This review is for the performance on Dec. 14, 2017. It’s an interesting time at the Metropolitan Opera right now. Undeniably taking into account the jolly spirit of the holidays the company is only showcasing comedies between now and Dec. 31, when it presents a new production of one of the most violent of all operas – “Tosca.” But for {…}
In the beginning of the 20th-century there was a snootiness about verismo opera. All of its propagators – Puccini, Giordano, Mascagni, among others – were accused of simplifying opera by eliminating many of its challenges. Those long showy lines of coloratura were long gone. In place of it, the singers began interspersing notes and passages with great long sighs or {…}
It has been three years since Lisette Oropesa last stepped on the Metropolitan Opera stage where she fostered the majority of her young career. For years since 2005 when she won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Oropesa was the go-to for numerous comprimario roles and supporting roles. She sang such roles as Nanetta in “Falstaff,” Lay Sister in “Suor Angelica,” {…}
On Dec. 23 the Bayerische Staatsoper will present its new production of “Il Trittico” on its award-winning live stream service. The new production by Lotte de Beer stars Eva-Maria Westbroek and Yonghoon Lee in “Il Tabarro” and Ermonela Jaho in her signature role as “Suor Angelica.” Michaela Schuster is the villainous Princess. The evening caps off with Ambrogio Maestri in the title {…}
On Dec. 20, 2017, Medici.TV will present Alma Deutscher’s Opera “Cinderella.” The Packard Humanities Institute and Opera San José will present the American premiere and world premiere of the English language version of 12-year-old composer, violinist, and pianist Deutscher’s opera from San Jose, California. The new work marks her second opera which reimagines the familiar and beloved fairytale, creating a {…}
Tenor Bruce Rankin has died at the age of 65. A member of the Deutsche Oper am Rhein for almost 20 years, Rankin died of an unidentified cause. He was described by Christoph Meyer as excellent character tenor and he was to have celebrated his 20th anniversary in Düsseldorf next year where he performed since 1998. The company noted, “We are {…}
The Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Chicago Urban League have announced EmpowerYouth! Igniting Creativity through the Arts, a groundbreaking, multi-year partnership that is shaped to immerse African American youth in the creation of an original opera based on their own life experiences. The program will be a collaboration by Lyric Unlimited, Lyric’s community engagement and education arm, and the {…}
Heresy Records has announced the release of Roger Doyle’s first opera “Heresy.” The company announced that the recording will be released on Feb. 9, 2018, internationally through Naxos. Known as “The Godfather of Irish Electronic Music,” Doyle’s opera premiered in 2016 as part of the 50th-anniversary celebration of Dublin’s renowned Project Arts Centre. When it premiered critics raved and said, {…}
First premiering on December 18, 1892, “Iolanta” is the final opera composed by Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto was penned by his brother, Modest Tchaikovsky, and adapts a German play by Henrik Hertz known as “King Rene’s Daughter.” First reading the play in an issue of The Russian Messenger, Tchaikovsky found himself enamored with the originality of the plot and {…}
Premiering on Dec. 18, 1926, “The Markopulos Affair” is Leos Janacek’s penultimate opera, followed by “From the House of the Dead.” The opera. The work is based on the play by Karel Capek (Janacek adapted the libretto himself) and Janacek is said to have initiated contact with the playwright in 1922 to begin the adaptation process. However, legal issues delayed {…}
On Dec. 20, 2017, tenor Juan Diego Flórez and Sir Antonio Pappano will team up for a concert with the Orchestra of Santa Cecilia. The concert will be live streamed on Medici.tv and will include music of Verdi, Puccini, Mozart, Puccini, Rossini, and Offenbach. There will be music from such operas as “Roberto Devereux,” Guillaume Tell,” “The Tales of Hoffman,” “La {…}