The Ópera de Colombia will celebrate World Opera Day on Oct. 26 with a transmission on Canal Capital of the opera “La princesa y la arveja.” The production is the third that the Orquesta Filarmónica de Bogotá did last year during the Festival Ópera al Parque. In Cali, Donizetti’s “Lucia Di Lamermoor” will be presented and the Teatro Municipal Enrique {…}
(Credit: Alexey Kostromin) When you think of Verdi mezzo, there are few singers that fit that bill as well as Russian artist Ekaterina Semenchuk. For years now, she has been the go-to mezzo-soprano in Verdi’s major roles, finding major triumphs at such venues as the Opéra National de Paris, the Teatro Real de Madrid, the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, the {…}
There is a common misconception that melodic opera in the vein of the great romantics of the 19th century is dead in the 21st century. Most composers today would have you believe that. But Daniel Catán never did and his masterpiece “Florencia en el Amazonas” bears this out better than anyone else. The work, which had its world premiere on {…}
Recently, mourning the death of truly great soprano Jessye Norman, many opera singers, directors, and other professionals shared an extract from her amazing interview for BBC HARDtalk, in which she covered many important topics on the opera industry and education. But what people shared was a very particular short piece, where she shared her thoughts on opera critics. Question: Did {…}
(Credit: Teatro Comunale di Bologna/Vincent Pontet-Opera de Paris) This week, four rarely performed works get stagings and concert performances with formidable casts that should not be missed. There are also some classics with all-stars casts that make them unmissable. Macbeth – Wiener Staatsoper, Austria Plácido Domingo returns to the Vienna stage amidst sexual misconduct allegations to sing the title role {…}
Opera Saratoga has announced the return of a core initiative titled “Saratoga Sings for Seniors.” This program serves to bring opera and vocal music to senior citizens in the Saratoga community and upstate New York, featuring free concerts of beloved arias, duets, musical theatre numbers, as well as popular songs from the 20th century. “While most arts organizations have robust {…}
Sondra Radvanovsky will return to the Lyric Opera of Chicago for an evening entitled “The Three Queens.” The concert will showcase the finales of all three “Tudor Queen” operas interpreted by Radvanovksy who has become one of the great exponents of the Donizetti operas. During the 2015-16 season, Radvanovsky became the only artist to portray the three Tudor queens of {…}
The Victorian Opera is set to present Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” in a new concert-stage version in Melbourne. Victorian Opera’s Artistic Director Richard Mills is set to conduct the Orchestra Victoria with director Elizabeth Hill-Cooper helming the production. The production will star Argentine-Australian baritone Jose Carbo in the title role, Brenton Spiteri as Count Almaviva, and mezzo-soprano Chiara Amaru {…}
(Credit: Clive Barda) Internationally renowned baritone Christian Gerhaher sang Mahler on Tuesday evening at the Herbst Theater, San Francisco alongside noted German pianist Gerold Huber. It was intimacy in a public space, and superb. The range, the expressivity, the pairing of words, music, and thought encapsulated Mahler’s genius beautifully. We go to Mahler’s songs for an intimate exploration of life {…}
October is at an end and opera season is in full force. This weekend features a plethora of fascinating options across the country, making it truly challenging to single out a few specific performances. And despite the high quality all around, we zeroed in on a few showcases that we feel really rise to the top. Here are our top {…}
(Credit: E. Moreno Esquibel/ABO) On Oct. 19, 2020, the Bilbao Opera opened its 2019-20 season with Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lamermoor” in what was a complete success. With a strong cast, a simple but effective production, and the expertise of conductor Riccardo Frizza, the ABAO reminded audience members of the high standards and quality that the company can offer. “Lucia di {…}
