During a promotion of her new album with works by Schubert, Natalie Dessay has spoken up about her views on the operatic world. During an interview with Forum Opera, the soprano noted that she never felt comfortable in opera and she felt that the art form was one of the past. “I often felt a bit out of place, because {…}
The Palm Beach Opera has announced its 2018 season, which will feature three operas. The Florida-based company will open its 2018 season on Jan. 26 with a production of Puccini’s “Tosca.” The run will feature a total of three performances with soprano Keri Alkema taking on the first and last show while Alexandra Loutsion getting the middle date. The same {…}
American history will forever be marked by its atrocities committed during the era of slavery. That wound remains at the forefront of our world today, even as the nation has made “progress.” Today we continue to see acts of racist violence in both outrageous and more subtle ways. Given this context, the need for conversation is at its utmost and {…}
Juan Diego Flórez will perform Massenet’s “Werther” for the second time this season when he opens a new production of the famed opera at Opernhaus Zürich. The Peruvian tenor’s previous run of “Werther” in Teatro Comunale di Bologna was a massive success as the tenor, in his stage debut of the opera, encored the audience after the famed aria “Pourquoi {…}
Donizetti’s “Anna Bolena” returns to the stage of the Teatro alla Scala after an absence of 35 years and with it comes a new leading lady, Hibla Gerzmava. Gerzmava, who has become an international star, is making a role debut in one of Bel Canto most demanding operas. Gerzmava has sung many Bel Canto roles by Donizetti including “Lucia di Lammermoor” {…}
The Théâtre des Champs Elysées has announced its 2017-18 season, which will feature some of opera’s greatest stars. Productions The season opens with Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor” starring Jessica Pratt and Paolo Fanale. The concert performance will honor the 40th-anniversary since Maria Callas’ death. Mozart’s ‘La Clemenza di Tito” will also be performed as well as Verdi’s “Macbeth” with Anna Pirozzi {…}
Famed baritone Paulo Szot will be performing at the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival this summer in “Evita.” Szot will take on the role of Juan Perón opposite Broadway star Dee Roscioli, who will take on the title role. Szot has built a solid career for himself over the years. Born in Brazil, Szot really made a name for himself when he starred {…}
The Rossini Opera Festival has found a new orchestra. After the Teatro Comunale di Bologna orchestra and chorus pulled out of the festival, the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI has signed a deal with the festival to be its exclusive orchestra until 2019. La Repubblica reported that the orchestra will perform in the three productions originally scheduled for the Teatro Comunale {…}
I preface this by stating that this review is for the performance on March 24, 2017. I would also like to recognize that this is just one, performance of a seven-performance run. In an ideal situation, I would attend every performance and write a detailed review of the overall work. As it stands, I can only go on my perspective of one performance. 2017 has been the year of {…}
It’s been 11 years since the Metropolitan Opera has performed Verdi’s “La Forza del Destino,” one of the composer’s late masterpieces and one that requires an ensemble of experienced singers who have the force to take on the composer’s demanding music. As a result, it is rarely performed around the world and for that reason, New York audiences have waited {…}
The final performance of the Théâtre du Capitole’s “Ernani” was canceled after tenor Alfred Kim was arrested for beating a young woman in his apartment. According to a report from La Depeche, the tenor had a lot to drink in the company of a young woman at a restaurant. Upon returning to his hotel, things got violent to the point {…}