Mozart’s operas feature some of the most nuanced, human-like characters in all of the operatic repertory. And if his characters were real humans living and breathing today, in the year 2018, chances are they’d have a smartphone attached to the palm of their hand, filled with apps that they’d use to navigate the twenty-first-century world around them. From Snapchat to {…}
Before the Met showcases Elina Garanca and Roberto Alagna in “Samson et Dalila” this fall, audiences around the world will get to hear the duo live from the Vienna State Opera as part of its live stream series as the showcase on Friday, May 18, 2018, will be presented globally online. The production will be conducted by Marco Armiliato and {…}
The Portland Opera has announced that it will be showcasing the West Coast premiere of John Frame and Kevin Newbury’s “Faust” production. The showcase appeared at the Lyric Opera of Chicago earlier this season, with OperaWire’s Santosh Venkataraman noting “Frame’s unique concepts combine with glorious singing.” “This is one of the most unique and exciting projects I’ve ever worked on,” {…}
The Long Beach Opera has announced its 2018-19 season, which is also the company’s 40th anniversary season and the 20th of Artistic and General Director Andreas Mitisek. The season kicks off with “Three Tales by Beryl Korot & Steve Reich” on Nov. 3, 2018. The documentary video opera emphasizes three events of the 20th century – the Hindenburg explosion, the {…}
As New York’s 2018 Opera Fest rolls along, audiences in the city have been able to enjoy works new and old as presented by over 20 opera companies. Weaving the old and new together is “Tabula Rasa,” a jazz-inspired opera by composer Felix Jarrar, librettist Bea Goodwin, and presented by the Cantanti Project. “Tabula Rasa” follows American artist Man Ray {…}
The Grand Théâtre de Genève has announced its 2018-19 season featuring a number of rarely performed works as well as the Ring Cycle. Here is a look at what this season will offer. Productions The season opens with Bizet’s “Carmen” starring Ekaterina Sergeeva and Héloïse Mas alternating the title role. Sébastien Guèze and Sergej Khomov share the role of Don José {…}
Jules Massenet, born on May 12, 1842, is arguably the chameleon of all opera composers, his style evolving to suit the text rather than imposing a specific musical style to every work. This ability makes him, for many, the greatest French composer of opera to ever live. He studied under Ambroise Thomas in his youth, won the country’s top musical {…}
We all know that the future of art in any country resides with the younger generations. Achieving that passing of the torch is far easier said than done and few embark fully on said commitment. Lydia Kontos, Executive Director of the Kaufman Music Center, is one such person who has made it her life to champion music education and develop {…}
Joyce DiDonato has announced that she will retire the role of “Cendrillon” in Massenet’s opera. The mezzo announced in an Instagram post that after 21 years with Cinderella she would be saying goodbye to the character. Massenet’s opera is the second Cinderella role she has performed at the Met and one of the two versions of character she has performed {…}
Donizetti’s “L’Elisir d’Amore,” which the exception of Rossini’s “Barbiere di Siviglia,” might be the most famous opera comedy of all time. The work, which premiered on May 12, 1832, was written in just six weeks and went on to be a runaway success for the ensuing decade. It was the most performed opera in Italy between 1838-48 and not much {…}
In response to the increasing interest surrounding Matthew Aucoin’s “Orphic Moments,” the cast from National Sawdust in 2016 reformed this past week at the Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Additionally, MasterVoices was part of the performance in the new space. The 130 member chorus, which specializes in multiple genres of music, added not only an inspirational dimension of {…}