Innsbruck Festival of Early Music 2024 Review: Arianna in Creta

https://operawire.com/innsbruck-festival-of-early-music-2024-review-arianna-in-creta/

(Photo: Birgit Gufler) One of the more interesting events at Innsbruck’s Early Music Festival is its Oper Jung production, cast with singers who took part in the previous year’s Cesti Competition and who, therefore, are generally in the early stages of their careers. This summer’s presentation was Händel’s 1734 opera “Arianna in Creta,” which relates Theseus’s quest to kill the {…}

News

Lighting Designer Denounces Teatro Colón for Contract Breach

https://operawire.com/lighting-designer-denounces-teatro-colon-for-contract-breach/

Brazilian stage director and lighting designer Caetano Vilela has taken to social media to speak out against the Teatro Colón’s lack of payment. Vilela took to social media where he wrote, “August 14th, one year ago I arrived in Buenos Aires to work for the first time at @teatrocolon (Teatro Colón), replacing an Argentine lighting designer at the last minute {…}

Reviews, Stage Reviews

Festival d’Aix-en-Provence 2024 Review: Samson

https://operawire.com/festival-daix-en-provence-2024-review-samson/

(Photo credit: Monika Rittershaus) “So, who is signing the work?” an operagoer asks Raphaël Pichon and Claus Guth at a lunchtime panel about their opera-project “Samson.” The music is Rameau’s, but it is not that simple. According to Guth (and his Wikipedia search), Rameau did indeed compose a “Samson” with a libretto by Voltaire; however, it is all lost. Pichon {…}

Reviews, Stage Reviews

Teatro La Fenice 2023 – 24 Review: Bajazet

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(Photo: Michele Crosera) Having laughed, smiled and clapped its way through the opening night of Teatro La Fenice’s production of Vivaldi’s “Bajazet,” the audience greeted the artists at the final curtain with warm applause. However, it was not a reaction shared by everyone; the final notes had barely been played before some members of the audience were beating their way {…}

Reviews, Stage Reviews

Staatsoper Berlin 2023-24 Review: Der Ring des Nibelungen

https://operawire.com/staatsoper-berlin-2023-24-review-der-ring-des-nibelungen/

The current “Der Ring des Nibelungen” at Staatsoper Berlin came into being in October 2022 directed by Russian director Dmitri Tcherniakov and due to be conducted by Daniel Barenboim. Sadly, though, Maestro Barenboim, had to pull out of the production because of severe health issues, a great blow to all, but so disappointing for Barenboim in his 80th year. {…}

News

Sir. Simon Rattle Names Principal Guest Conductor of Czech Philharmonic

https://operawire.com/sir-simon-rattle-names-principal-guest-conductor-of-czech-philharmonic/

Sir Simon Rattle has been appointed the position of Principal Guest Conductor of the Czech Philharmonic. He will hold the title “Rafael Kubelik Chair” from the 2024-25 season. Rattle signed an initial five-year contract with the orchestra, and the words “Rafael Kubelík Chair” have been added to his title at his request and with the consent of the Kubelík family. In {…}

Interviews, Stage Spotlight

Q & A: Lawrence Brownlee on Rossini, Bel Canto & His Grammy-Nominated ‘Rising’

https://operawire.com/q-a-lawrence-brownlee-on-rossini-bel-canto-his-grammy-nominated-rising/

(Credit: Zakiyah Caldwell Burroughs) On Saturday, Dec. 2, the Washington Concert Opera will present the first of its two performances this season with a showcase of Rossini’s rarely-performed “Ermione.” While the cast features Angela Meade in the title role, the other main attraction is tenor Lawrence Brownlee who has made Rossini a specialty of his, taking on dozens of roles {…}

Reviews, Stage Reviews

Teatro Grattacielo 2023 Review: Don Giovanni

https://operawire.com/teatro-grattacielo-2023-review-don-giovanni/

The ominous D minor chord that ushers in the overture of “Don Giovanni” speaks volumes. It is ominous, even supernatural, foreshadowing that this is not one of Mozart’s more lighthearted sex comedies. Though Da Ponte infuses the opera with plenty of humor, there is no escaping the darkness that kicks off the drama giocoso. Interestingly, Mozart also set his Requiem {…}

Interviews, Stage Spotlight

Q & A: Conductor & Composer Mike Batt on his Career, Writing Film Scores, Composing for the Queen’s Jubilee & Other Memorable Projects

https://operawire.com/q-a-conductor-composer-mike-batt-on-his-career-writing-film-scores-composing-for-the-queens-jubilee-other-memorable-projects/

Mike Batt, LVO, has been tremendously successful across many musical genres, but his work in the classical repertoire is hugely underestimated. He has composed, orchestrated, and arranged many pieces and has conducted many of the world’s finest orchestras, including the London Philharmonic, London Symphony, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Berlin Opera Orchestra, Amsterdam Concertgebouw Chamber Orchestra, and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. He {…}

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Innsbruck Festival of Early Music 2024 Review: Arianna in Creta

Lighting Designer Denounces Teatro Colón for Contract Breach

Festival d’Aix-en-Provence 2024 Review: Samson

Teatro La Fenice 2023 – 24 Review: Bajazet

Staatsoper Berlin 2023-24 Review: Der Ring des Nibelungen

Sir. Simon Rattle Names Principal Guest Conductor of Czech Philharmonic

Q & A: Lawrence Brownlee on Rossini, Bel Canto & His Grammy-Nominated ‘Rising’

Teatro Grattacielo 2023 Review: Don Giovanni

Q & A: Conductor & Composer Mike Batt on his Career, Writing Film Scores, Composing for the Queen’s Jubilee & Other Memorable Projects