The Stone Guest, standing at the back of the stage, offers Don Giovanni his hand and demands that he repent for his dissolute life. Staying true to his nature, Don Giovanni refuses and, amid the flames and screams, is dragged down to Hell, bringing the scene to an end. As usual, many in the audience assume the opera has finished. The {…}
Sony Classical has announced the release of Jonas Kaufmann’s Waldebuhne concert. The concert, which was held on July 13, 2018, and later broadcast on ZDF, saw Kaufmann performing a number of Italian songs from his album “Dolce Vita” and also included a special appearance from Anita Rachvelshvili, who performed alongside the tenor. Both performers were accompanied by the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin. The DVD is {…}
The San Diego Opera announced that the opera “Hansel and Gretel,” originally scheduled for performances in December, has been replaced by performances of “All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914.” The company announced that it is trying to reschedule “Hansel and Gretel” for a future season. General director David Bennett noted in a press release, “In preparing for our {…}
On July 14, 2018, the Bolshoi Theatre celebrated the closing of the FIFA World Cup with an opera gala featuring some of the greatest singers. Anna Netrebko, Hibla Gerzmava, and Placido Domingo headlined the evening performing alongside such noteworthy singers as Ildar Abdrazakov, Yusif Eyvazov, and Fabio Sartori. The gala showcased arias from “Andrea Chénier,” “La Forza del Destino,” “Faust,” {…}
Each summer, Innsbruck hosts its Festival for Early Music. Established in 1976, it specializes in presenting historically informed performances of early music, including operas, many of which have not been heard for hundreds of years. Currently it is under the artistic direction of the early music specialist, Alessandro De Marchi, who has been in the post since 2010. Over the {…}
For the past five years, Parisian concertgoers have been able to celebrate Bastille Day, with a concert at the feet of the Eiffel Tower in the Champ-de-Mars. This year will be no different with Aida Garifullina and Joyce DiDonato set to star in the sixth edition of the event. But they will not be alone in the celebration. Alongside the {…}
Jonas Kaufmann is the world’s most famous tenor. The tenor is widely-known as a sure blockbuster hit, selling out virtually any performance that he is to be a part of. His career, despite still being at its height in mid 2018, is already legendary. With his birthday passing just a few days ago, we wanted to continue the celebration with {…}
David Lomeli is the new Director of Artistic Administration at the Dallas Opera. The company noted in a press release on Friday, July 13, 2018 that it had also made Drew Field its Director of Productions and Technical Operations. Lomeli was working with the company as its Casting Manager and Manager of the Hart Institute for Women Conductors while Field {…}
Tenor Andres Ramirez has passed away at age 28. Per a blog post on the Los Angeles Opera’s website, the tenor has been part of the organization’s creative family since he was 11-years-old when he sang in the LA Children’s Chorus during a performance of “Tosca.” He was also a participant in one of the first Opera Camps. He made {…}
The Puerto Rican tenor Antonio Barasorda has died. Barasorda died on July 9, 2018, of a heart attack, a few days before he was to give a concert at the Puerto Rico conservatory. The tenor was being treated for a Colon tumor and was 72-years-old. The tenor first started his career performing such roles as Canio, Calaf, Dick Johnson, Radamés, {…}
The Salzburg Festival has announced that it will collaborate for the sixth year with Swarovski for three productions. The festival announced that Swarovski crystals will be used in productions of “Die Zauberflöte,” “The Queen of Spades,” and “L’incoronazione di Poppea.” In a press release, Nadja Swarovski, a member of the Executive Board stated, “We are proud to continue this partnership, which {…}