Opera Theatre of Montclair (OTM) has announced that it will present its fourth mainstage production, Rossini’s “La Cenerentola.” The company will showcase the work on Sept. 15 and 22, 2017 at 8 p.m., and on Sept. 16 and 23, 2017, at 4 p.m. All performances will be at the United Way-Theatre where the company is performing for the first time. In this new version {…}
On Wednesday, August 23, 2017, the NY Choral (New York Choral Society) ends its Summer Sings Open Readings of beloved choral masterworks. This time it will present Mozart’s famed and beloved “Requiem.” The reading will feature Music Director David Hayes with a distinguished cast of soloists. Amber Daniel will sing the soprano part while Heather Johnson will serve as the mezzo. Benjamin Warschawski {…}
Tenor Peter Hofmann’s career took a rather interesting turn for what many would consider an opera singer. Born on August 22, 1944, the heldentenor was a major attraction in a number of Wagner operas, including “Lohengrin,” “Die Walküre,” and “Parsifal” among other. However, at age 45, when he would have supposedly entered his peak vocal years, he left opera and {…}
When you think of Claude Debussy’s operatic output, his lone opera “Pelléas et Mélisande” immediately springs to mind. But did you know that the composer, born on August 22, 1862, actually had a few more operas in the pipeline? Here is a rundown of those other works that never came to fruition. Rodrigue et Chimène This would have been Debussy’s {…}
“Halka” is considered one of the first great Polish operas in the canon. While it is rarely performed outside of Poland, Stanisław Moniuszko’s work has had a couple of outings in the United States. This season, the Bard Music Festival presented it in collaboration with the Polish National Opera in a semi-staged version that while not completely satisfying in its {…}
Salzburg Festival is about luxury. The audience is filled with celebrities, the casts are filled with stars, and the (relatively) higher priced tickets, all show its luxury. Yet, what defines its luxury, for me, is its long rehearsal period. When Anna Netrebko said in an interview how she wanted more rehearsals and Riccardo Muti said “preparing an opera the way {…}
The LoftOpera has postponed its production of “Pagliacci,” which was originally primed for September 2017. Per the company’s official website, “Hey Fam! As of now our upcoming production of Pagliacci is on hold. We haven’t found a home for this show that makes financial sense. So we are regrouping, taking a minute, and will be back with news ASAP! Much {…}
It’s the final week of the Salzburg Festival, but before it concludes “Lucrezia Borgia” will open in two concert performances with a stellar cast that includes Juan Diego Flórez and Ildar Abdrazaov with Marco Armiliato conducting. But it is Krassimira Stoyanova that headlines the performances in the title role and forays once again into the Bel Canto repertoire. Throughout her career Stoyanova has {…}
Two new releases highlight the week. The first is a controversial production from the Royal Opera House while the other one comes from a historical production from the Deutsche Oper Berlin. And both should be enticing to any opera lover. William Tell Back in 2015, Damiano Micheletto’s production of “Guillaume Tell” opened to outrage and lots of boos at the {…}
Michael Sylvester was one of the most sought after tenors in the 1990s singing at all the major opera houses in the world. While he never achieved the fame other tenors of his generation had, Sylvester was still beloved throughout the opera world. In the course of his 25-year career on the opera stage, he appeared in leading tenor roles {…}
PBS’ “Great Performances” series for 2017 comes to an end this summer with a performance of the Metropolitan Opera’s “Der Rosenkavalier” starring Renée Fleming, and Elina Garanca. The showcase will be on Sunday, Sept. 3 at 12:30 p.m. EDT. The performance was recorded on the final day of the 2016-17 season and was Fleming’s final performance as the Marschallin at {…}