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Interviews, Stage Spotlight

Q & A: Raffaella Lupinacci On Her Work At Wexford Festival Opera & Festival Della Valle D’Itria

https://operawire.com/q-a-raffaella-lupinacci-on-her-work-at-wexford-festival-opera-festival-della-valle-ditria/

Often attention is focused on the stars of the opera world, but below the stellasphere there exist thousands of other singers, directors, conductors, and musicians pursuing their careers. Some are fairly well established and make comfortable livings on the stage and in the concert halls, some struggle to maintain a full calendar, while others are winding down as retirement approaches, {…}

Reviews, Stage Reviews

Gran Teatre del Liceu 2017-18 Review – Manon Lescaut

https://operawire.com/gran-teatro-del-liceu-2017-18-review-manon-lescaut/

Any time an opera production begins with non-textual lines, especially in a language different to the libretto, alarm bells ring louder the tubular Grail chimes in “Parsifal.” Such was the case in Davide Livermore’s new staging of “Manon Lescaut” for the Gran Teatre del Liceu which had already been seen in co-production with the Teatro San Carlo in Naples. Instead of {…}

Reviews, Stage Reviews

Teatro Comunale di Bologna 2017-18 Review – Don Carlo: Maria José Siri & Luca Salsi Dominate Verdi’s Masterpiece

https://operawire.com/teatro-comunale-di-bologna-2017-18-review-don-carlo-maria-jose-siri-luca-salsi-dominate-verdis-masterpiece/

Verdi made two distinct versions of “Don Carlos” plus a number of smaller-scale revisions. The original 1866 version written in French, was altered before its premiere, mainly for logistical reasons, as it was considered to be too long. The Italian version, written in 1884, with its Italian title “Don Carlo” contained extensive changes, most notably its reduction from five to {…}

Reviews, Stage Reviews

Teatr Wielki Warsaw 2017-18 Review – Carmen: Rinat Shaham & Leonardo Capalbo Salvage Senseless Production By Andrzej Chyra

https://operawire.com/teatr-wielki-warsaw-2017-18-review-carmen-rinat-shaham-leonardo-capalbo-salvage-senseless-production-by-andrzej-chyra/

Sir Anthony Hopkins is a world-famous actor who also happens to be a gifted composer. Despite his considerable musical skills, he has made it quite clear that he is unqualified to direct an opera. In Poland, Andrzej Chyra enjoys A-list celebrity status as a one of the country’s foremost film and television actors. He is also probably partial to the {…}

Reviews, Stage Reviews

Deutsche Oper Berlin 2017-18 Review – La Traviata: Kristina Mkhitaryan’s Outstanding Violetta Gains the Russian Soprano “Prima Donna Assoluta” Status

https://operawire.com/deutsche-oper-berlin-2017-18-review-la-traviata-kristina-mkhitaryans-outstanding-violetta-gains-the-russian-soprano-prima-donna-assoluta-status/

The Deutsche Oper Berlin has long been a mecca for iconoclast regie theater directors ranging from Hans Neuenfels and Claus Guth to Ole Anders Tandberg, whose recent staging of “Carmen” had more viscera on the stage than verismo. Curiously, the extant production of “La Traviata” by the former Deutsche Oper Intendant Götz Friedrich, dating back to 1999, is surprisingly uncontroversial. In his {…}

Reviews, Stage Reviews

Vienna State Opera 2017-18 Review – La Traviata: Not Even Plácido Domingo Can Save Jean-François Sivadier’s Misguided Production

https://operawire.com/vienna-state-opera-2017-18-review-la-traviata-not-even-placido-domingo-can-save-jean-francois-sivadiers-misguided-production/

It is not too difficult to stage Verdi’s ever-popular tear-jerker “La Traviata.” Francesco Maria Piave’s libretto and stage directions are so detailed any director with access to a few lengths of velvet and some stock chandeliers can create a plausible mis-en-scène to serve Verdi’s marvelous, emotive music. French director Jean-François Sivadier, whose operatic resumé is shorter than a Rossini semiquaver, {…}

Reviews, Stage Reviews

Philadelphia Orchestra 2017-18 Review – Tosca: Yannick Nézet-Séguin Ends Season With Rousing Symphonic Take on Puccini Classic

https://operawire.com/philadelphia-orchestra-2017-18-review-tosca-yannick-nezet-seguin-end-season-with-symphonic-take-on-puccini-classic/

“The crown! The crest! It’s the Attavanti’s!” Exclaimed the tempestuous diva Floria Tosca, as she paced about in a frenzied fit of jealousy after being led to believe by the scheming and lascivious Barron Scarpia that her lover, the painter and maverick Mario Cavaradossi, had been dallying with a Marchesa in the chapel. In fact, no such dalliance occurred, as {…}

Reviews, Stage Reviews

Teatro Regio Torino 2017-18 Review – I Lombardi: Angela Meade & Francesco Meli Sparkle In Early, But Underdeveloped Verdi Opera

https://operawire.com/teatro-regio-torino-2017-18-review-i-lombardi-angela-meade-francesco-meli-sparkle-in-early-but-underdeveloped-verdi-opera/

A number of Verdi’s early operas are closely associated with the Risorgimento, no more so than “Nabucco” with its famous chorus, “Va pensiero,” in which the people yearn for a homeland. Arguably, however, it was the follow-up and now rarely performed opera, “I Lombardi alla Prima crociata,” which best encapsulates the spirit of the Italian people’s desire for nationhood. Listening {…}

Reviews, Stage Reviews

Metropolitan Opera 2017-18 Review – Tosca: Anna Netrebko Conquers Puccini’s Iconic Diva

https://operawire.com/metropolitan-opera-2017-18-review-tosca-anna-netrebko-conquers-puccinis-iconic-diva/

Written in collaboration with David Salazar It’s been years in the making – Anna Netrebko singing “Tosca.” The soprano has been outspoken about her dislike for the character and about her doubts singing the role, but it’s a character that audiences have been dying to see her sing. Afterall, who but Netrebko can be considered the quintessential diva of the {…}