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DVD and CD Reviews, Reviews

CD Review: Opera Rara’s ‘L’Ange de Nisida’

https://operawire.com/cd-review-opera-raras-lange-de-nisida/

(Credit: Russell Duncan/Opera Rara/ROH) A little over a year ago, Opera Rara, whose commitment is to record unknown, forgotten and rarely performed works from the 19th century, released a reconstructed version of Donizetti’s then-never performed “L’ange de Nisida.” This world premiere recording reveals the work to be an authentic Bel Canto jewel, providing deep immersion into Donizetti’s style of composition {…}

News

Michael Fabiano, Elza Van Den Heever & Sondra Radvanovsky Headline San Francisco Opera’s 2020-21 Season

https://operawire.com/michael-fabiano-elza-van-den-heever-sondra-radvanovsky-headline-san-francisco-operas-2020-21-season/

(Credit: Courtesy of San Francisco Opera) The San Francisco Opera has announced its 2020-21 season featuring a number of new productions and stars. Here is a look. Productions  The first production of the season will be Beethoven’s “Fidelio” celebrating the composer’s 250th anniversary. The new production will be directed by Matthew Ozawa with Music Director Designate Eun Sun Kim conducting {…}

News

Gerald Finley and Sarah Connolly Receives Honors From Queen of England

https://operawire.com/gerald-finley-and-sarah-connolly-receives-honors-from-queen-of-england/

Mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly, baritone Gerald Finley, conductor Sir Mark Elder and composer George Benjamin have received high honors from the Queen of England. Connolly, now officially a Dame, was made Commander of the British Empire (CBE) back in 2010. “I felt deeply honored and amazed that anyone would write in on my behalf and nominate me. At first, I thought {…}

Reviews, Stage Reviews

Royal Ballet and Opera 2025-26 Review: Rigoletto

https://operawire.com/royal-ballet-and-opera-2025-26-review-rigoletto/

(Credit: ©2026 Marc Brenner) “There’s a storm brewing…it’s going to get darker,” observes assassin Sparafucile. How right he is! Moments later, he’s stuffing the pure and innocent, murdered Gilda into a body bag downstairs while his sister is gyrating on top of the dastardly Duke of Mantua upstairs; pretty much as dark as it gets. ‘Manosphere’ and ‘Toxic Masculinity’ are the {…}

Reviews, Stage Reviews

Teatro Carlo Felice Genova 2025-26 Review: Tristan und Isolde

https://operawire.com/teatro-carlo-felice-genova-2025-26-review-tristan-und-isolde/

(Photo: Marcello-Orselli) “Tristan und Isolde” is a colossal work, not only for its length (five hours, including two 30-minute intermissions), or for the influence of the famous Tristan chord on Western music, but also for the symbolism it represents. Wagner was hugely influenced by Schopenhauer’s philosophy when he wrote this masterpiece, while conducting an affair with Mathilde, the wife of {…}

Reviews, Stage Reviews

Teatro la Fenice 2025-26 Review: Simon Boccanegra

https://operawire.com/teatro-la-fenice-2025-26-review-simon-boccanegra/

(Credit: Michele Crosera) Genova, Italy’s sixth largest city, where the story of “Simon Boccanegra” unfolds, is rarely featured in opera. Despite its glorious history and stunning monuments, it barely registers with tourists visiting Italy. Many know it as the birthplace of Christopher Columbus (1451‑1506) and as the origin city for the culinary magic of garlic, pine nuts, basil leaves and {…}

Reviews, Stage Reviews

Volkstheater Rostock 2025-26 Review: Don Giovanni

https://operawire.com/volkstheater-rostock-2026-review-don-giovanni/

(Credit: Thomas Mandt) Mozart comes to the German city of Rostock in the 2026 season’s production of “Don Giovanni.” Though the house is no stranger to Mozart, this is an all-new production of his genre-defying classic, and it is a staging full of surprises. Director Daniel Pfluger  and Dramaturge Stephan Knies have brought together an interpretation that turns some of {…}

Reviews, Stage Reviews

Bayreuth Festival 2025 Review: Der Ring Des Nibelungen

https://operawire.com/bayreuth-festival-2025-review-der-ring-des-nibelungen/

(Photo Credit: Enrico Nawrath) The power of the music transcends any single interpreter. From the primal opening chord the rising and falling of Richard Wagner’s Gesamtkunstwerk will lead audiences through 17 hours of an ecstatic vision. Amidst such orchestral glory, however, the second cycle of the Bayreuth Festival’s 2025 “Ring” provided plenty of conceptual confusion as Wagner-lovers bid a grateful {…}

Reviews, Stage Reviews

The Atlanta Opera 2025 Review: Semele

https://operawire.com/the-atlanta-opera-2025-review-semele/

(Photo credit Raftermen Photography) The Atlanta Opera (TAO) closed their 2024-25 mainstage season with Georg Frideric Handel’s 1744 semi-oratorio, or quasi-opera, “Semele.” General Director Tomer Zvulun structured the season around art’s transnational commonplace, the Hero’s Journey. But interestingly, all four works selected also play with genre and they address the nearly unanswerable question, ‘what is opera, anyway?’ They began with {…}