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Reviews, Stage Reviews

Opera Australia 2022 Review: Madama Butterfly

https://operawire.com/opera-australia-2022-review-madama-butterfly/

Photo credit: Guy Davies One of the first things I noticed in the program booklet for Opera Australia’s June production of “Madama Butterfly,” the first opera in their 2022 Sydney Opera House winter season, was a QR code which you could scan to give Opera Australia feedback on “Historical attitudes towards race, faith and gender…found in many traditional opera stories…” {…}

Reviews, Stage Reviews

Opera Australia 2022 Review: Otello

https://operawire.com/opera-australia-2022-review-otello/

(Photo credit: Prudence Upton) Whose version of “Othello” is better – Shakespeare’s or Verdi’s? You could have a good argument with someone over this. In Verdi’s opera, Iago is more overtly a villain (he says so in Act two’s “Credo in Dio crudel”) and there are potentially more shades to Otello, whose long speeches in Shakespeare’s “Othello” can too easily {…}

Reviews, Stage Reviews

Opera Australia 2022 Review: The Marriage of Figaro

https://operawire.com/opera-australia-2022-review-the-marriage-of-figaro/

Photo Credit: Prudence Upton Opera Australia’s latest production for their 2022 summer season, a revival by Andy Morton of David McVicar’s 2015 production of “The Marriage of Figaro,” opened at Sydney Opera House on January 27th which, according to Opera Australia’s publicity, is Mozart’s 266th birthday. January 27th is also the day after Australia Day, the annual holiday which commemorates {…}

News

Opera Australia Postpones Les Contes d’Hoffmann’ Due to COVID-19

https://operawire.com/opera-australia-postpones-les-contes-dhoffmann-due-to-covid-19/

Opera Australia postponed the upcoming new staging of “Le Contes d’Hoffmann.” The company released a statement on social media stating, “We’re saddened to announce the postponement of our new production of ‘The Tales of Hoffmann’ at the Sydney Opera House. This co-production with the Royal Opera House, directed by Damiano Michieletto, was shaping up to be one of the major {…}

News

Stefan Vinke, Allison Oakes & Vitalij Kowaljow Lead Opera Australia Rescheduled Ring Cycle

https://operawire.com/stefan-vinke-allison-oakes-vitalij-kowaljow-lead-opera-australia-rescheduled-ring-cycle/

(Credits: Stefan Vinke / Iona MacPherson / Vitalij Kowaljow official website) Opera Australia has announced new dates for its production of Richard Wagner’s Ring cycle. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the opera house was forced to postpone the production for 2021. Wagner’s acclaimed masterwork was originally been scheduled for November 2020. Per the new schedule, the season will now {…}

News

David Butt Philip, Hiromi Omura & Jessica Pratt Lead Opera Australia’s Melbourne 2020 Season

https://operawire.com/david-butt-philip-hiromi-omura-jessica-pratt-lead-opera-australias-melbourne-2020-season/

Opera Australia has announced its 2020 Melbourne program, which will include staged operas, concert performances, and musicals. Operas Graeme Murphy will direct an “innovative and visually stunning” new production of Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly.” It will showcase how “the digital screens can be used to enhance the storytelling and opera experience,” says Artistic Director Lyndon Terracini in the press release. Japanese soprano Hiromi Omura {…}

News

Renée Fleming, Nicole Car & Étienne Dupuis Highlight Opera Australia’s Sydney 2020 Season

https://operawire.com/renee-fleming-nicole-car-etiene-dupuis-highlight-opera-australias-sydney-2020-season/

Opera Australia has announced its its 2020 Sydney season, presenting an exciting program of rare gems and some of the greatest operas. Sydney Summer Season The season opens with Puccini’s “La Bohème” with conductor Carlo Goldstein leading Gale Edwards’ production. The opera stars soprano Karah Son in the role of Mimì and tenor Kang Wang making his Opera Australia debut in {…}

Behind the Scenes, Interviews

Q & A: Serge Dorny on Taking Presidency of Opera Europa, The Future of Opera & Anna Netrebko’s Return to Bayerische Staatsoper

https://operawire.com/q-a-serge-dorny-on-taking-presidency-of-opera-europa-the-future-of-opera-anna-netrebkos-return-to-bayerische-staatsoper/

(© Geoffroy Schied) Serge Dorny is one of the most powerful men in opera. Beginning his career as a dramaturge under Gerard Mortier at Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels, he would eventually become Artistic Director of several major institutions before climbing to some of the most prestigious positions in the industry. He led as General Director of Opéra National {…}

Reviews, Stage Reviews

Teatro Regio di Parma 2026 Review: Norma

https://operawire.com/teatro-regio-di-parma-2026-review-norma/

(Photo: Roberto Ricci) I first heard Vasilisa Berzhanskaya as Rosina in a 2022 Florence production of “Il barbiere di Siviglia.” For the first time, I wasn’t sure if it was the standard version with a mezzo Rosina, or the less frequently performed soprano version. While the timbre was distinctly mezzo, the dazzling coloratura was more soprano than mezzo. Fast forward {…}