(Credit: Wilfried Hösl) It is a magical moment when the finest singers in the world, along with strong musical guidance and with a meaningful dramatic production are combined together. That is exactly what happened on the evening of the June 9, 2019, when the Bayeriche Staatsoper revived Barbara Wysocka’s production of “Lucia di Lammermoor” with the “Bel canto couple” of the moment: {…}
The Semperoper Dresden has announced a cast change for its final two performances of “Don Giovanni.” The company announced that David Steffens will sing Il Commendatore in Mozart’s work on June 16 and 20, replacing Alexandros Stavrakakis, who is ill. The German bass will make his Semperoper Dresden debut. He is an ensemble member of the Stuttgart Staatsoper and he recently {…}
(Credit: Photos Courtesy of Met Opera Press Department) Every summer, the Metropolitan Opera leaves Lincoln Center for two major projects. The first is a series of concerts at Carnegie Hall. But the latter is geared toward reaching out to a different kind of audience as it presents live concerts at a number of parks throughout New York City. This year’s {…}
“Opera Meets Film” is a feature dedicated to exploring the way that opera has been employed in cinema. We will select a section or a film in its entirety, highlighting the impact that utilizing the operatic form or sections from an opera can alter our perception of a film that we are viewing. This week’s installment takes a look at {…}
French mezzo-soprano Michèle Vilma passed away on May 28, 2019 at the age of 87. Vilma was born in Rouen, France on Feb. 23, 1932. The mezzo-soprano studied voice under Lucienne Vifquain at the Conservatoire de Rouen, according to the Greek National Opera’s Virtual Museum, before going on to make her Opera de Rouen debut as Dalila in “Samson et {…}
Illiria has announced Vittorio Prato’s debut album. The new album entitled “Il Bravo” will be dedicated to the art of the great baritone Antonio Tamburini. In the album, Prato has selected a selection of rare Bel Canto arias from the operas of the beginning of the 19th century. Among the composers in the album include Donizetti, Bellini, Saviero Mercandante, Carlo {…}
Bernard Haitink has announced his retirement. The acclaimed conductor, now 90, announced that his final concert on the podium will be on Sept. 6 at the Lucerne Festival. The concert will include Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto and Bruckner’s Seventh Symphony. The concert will be one of two this summer at the Lucerne Festival where he will also conduct Mahler’s Fourth {…}
Opera Australia has announced the cast to its upcoming Ring Cycle. The company announced that Stefan Vinke will headline an exceptional collection of singers, actors, dancers, and musicians when they take to the Lyric Theatre Stage at Queensland Performing Arts Centre in November 2020 for the Ring Cycle Brisbane. Vinke, who OperaWire hailed as the most heroic debut of the Metropolitan {…}
Opera Australia and Opera Queensland have announced that they will co-present Davide Livermore’s critically acclaimed digital production of Verdi’s “Aida” alongside the Ring Cycle in 2020 at Queensland Performing Arts Centre. The celebrated production conveys the scale, depth, and magnificence demanded by this monumental opera using the same integrated digital technologies as the upcoming Ring Cycle. Opera Australia’s Artistic Director {…}
The Semperoper Dresden has announced a cast change for its upcoming performance of “Die Zauberflöte.” The company announced that Dimitry Ivashchenko will sing Sarastro in the performance on June 14, replacing Tilmann Rönnebeck, who is ill. He also sings the final performance of the season on July 6, 2019. Ivashchenko is an acclaimed bass who has performed at the Metropolitan Opera, Deutsche {…}
(Credit: Cory Weaver / San Francisco) San Francisco Opera’s “Orlando” was not like its poem of origin by Ariosto, “furioso” or “impassionato.” Rather, it was thoughtful performance, set during the London Blitz in WW II, where it brought together images of the disasters of war along with its chilling human side effects and provoked questioning and rethinking human values. Originally {…}