La Monnaie announced its 2017-18 season last week. As always, it features a plethora of offerings across opera, ballet, concert and chamber music. Let’s take a look at the offerings for opera lovers. Philippe Boesmans’ “Pinocchio” opens on Sept. 9, 2017, with Stéphane Degout leading the cast. Rossini’s “Tancredi” will appear for just two concert performances on October 11 and {…}
Opera Holland Park has announced its 2018 season. The season will consist of three operatic classics and one new rarity. The season kicks off with Strauss’ “Ariadne Auf Naxos.” The new staging will be a co-production with the Danish National Opera. Performances will be held in Scotland in February and March 2018 before the production moves to OHP in July 2018. {…}
As is expected throughout this time period, we have yet another 2017-18 season announcement to report. This time it comes from the Volksoper in Vienna. The company has proudly announced that its new year will feature numerous premieres and 20 repertory pieces among the many offerings for 2017-18. There will be a mix of musicals, operettas, and operas among the {…}
This October, Victor Herbert’s operetta “Eileen” will turn 100 years old. In anticipation of that celebration, and as a culmination of its third season, the Victor Herbert Renaissance Project LIVE! (VHRPL) will present the work. The two performances on April 25 and 26 will also feature the first time that the New Victor Herbert Orchestra debuts. Starting From Scratch The {…}
Making your way to an evening at the opera, you pass through Prague’s medieval, cobblestone streets. In the distance, sets the orange, Bohemian sun behind the black silhouette of Prague Castle. Now descending into a cellar, you’ll find yourself in the theater lobby, packing your hands with Czech beer and awaiting the opening notes of the longest running production of {…}
To this day, Ruggiero Leoncavallo’s identity has been defined by one opera. And perhaps for all of eternity, the Italian composer, born on April 23, 1857, that opera, “Pagliacci,” will be his only recognizable contribution to culture. Of course, “Pagliacci” is a masterful opera that is one of the finest dramatic creations in the genre and there is no shame {…}
Fiorenza Cossotto is widely considered one of the greatest mezzo-sopranos of the 20th century and arguably this writer’s favorite mezzo of all time. In honor of her 82nd birthday, OperaWire has decided to take a look at some of our favorite recordings the mezzo recorded throughout her lengthy and prolific career. “La Favorita” with Alfredo Kraus Donizetti’s operatic masterpiece was one of {…}
Mezzo-soprano Kristine Jepson has passed away at the age of 54. Jepson was born in Iowa and studied music at Indiana University. The mezzo had an international career and went on to appear in over 25 operas at houses across Europe and the United States including the Royal Opera House, the Metropolitan Opera and the San Francisco Opera. Among the roles, she {…}
The BBC Proms has announced its summer schedule and as always there will be a lot of offerings for opera lovers. Here is a look at what audiences can look forward to. July The BBC Proms opens with John Adam’s choral masterwork “Harmonium” on Friday, July 14, 2017, at the Royal Albert Hall in London. This concert will include the {…}
The week saw many of the world’s greatest singers perform and rehearse. But it also saw them enjoy their daily activities and attend numerous interesting events. Check it out. It was an eventful week for Anna Netrebko between shopping at Barney’s and singing Tchaikovsky’s ‘Eugene Onegin.” However, it all culminated with the diva showing her fans a preview of the Met’s {…}
Another weekend, more opera performances around the world. Here are the big highlights. Austria The weekend kicks off at the Vienna state Opera with Janacek’s “Katya Kabanova” starring Dan Paul Dumitrescu, Misha Didyk, Jane Henschel, Leonardo Navarro and Angela Denoke. It will be followed by Shostakovich’s “Lady Macbeth of Mtsenk” with Wolfgang Bankl, Eva-Maria Westbroek and Brandon Jovanovich. The weekend concludes {…}