Russell Thomas, Joyce DiDonato, J’Nai Bridges, Pene Pati, Brenda Rae Headline Top 10 Operas to Stream This Week
By David SalazarOperatic masterpieces make up half of the recommendations this week. But there are several unique competitions, recitals, modern operas, and the like on offer.
Let’s jump into it.
(***Some of these performances may be region-blocked (only accessible to people connected to a network in a specific country). But you can gain access by using a VPN. For find out more, click here. )
Oedipus Rex – LA Opera (NOW)
The Los Angeles Opera has released its performance of the Stravinsky opera, which features a superstar cast headlined by Russell Thomas, J’Nai Bridges, John Relyea, Morris Robinson, Robert Stahley, and famed actor Stephen Fry. James Conlon conducts.
In Song With Pene Pati – San Francisco Opera (NOW)
Tenor Pene Pati will present an intersection of opera and traditional Samoan music in the latest installment of this unique series by the San Francisco Opera.
Don Pasquale – MarqueeTV / Random Opera (NOW)
Random Opera is now streaming a video production of Donizetti’s comic masterpiece. The opera stars Richard Tegid Jones, Julieth Lozano, Joseph Doody, Michael Dewis, Donald Maxwell, Sophie Levi-Roos, and Kelvin Lim.
Akhmatova – Opéra National de Paris (NOW)
The Paris Opera will honor the memory of director Nicolas Joel with a production of “Akhmatova,” a work he directed back in 2011. The production starred Janina Baechle, Atilla Kiss-B, Lionel Peintre, Varduhi Abrahamyan, Valérie Condoluci, Christophe Dumaux, Fabrice Dalis, Paul Crémazy, Vladimir Kapshuk, Ugo Rabec, Sophie Claisse, Laura Agnoloni, Emanuel Mendes, Marie Adeline Henry, and Slawomir Szychowiak.
Maria Stuarda – Met Opera (June 23)
The Met Opera will stream its “Maria Stuarda” headlined by Elza van den Heever, Joyce DiDonato, Matthew Polenzani, Joshua Hopkins, and Matthew Rose, all under the baton of Sir David McVicar.
Tosca – Seattle Opera (June 25-27)
Seattle Opera continues its streaming series for the 2020 season, this time with Puccini’s “Tosca.” The streamed performance was filmed on location and will star Alexandra LoBianco as Tosca, Michael Chioldi as Scarpia, and Dominick Chenes as Cavaradossi.
Roderick Williams & The Albion Quartet – Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama (June 26)
Those looking for something more intimate can’t go wrong with this recital starring Baritone Roderick Williams alongside The Albion Quartet. The showcase will feature Beethoven’s String Quartet, Op. 59 No. 2 as well as Barber’s “Dover Beach.”
RING AWARD – OperaVision (June 26)
For those seeking out something a little different, you can check out the RING AWARD, an international competition for stage direction and stage design in musical theatre. Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the competition is held at three-year intervals in Graz, Austria. OperaVision will stream the final round and award ceremony live from the main stage of Schauspielhaus Graz.
21c Liederabend, op. Worldwide – National Sawdust & Beth Morrison Projects (June 27)
This is undoubtedly the most intriguing offering of the week which will feature 12 commissioned works by a wide range of artists including Holland Andrews, Amyra León, Lido Pimienta, David Frazier, Darian Thomas, Paris Marcel, Paola Prestini, Royce Vavrek, Eve Gigliotti, Natalie Frank, Erin Pollock, Theodosia Roussos, Adrianne Pope, Andrew McIntosh, Derek Stein, Jiji, Michael Day, Hana Kim, Diana Syrse, Conrad Harris, Pauline Kim Harris, Lev Zhurbin, and Jeffrey Zeigler, among many others. The showcase will also feature “Jarful of Bees,” a short animated film combining soprano and electronics with painting and Claymation.
I Puritani – Washington Concert Opera (June 27)
Washington Concert Opera will present a concert performance of the famed Bellini opera starring Brenda Rae, René Barbera, Javier Arrey, and Musa Ngqungwana in the leading roles. The opera will be conducted by Anthony Walker and was performed at Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall in Alexandria, Virginia.
