Raquel Gonzalez will replace Joyce El-Khoury at the Lyric Opera of Kansas City. The Lyric Opera of Kansas City announced that Gonzalez will make her house debut in the role of Tatiana filling in for El-Khoury who was originally scheduled. The switch was due to the fact that El-Khoury will replace Nadine Sierra in some of the performances at the {…}
Marcelo Alvarez has canceled Opening Night at the Vienna State Opera. The Vienna State Opera announced that Alvarez had to cancel the Sept. 4 performance of Verdi’s “Il Trovatore,” which is slated to open the 2017-18 season. As a result, Yusif Eyvazov will sing the title role. He will join his wife Anna Netrebko, Luciana D’Intino and George Petean in Daniele Abbado’s production which {…}
LThe Teatro La Fenice continues its 2016-17 season presenting a rarely heard Rossini work, “L’Occasione fa il Ladro.” The work, which is rarely performed, requires agility and virtuosic coloratura that can give any artist a chance to shine. And this week, rising star Rocio Perez continues her ascent in the opera world, taking on her first Berenice. Perez is no {…}
Premiering on August 28, 1850, Richard Wagner’s ‘Lohengrin’ is steeped in medieval Christian and Germanic folklore. This tale, drawing upon the tradition of the Holy Grail, enamored King Ludwig II of Bavaria, who would give Wagner the patronage to fund the construction of the Richard-Wagner-Festpielhaus. Short summary: At a gathering of the Germanic clans held in Brabant, King Henry the {…}
This week one of the greatest opera stars in the world will release her first crossover album, while two rising stars team up for distinct Bel canto albums. Meanwhile, Decca releases a new compilation of Pavarotti’s favorite arias. Romanza Anna Netrebko releases a new CD this week entitled “Romanza.” The CD marks Netrebko’s first crossover album featuring love songs written {…}
“Madama Butterfly”, a perennial favorite with the opera-going public, seems to be, for good or ill, immune to large-scale meddling from directors attempting to impose their own reading on, what is by opera standards, a well-known story. Rarely do productions step outside late 19th/early 20th century Japan, replete with kanzashi hairstyles, colorful kimonos and obi, houses with paper walls adorned {…}
You know “Andrea Chénier,” but how many other Umberto Giordano operas can you name? Some might remember “Fedora,” or even “Siberia,” thanks to Sonya Yoncheva’s recent performance, but chances are, you might not know that in sum, Giordano composed a total of 13 operas, more than Puccini. But unfortunately, as was the case with a number of other composers of {…}
The much-anticipated opening of the Met Opera’s 2017-2018 season is one month away. Beginning this weekend, the company begins warming up its audience with outdoor, HD transmissions of previous productions. As the audience stares at the facade of America’s most beloved opera house, they might also be wondering, “What’s going on while the Met is dark all summer?” Dance Director {…}
On August 26, Pretty Yende took to Instagram to reveal the cover and title of her new album with Sony Classical: “Dreams.’’ Yende, who spread her wings in her 2013 Metropolitan debut, has since sung on stages worldwide. As with her spirited performances, Yende will bring to the recording studio the freedom and passion that first carried her aloft to {…}
Famed bass Enzo Dara passed away at his home in Mantua on August 25, 2017. Born on Oct. 13, 1938, he would develop a storied career that saw him dominate in the buffo repertoire starting with his 1960 debut as in “La Bohème” in Fano. His big breakthrough came in 1967 when he stepped into the role of Don Bartolo {…}
It’s going to be a busy day for opera lovers this Saturday with three major showcases on a television. First up is a performance of “Don Carlo” from La Scala starring Ferruccio Furlanetto, Stuart Neil, Dalibor Jenis, Anatolij Kotscherga, Fiorenza Celodins, and Dolora Zajick on RAI Cinque. The showcase kicks off at 4 p.m. in Europe. The performance was conducted {…}