Anja Harteros is one of the greatest dramatic sopranos of our time. Her repertoire ranges from Verdi, Puccini to Wagner. She has performed in all the greatest opera houses and her performances are often sold out. This week she debuts the role of Maddalena in Giordano’s “Andrea Chenier.” It is quite a surprise that Harteros has never taken on the {…}
Kiri Te Kanawa is one of the great sopranos of the 20th century, the New Zealander known for her sheer magnetism and elegance onstage. Te Kanawa, born on March 6, 1944, retired from the opera stage in the early 2000’s, making occasional cameos in ensuing years, but dedicating herself to a number of different projects and assignments. The Foundation Among {…}
For decades Bizet’s “Les Pêcheurs de Perles” was rarely ever performed. We would hear the famed “Friendship Duet” or get the occasional recording here and there, but seeing a staged performance was a thing of dreams. But now opera lovers can enjoy a live performance of Bizet’s often-ignored work from the comfort of their living rooms. Mind you, the Metropolitan {…}
izet’sThis review is in reference to the performance on Friday, March 3, 2017. With Bizet’s ever-famous score full of ear tingling music, catchy tunes, and drama-packed scenes, an evening of Carmen is a guaranteed great night at the opera, making this the perfect way for first-timers to first dip their toes into the operatic repertory. The Leads Lyric Opera’s production {…}
I preface this by stating that this review is for the performance on March 5, 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 {…}
A butterfly can never be caged or it dies. The same can be said of an opera singer, who needs the freedom to explore and develop as an artist. When an artist is caged and not allowed to carve out an organic path, he or she may burn out very quickly. During a recent interview with OperaWire, soprano Pretty Yende {…}
Despite cancelling his performances of “Tosca” at the Metropolitan Opera, Jonas Kaufmann is still slated to perform in New York next season. In addition to his engagements with the Met, the tenor was still scheduled for a performance of the second act of “Tristan und Isolde” at Carnegie Hall with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. New York Times Reporter Michael Cooper, {…}
It has now been over three years since Jonas Kaufmann has appeared at the Metropolitan Opera. Fans were excited to see the tenor return next season for a hotly anticipated “Tosca,” but alas, the wait for his return to New York will continue after news broke out that he has canceled his appearances next season. The New York Times broke the {…}
On March 13, Medici.tv will present the Theatre des Champs Elysse’s production of Monteverdi’s “Il Ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria.” The opera is set to star Rolando Villazón, who made his role debut as Ulysse earlier this year. The new production by Mariame Clément also stars Magdalena Kožená as Pénélope as well as Katherine Watson, Kresimir Spicer, Anne-Catherine Gillet, Isabelle Druet, Maarten Engeltjes, Callum Thorpe and Lothar Odinius. Early music specialist Emmanuelle Haïm {…}
Anna Netrebko and Yusif Eyvazov will perform Giordano’s “Andrea Chénier” at the Hungarian State Opera. The news was revealed by the Instagram account La Splendida_Netrebko, which posted a picture of the scheduled concert performance on Dec. 29. Netrebko and Eyvazov will perform the concert after their scheduled performances at the Teatro Alla Scala, which will open the 2017-18 Season. The {…}
March is upon us and that means that the Music Academy of the West’s Marilyn Horne Song Competition winners are slated for a busy tour in coming weeks. Baritone Ben Lowe and pianist Madeline Slettedahl, the artists in question, will be heading on a recital tour that takes them through Houston (March 9), Santa Barbara (March 11), Chicago (March 14) and {…}