moreno Torroba, and P. Sorozábal. Manuel Coves conducts. Performance Date: Oct. 3, 2019 Fernando Buide’s “A amnesia de Clío” is set to be performed with Paul {…}