This week, two acclaimed productions come to DVD from Europe, while a world premiere recording of a rarely performed work comes to the fore. Here is a look. Così Fan Tutte Corrine Winters, Daniel Behle, Alessio Arduini, Sabina Puertolas, Angela Brower, and Johannes Martin Kranzleheadline headline a new production of Mozart’s final Da Ponte opera directed by Jan Philipp Gloger. {…}
Soprano Hyesang Park is a star on the rise. Currently represented by IMG Artists, the South Korean artist has amassed a tremendous career to this point. Not only has she been a part of the Met Opera’s Lindemann Young Artists Program and won the coveted Hildegard Behrens Foundation Award, but she has also appeared in a number of major {…}
There is something of Halley’s comet about Umberto Giordano’s most famous opera “Andrea Chénier.” It reappears every so often (happily not so infrequently as every 75 years) excites and dazzles, leaves verismo fanatics in paroxysms of delight, then vanishes back into the operatic firmament. With the recent notable exception at La Scala, productions of “Andrea Chénier” have invariably been connected to {…}
It’s amazing what a ripping good yarn enhanced by instantly recognizable themes can do for an audience. American composer Jake Heggie’s opera, “Moby Dick,” now being performed by the Pittsburgh Opera, is in many ways a return to that fundamental principle for operatic success: create characters audiences care about, and endow them with memorable motifs to better manipulate the viewers’ {…}
“Lucia di Lammermoor “ is, in many ways, the DIVA opera. You have a title role for soprano filled with a ton of duets (one with each of the main male leads), and at the climax of it all, opera’s most famous mad scene. And that’s without mentioning her other aria and the sextet that she dominates. It’s a daunting {…}
As part of its last new broadcast for the month of March, Opera Vision will showcase Rozycki’s “Eros & Psyche” from the Polish National Opera. The work will starr Joanna Freszel, Wanda Franek, Anna Bernacka, Aleksandra Orlowska-Jablonska, Mikolaj Zalasinski, Tadeusz Szienkier, Wojtek Gierlach, Adam Kruszewski, Grzegorz Szostz, and Mateusz Zajdel. Grzegorz Nowak conducts the work. The stream kicks off at {…}
Wolfgang Koch is one of today’s leading baritones who has mastered many of the great German roles by Wagner and Strauss. He has performed all over the world and has also become well known for his interpretation of Wotan in Wagner’s “The Ring Cycle.” This week, he adds another role to his repertoire in an unknown modern masterpiece. Koch will {…}
Premiering at the Theatre Lyrique of Paris on March 19, 1859, “Faust” is adapted from the poem by Goethe, which follows Dr. Faust and his ordeals after entering into a contract with a minion of the devil, Mephistopheles. Despite a lukewarm opening, the opera made a number of revisions before a revival 10 years later, and would be frequently performed {…}
The Bayerische Staatsoper has announced its 2018-19 season and many of today’s greatest stars will be performing in the house. However, there are few singers that will have banner years with the company and will likely make headlines throughout the year. Here five stars OperaWire believes you cannot miss next season. Jonas Kaufmann For Kaufmann fans who have missed him {…}
LA Opera and SongFest have partnered together to launch The Eva & Marc Stern SongFest – LA Opera Fellowship Program, granting further opportunities for rising singers to hone their craft and perform before audiences. For the last 23 years, the SongFest program has helped singers and pianists from their venue at The Colburn School. Students of this year’s SongFest program, {…}
Going into its 114th year, the Ravinia Festival brings together artists from all over the world to perform in the longest-running music festival in America. Here are some of the highlights of Ravinia Festival’s 2018 season: Soprano Jeanine De Bique: BGH Classics Series The program will include selections from Mozart, Strauss, and Wolf. De Bique will also perform a number {…}