On Thursday, April 13, 2017, the Vienna State Opera is live streaming its current run of Wagner’s “Parsifal.” The Vienna State Opera’s current production of “Parsifal” has garnered strong reviews since it debuted a few weeks ago with Classical Source praising conductor Semyon Bychov for leading “a patient but never dragging interpretation. He and his musicians demonstrated great endurance and {…}
The Manhattan School of Music Opera Theater will showcase four performances of Johann Strauss’ “Der Zigeunerbaron.” The operetta, which is the second most famous work by Strauss, will be conducted by Kynan Johns, directed by Linda Brovsky and sung in German. The work, which premiered in Vienna in October 1885, features an Ignaz Schnitzer libretto based on “Sáffi,” a novella by Hungarian writer {…}
On first glance, you would never find the commonalities between Monserrat Caballé and Lily Pons. The two sopranos, one Spanish and the other French-American, are known for distinctly different repertoire. The former had a wide range that saw her dominate both bel canto and dramatic repertoire while the latter was best known for more delicate roles, particularly in her native {…}
Olga Peretyatko will sing the role of Violetta in Verdi’s “La Traviata” tonight at the Metropolitan Opera. The Met announced the news via Twitter. According to the Met press office, Peretyatko would fill in for Carmen Giannattasio who is ill. It will mark Peretyatko’s Met role debut in “La Traviata.” She has performed the role of Violetta at Baden-Baden, St. {…}
Joyce DiDonato has cancelled her European performances of Handel’s “Ariodante” The mezzo-soprano uploaded a video and put out a statement noting that due to a cyst she would need time to recover from a medical procedure. The statement read, “It is with deep regret that Joyce DiDonato has announced that she will not be able to participate in the European {…}
The Hamburg State Opera has announced its 2017-18 Season with six new productions and four productions in the opera stabile series. New Productions The company will first present a new production of Wagner’s “Parsifal” with Achim Freyer directing. Kent Nagano leads an international cast that includes Andreas Schager in the title role and Wolfgang Koch as Amfortas. The production opens Sept. 16. {…}
On April 12, Rossini’s “La Gazza Ladra” returns to the Teatro alla Scala, the house where it first premiered in 1817. In honor of the opera’s 200th anniversary Rossini expert, Riccardo Chailly conducts the work in a move to return the Bel Canto repertoire to La Scala. Meanwhile, famed film director Gabriele Salvatores makes his La Scala debut. Salvatores is {…}
Raul Melo will make his Verismo Opera debut as Radamès in Verdi’s “Aida. Lucine Amara announced the news with the New Jersey Association of Verismo Opera which will be presenting Verdi’s grand opera, “Aida,” on April 23, 2017, at 3:00 p.m. at the Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood, New Jersey Melo debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 2005 as {…}
Jonas Kaufmann is a hard man to pinpoint these days. The tenor recently noted that he is going to curtail his performances around the world, limiting himself to European engagements for lengthy production runs. But the tenor is still slated to appear in numerous concerts around the world, including a June concert on the fourth at the Holland Festival in {…}
When she steps on stage this Thursday to take her final run of Richard Strauss’ “Der Rosenkavalier,” Renée Fleming will have closed a door to one of the roles that was at the core of her legacy at the Metropolitan Opera. The new Robert Carsen Production has a star-studded cast with the likes of Elina Garanca, Matthew Polenzani, Erin Morley {…}
Every opera singer has an interesting story to tell, but few can boast of the unique circumstances that have led Danielle De Niese’s establishment as one of opera’s international stars. Born on April 11, 1979, De Niese has established a foothold in the repertoire of Mozart and Handel with forays into the Bel Canto and modern repertoire. Here is a {…}