This weekend is jampacked with rare operas to see. No joke. With one exception, the list consists of works you probably will struggle to find productions for at any given point a year from now. So strap in and find a way to watch these five shows. (List is in alphabetical order by company). Euridice – Cantanti Project The New {…}
On Sunday, March 4, the Bay Area’s Classical KDFC will broadcast a San Francisco Opera performance from November 2014 of Giacomo Puccini’s “Tosca” The broadcast stars soprano Lianna Haroutounian in the title role, tenor Brian Jagde as Cavaradossi, and bass-baritone Mark Delavan as Scarpia, with maestro Riccardo Frizza leading the San Francisco Opera Orchestra. KDFC radio announcer Dianne Nicolini will {…}
The Lyric Opera of Kansas City has announced its 2018-19 season. The new season is filled with numerous important debuts from some of today’s rising stars and is also filled with four productions from a diverse repertoire. The season opens with Bernstein’s “West Side Story” in Francesca Zambello’s classic production based on the original production directed and choreographed by Jerome {…}
The Bayerische Staatsoper has undergone two cast changes in the past few days. The first is Thomas Hampson who has withdrawn from his upcoming performances of “Così fan tutte.” As a result, Luca Tittoto will replace the baritone As Don Alfonso. Over the past years Tittoto has become a sought-after bass, singing at La Fenice, Venice, Teatro Comunale, Teatro di {…}
“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 we will go through {…}
Jake Heggie’s 2000 opera “Dead Man Walking” – based on the memoirs of Sister Helen Prejean and inspired by the film of the same name – hardly conforms to operatic standards. An intersection of “Porgy and Bess”-like motifs, rock opera recitatives, and the echoes of New Orleans jazz, it treats the opera template with a moderate respect: scant arias and {…}
This Saturday, audiences around the world will get a chance to see Puccini’s “La Bohème” in cinemas as part of the company’s famed Live in HD broadcast. The showcase kicks off at 12:25 p.m. EDT and will star Sonya Yoncheva as Mimì, Michael Fabiano as Rodolfo, Susanna Phillips as Musetta, Lucas Meachem as Marcelo, Alexey Lavrov as Schaunard, and Matthew {…}
The Opéra de Montréal has announced its 2018-19 season. The season will offer four productions, a chamber opera, and a unique recital by an opera star at the Festival du Monde Arabe. The program will include some of today’s greatest artists of today as well as many Canadians making a name for themselves on the world’s major stages. Here is {…}
Rolando Villazón has pulled out of Vienna State Opera’s “Eugene Onegin.” The company announce on Wednesday that the tenor’s absence was due to health reasons. As a result, Czech tenor Pavel Černoch will take over the role. The Czech tenor has performed with all the lead in companies in the world including the Bavarian State Opera, the Teatro alla Scala, Teatro {…}
Ainhoa Arteta has canceled her performances of Nedda in “Pagliacci” at La Monnaie. The company announced that due to family matters, the Spanish soprano would not be able to participate in the new production. As a result, Simona Mihai will take over the run. Mihai has performed the role of Nedda at the Royal Opera. She is also well known for {…}
From July 28 through August 5, 2018, Teatro Nuovo, headed by Will Crutchfield, will be holding an inaugural festival at Purchase College titled “The Dawn of Romantic Opera.” The festival will perform two versions of Rossini’s “Tancredi,” as well as Mayr’s “Medea in Corinto,” in productions that will not only feature some of opera’s current stars, but will shine a {…}