Opera Tampa is going to have to go looking for a new artistic director as Daniel Lipton, who has held the post for the last five years, resigned on Monday. Lipton, 76, was on the fifth of a six-year contract after having replaced 95-year-old Anton Coppola. But now it seems that the company will have to make another swift change, {…}
Verdi’s “La Forza del Destino” has had an uneven performance history despite containing some of the composer’s most memorable music, not least its well-known overture, made famous through concert performances, and the emotionally charged duets that characterize the work. The problem, however, stems not from its music, but from its sprawling structure and the complex tensions that drive the narrative. {…}
It’s no surprise that most of Donizetti’s output is rarely performed, with many operas becoming obscure to many audiences. Only a few of his works have actually had a chance to make their way into the repertoire and remain there consistently. But this is not the case with “L’Assedio di Calais” which premiered in 1836 and has since been performed {…}
Anna Netrebko graces the small screen on August 13, 2017, as PBS showcases Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin” on Great Performances. The soprano received rave reviews when the production was revived in the spring. OperaWire noted, “Netrebko’s interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s operatic masterwork was an in-your-face reminder that she is singular among modern opera’s elite superstars.” The diva is joined by Peter Mattei in {…}
The PROTOTYPE Festival has announced its 2018 edition slated for January 7-20, 2018. The festival celebrating its sixth annual showcase of progressive opera and music-theatre will showcase seven new presentations including three world premieres, two U.S. premieres, one New York premiere, and one work-in-progress. The Festival kicks off with soprano superstar Renée Fleming hosting the PROTOTYPE Soiree at City Vineyard {…}
Roberto Alagna will sing Wagner’s “Lohengrin” at the Bayreuth Festival in 2018. After speculation that the tenor would perform the role, the Bayreuth Festival announced the news via Twitter. The tenor will sing the role alongside Anja Harteros, who has performed Elsa to great acclaim around the world and Waltraud Meier, who will portray Ortrud. Tomasz Konieczny will sing Telramund {…}
Liana Aleksanyan has had a rollercoaster year making an unexpected debut at the Teatro alla Scala and establishing herself as one of the most acclaimed Cio-Cio Sans of her generation. This week she continues her ascension in the opera world headlining “Aida” at the Macerata Opera Festival. The assumption of Aida brings Aleksanyan to another stage in her career as she takes {…}
Plácido Domingo’s conducting ambitions are expanding next season the legendary opera star conducts a full Wagner opera for the first time in his career in the composer’s own sanctuary. That’s right, Domingo is leading a Wagner opera in Bayreuth during the summer of 2018. The work of choice? “Die Walküre,” an opera he has performed previously in his career. In {…}
Juan Diego Florez will headline the 2018 Rossini Opera Festival with a new production of “Ricciardo e Zoraide.” The production will mark the tenor’s return to the festival and will mark yet another Rossini role debut. Florez will be joined by Pretty Yende and will be conducted by Giacomo Sagripanti. Marshall Pynkoski will direct the new production. The festival will also {…}
Aleksandra Kurzak has canceled her participation at the Bayerische Staatsoper’s performances of Offenbach’s “Les Contes d’Hoffmann.” The soprano will be replaced by Diana Damrau and Olga Pudova. Damrau will sing the roles of Stella, Giulietta, and Antonia while Pudova will be performing Olympia. Damrau opened the Richard Jones’ production back in 2011 singing all four roles with Rolando Villazon. She {…}
The Teatro Municipal Jorge Eliecer Gaitán is not among the most aesthetically pleasing of auditoriums in the city of Bogotá, Colombia. Dedicated to one of the great tragic figures in Colombian history, a man known for his support of the disenfranchised (his assassination led to one of the most prominent massacres in Colombian history), the theater is rather minimal in {…}