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Interviews, Stage Spotlight

Q & A: Elisabeth Teige on Finding Balance As A Dramatic Soprano, Her Family Life & Greatest Inspirations

https://operawire.com/q-a-elisabeth-teige-on-finding-balance-as-a-dramatic-soprano-her-family-life-greatest-inspirations/

(Credits: Patricia Varela) Young Norwegian soprano Elisabeth Teige has established herself as one of the most sought-after dramatic sopranos of her generation. She has appeared in the number of dramatic roles including Senta in “Der Fliegende  Holländer,” Leonore in “Fidelio,” Cio-Cio-San in “Madama Butterfly,” Irene Wagner’s “Rienzi, der Letzte der Tribunen,” Elsa in “Lohengrin,” and the title character of Puccini’s {…}

Interviews, Stage Spotlight

Q & A: Soprano Nina Stemme on the Privilege of Singing Wagner & Being a Vocal Storyteller

https://operawire.com/q-a-soprano-nina-stemme-on-the-privilege-of-singing-wagner-being-a-vocal-storyteller/

Swedish soprano Nina Maria Stemme has been broadly regarded as one of the greatest living dramatic sopranos. What’s fascinating when you look at her career trajectory is seeing that the repertory for which she is best known seemed like a far cry during those early stage. She made her onstage debut in the mezzo-soprano role of Cherubino in Mozart’s opera {…}

Reviews, Stage Reviews

White Light Festival 2019 Review: Tristan und Isolde, Act 2

https://operawire.com/white-light-festival-2019-review-tristan-und-isolde-act-2/

In simplified terms, Wagner’s music, especially in “Tristan und Isolde,” can be visually compared to a continuous stream of waves coming and going, each growing in size and power, exploding, and then receding back to where they came from. In the best performances, a singer rides these orchestral waves of sound, the voice standing above the music, but also impossible {…}

Behind the Scenes, Interviews

Winds of Change – How Deborah Sandler & Joanne Burns Are Transforming The Lyric Opera of Kansas City

https://operawire.com/winds-of-change-how-deborah-sandler-joanne-burns-are-transforming-the-lyric-opera-of-kansas-city/

  The winds of change are sweeping down the plains. Bring them on, say the directors of The Lyric Opera of Kansas City. Given the chance to re-invent itself with the opening of the Kauffman Center in 2011 and new production-facilities buildings shortly thereafter, the Lyric has grasped the opportunity with an impressive energy, wholly characteristic of the region’s revival. {…}

Interviews, Stage Spotlight

Q & A: Baritone Malcolm MacKenzie On The Verdi Chorus, Playing Villains & The Loss of Listening Skills

https://operawire.com/q-a-baritone-malcolm-mackenzie-on-the-verdi-chorus-playing-villains-the-loss-of-listening-skills/

(Credit: Matthew Staver) Baritone Malcolm MacKenzie loves playing the bad guys. On his website he notes that Scarpia, the villainous police chief who sexually harasses Tosca before being murdered, is his favorite role. Another of his favorites is the conniving Iago and he was even the first man to take on the role of the vengeful Roger Chillingworth in the {…}

Opera Meets Film, Special Features

Opera Meets Film: How Joon-Ho Bong’s ‘Parasite’ Develops Ironic Narrative Through Handel’s ‘Rodelinda’

https://operawire.com/opera-meets-film-how-joon-ho-bongs-parasite-develops-ironic-narrative-through-handels-rodelinda/

“Opera Meets Film” is a feature dedicated to exploring the way that opera has been employed in cinema. We will select a section or a film in its entirety, highlighting the impact that utilizing the operatic form or sections from an opera can alter our perception of a film that we are viewing. This week’s installment features Joon-Ho Bong’s “Parasite.” In reviewing “Parasite,” Indiewire’s David Ehrlich has previously stated that director Joon-Ho Bong is a genre unto himself. This very film starts off as a comedy of sorts as it follows a family of four slowly con themselves into jobs with a wealthier family. But then the film takes a turn into a darker drama that eventually {…}

Interviews, Stage Spotlight

Heading Into Foreign Territory – Mezzo-Soprano Sarah Mesko Set For ‘Carmen,’ The Role Least Like Her

https://operawire.com/heading-into-foreign-territory-mezzo-soprano-sarah-mesko-set-for-carmen-the-role-least-like-her/

(Credit: Dario Acosta) Sarah Mesko is walking a straight path toward an important career. The Arkansas native has built her success on solid academic training and noteworthy apprenticeships, and has received bundles of prestigious awards in return. She has performed with scores of professional companies in the United States, including the Met where she has paid her dues as a {…}