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Reviews, Stage Reviews

Teatro Comunale di Ferrara 2024 Review: Orlando Furioso

https://operawire.com/teatro-comunale-di-ferrara-2024-review-orlando-furioso/

Photo credit: Marco Caselli Nirmal Vivaldi’s “Orlando Furioso” is a work that represents baroque opera at its most exciting. Set on Alcina’s magical island, where the weird and wonderful are commonplace, it opens up the possibility for colorful and spectacular stagings with shipwrecks, fantastical beasts, monsters and statues that come to life. There are high mountains, wooded groves, steep cliffs {…}

Reviews, Stage Reviews

Lyric Opera of Chicago 2023-24 Review: Aida

https://operawire.com/lyric-opera-of-chicago-2024-review-aida/

Though the most iconic grand opera in the art form’s canon, Verdi’s “Aïda” shouldn’t challenge a house of Lyric’s caliber too strenuously. The work requires four good-to-great singers, but we expect a top-five American opera house to arrange them. Though “Aïda” lends itself to maximalist stagings, smaller companies pare it down successfully by foregoing equestrian participants, or downshifting parades to {…}

News

Obituary: Legendary Composer Péter Eötvös Dies at 80

https://operawire.com/obituary-legendary-composer-peter-eotvos-dies-at-80/

On March 24, Péter Eötvös died at the age of 80. The Hungarian State Opera announced the news via social media and said, “Péter Szent István Order of Eötvös, who has endured a long-term illness, died at the age of 80, was a two-time Kossuth Prize-winning composer, conductor, music educator, outstanding figure of Hungarian and international contemporary music. The statement {…}

Reviews, Stage Reviews

The Slovak National Theater Opera 2023-24 Review: The Kiss

https://operawire.com/the-slovak-national-theater-opera-2023-24-review-the-kiss/

(Photo: Henrich Mišovič) Most opera goers are familiar with Smetana’s “The Bartered Bride.” Yet, if asked to name one of his seven other operas, many would struggle to come up with an answer, which is not too surprising given how infrequently they are staged in theaters outside of the Czech Republic and Slovakia. This in itself gives rise to the {…}

News

The English Concert Marks 50th Anniversary With New ‘Handel for All’ Releases

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(Photo credit: Paul Marc Mitchell) The English Concert marks its 50th anniversary with new releases of its legacy project, “Handel for All.” This spring the group will put on a number of special concerts and events in celebration, whilst continuing to build its library of recordings of Händel’s works that are free and accessible. Sopranos Jeanine de Bique and Liv {…}

News

John Osborn, Amanda Forsythe, Joélle Harvey & Christian Van Horn Lead Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s 2024-25 Season

https://operawire.com/john-osborn-amanda-forsythe-joelle-harvey-christian-van-horn-lead-chicago-symphony-orchestras-2024-25-season/

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra has announced its 2024-25 season. Here are the vocal performances. Nicholas Kraemer conducts a program that includes the music of Händel, Beethoven, and Mozart. Soloists include Amanda Forsythe, Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen, Josh Lovell, and Michael Sumuel. Performance Dates: Oct. 17-19, 2024 Fabien Gabel and Konstantin Krimmel team up for a program of music by Britten, Mahler, {…}

News

Roulette Announces 45th Spring Season

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Roulette, a space for promotion and presentation of contemporary experimental performing arts in Brooklyn has announced its 45th spring season. For the purposes of this article only classical vocal events are included. Lila Meretzky’s “Songs at Night” large-scale new song cycle of the poems of Yiddish-language poet Anna Margolin makes its world premiere. Shelley Washington’s “A Kind of Lung” and {…}

News

Opéra de Paris Announces Cast Change for ‘La Traviata’

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The Opéra de Paris has announced a cast change for its performance on Feb. 25 of “La Traviata.” The company said that Kristina Mkhitaryan has withdrawn from the production. As a result, the role of Violetta Valery will be performed by Lisette Oropesa. Oropesa is well known for her interpretation of Violetta and has performed the role at the Metropolitan Opera, {…}

Reviews, Stage Reviews

Royal Opera House 2023–24 Review: La bohème

https://operawire.com/royal-opera-house-2023-24-review-la-boheme/

(Photo: Camilla Greenwell/Royal Opera House) Trailing draggily behind Puccini’s rue and jubilance, this season’s Royal Opera House revival of the tearful “La bohème” appears afraid of the work’s earnestness. Decked out in semi-mockeries of 1830s Paris, Richard Jones’ 2017 production favors episodes of bawdiness at the expense of the Bohemian; endangering its players’ vocal liberties. Perhaps as the result of {…}