While it is the holiday season, there was one common thread among many singers this week. A number of them were present at the “Der Rosenkavalier” dress rehearsal or at the performance. Check out what some of your favorite singers were up to this week. Davinia Rodriguez is in the Holiday mood as she made painted eggs in preparation for {…}
Russian-born Natasha Novitskaia is a mezzo-soprano who has excelled in such roles such as Dalila, Santuzza, Amneris, Azucena, Lyubasha among others. From an early age, Novitskaia received early training in singing and classical piano and obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance at the Marylhurst University and a Master’s degree in Russian Literature from St. Petersburg University. Although she began {…}
In the last half century, Gustav Mahler has become arguably the most widely recorded composer in the world of classical music. His music is a deeply personal experience for the truest of Mahlerites, who while open to new interpretations, remain steadfast in their devotion to their all-time favorites. No two recordings of a Mahler work are anywhere close to similar. {…}
The Easter and Passover holidays seem to have frozen up the opera world this weekend with only a handful of performances featured around the country. It’s a major turnaround from last weekend when a dozen companies were putting on a show. The Metropolitan Opera continues its unstoppable season with three performances. Friday is the final hurrah for Willy Decker’s production {…}
Conductor Daniele Rustioni is poised to change things up at the Opera de Lyon in coming seasons. The Italian maestro was presented as the newly minted Music Director of the company at a private reception in New York on Thursday at the Bar Boulud on Broadway. Along with him was Lyon Opera’s own General Director Serge Dorny to reveal the {…}
Easter Weekend is upon us and the opera companies around the world are doing their utmost to bring people to the theater. Here is a look at the things going around in the international opera scene. Austria Reiman’s “Medea” opens the weekend on Saturday at the Vienna State Opera with Claudia Barainsky, Stephanie Houtzeel, Monika Bohinec, Norbert Ernst, Adrian Eröd and {…}
“The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs” by Mason Bates and Mark Campbell, hit the stage at the Guggenheim Museum as part of its program “Works & Progress.” The program introduced pieces of this unique opera followed by a moderated discussion with the Grammy-nominated Composer Mason Bates on his new work. During the discussion, Bates emphasized that this will be his first opera and {…}
On May 7, Plácido Domingo returns to great performances on PBS. The tenor-turned-baritone stars in Verdi’s “Nabucco” from the Metropolitan Opera’s recent revival of the composer’s early masterwork. Domingo is joined by an exceptional cast that includes the dramatic soprano Liudmyla Monastyrska as Abigaille and Dmitry Belosselskiy as Zaccaria. Jamie Barton stars as Fenena while Russell Thomas is Ismaele. James {…}
On April 17, Puccini’s “Tosca” will be transmitted on Arte.tv. The production from the Baden-Baden Festival will star Kristine Opolais and Marcelo Alvarez in the lead roles while Evgeny Nikitin will star as Scarpia. Sir Simon Rattle conducts the Berlin Philharmonic in Philipp Himmelman’s new production. Opolais is best known for her work in Puccini and is one of the {…}
Sir Bryn Terfel has canceled his appearances as Wotan and the Wanderer in Wagner’s Ring at the Vienna State Opera. The bass-baritone, who was scheduled to appear later this month, will be replaced by Egils Silins in “Das Rheingold” on April 30 and by Tomasz Konieczny in “Die Walküre” on May 1 and “Siegfried” on 7th May. Thomas Johannes Mayer will perform {…}
A few weeks ago, Metropolitan Opera Music Director Designate Yannick Nézet-Séguin made the proclamation that he would be bringing newer and fresher composers to the Metropolitan Opera throughout his tenure. A few days later it was reported that among the new composers he would be bringing would be Jake Heggie’s “Dead Man Walking.” It’s a great start, considering Heggie, who {…}