309 search results for…

On This Day, Special Features

The Non-Verdi Roles Dolora Zajick has Dominated Throughout Her Career

https://operawire.com/the-non-verdi-roles-dolora-zajick-has-dominated-throughout-her-career/

Mezzo-soprano Dolora Zajick is synonymous with Verdi. She’s been the leading Azucena at the Metropolitan Opera house over the last few years, singing the role a whopping 58 times since her debut on October 8, 1988, also in that very role. In Verdi’s “Aida,” she has performed the role of Amneris 80 times at the house. Throw in 17 performances {…}

Reviews, Stage Reviews

Wolf Trap Opera 2026 Review: Eugene Onegin

https://operawire.com/wolf-trap-opera-2026-review-eugene-onegin/

(Photo Credit Wolf Trap PR) Stunning performances and engrossing acting kept the Wolf Trap audience involved and thrilled with “Eugene Onegin’s” presentation at the Barns. Alexander Pushkin’s revered Russian novel in verse, “Eugene Onegin,” is considered by many the greatest Russian classic. This book is the literary source that inspired Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Konstantin Shilovsky to write the libretto, {…}

Opera Meets Film, Special Features

Opera Meets Film: Detailing Pre-Revolutionary Russian Opera Cinema in Vasili Goncharev’s ‘Eugene Onegin’

https://operawire.com/opera-meets-film-pre-revolutionary-russian-opera-cinema-in-vasili-goncharevs-eugene-onegin/

In the West, Richard Wagner’s music is by far the most utilized music in cinematic practice. From the Ring Cycle in satirical contexts, avant-garde metafiction, and even para-documentary realism, to comedy drama and beyond, his presence in film is extensive and ongoing. But if we leave both the US and Western Europe for a moment, what does one find? Is {…}

Interviews

Q & A: Dawn Carroll on Mary Cardwell Dawson, Mystery Manor, & ‘If the Walls Could Talk’ 

https://operawire.com/q-a-dawn-carroll-on-mary-cardwell-dawson-mystery-manor-if-the-walls-could-talk/

Dawn Carroll is dedicated to helping revitalize the legacy of opera pioneer Mary Cardwell Dawson and helping preserve the historic National Negro Opera House (Mystery Manor) in Pittsburgh. Her mission ties into broader themes of historic preservation, mentorship, and education, inspiring future generations through music and educational initiatives – continuing Dawson’s legacy. Carroll, a stone designer and co-founder of the {…}

Interviews, Stage Spotlight

Q & A: Tenor Benjamin Bernheim on Lincoln Center Recital, Verdi Requiem Tour & Future Projects

https://operawire.com/q-a-tenor-benjamin-bernheim-on-lincoln-center-recital-verdi-requiem-tour-future-projects/

(Photo Credit: Julia Wesely) On April 21, Benjamin Bernheim makes his return to New York City. The famed tenor, who last performed in the Big Apple in the September 2024 production of “Les Contes d’Hoffmann,” will take to the stage at Alice Tully Hall alongside long-time collaborator Carrie-Ann Matheson to present a recital program featuring works by Duparc, Tchaikovsky, Bizet, {…}

Reviews, Stage Reviews

Opera Australia 2026 Review: Eugene Onegin

https://operawire.com/opera-australia-2026-review-eugene-onegin/

(Photo credit: Keith Saunders) While Tchaikovsky may be one of the most popular composers of the symphonic repertoire and certainly one of the great ballet composers, his operas have, arguably, not reached similar stature or popularity in the West. Commentator David Garrett canvasses some of the difficulties of conveying Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin” to non-Russian audiences in an essay on his {…}

Reviews, Stage Reviews

Metropolitan Opera 2025-26 Review: Tristan und Isolde

https://operawire.com/metropolitan-opera-2025-26-review-tristan-und-isolde/

(Credit: Karen Almond) In his book, “A New Philosophy of Opera,” director Yuval Sharon notes that “Tristan und Isolde,” alongside “Pelléas et Mélisande” are not only two of the most difficult operas to stage, but “seem like a losing proposition” for any director to take on. He reflects on how oftentimes, director’s attempt to “find physical form for what the {…}

Reviews, Stage Reviews

Opéra Royal de Versailles 2025-26 Review: Atys

https://operawire.com/opera-royal-de-versailles-atys/

(Photo: Baptiste Lacaze) Lully’s “Atys” is said to have been Louis XIV’s favorite opera. Using a libretto by Philippe Quinault (1635-1688), “Atys” is based on the story of Attis from Ovid’s “Metamorphoses.” In the original story, Atys/Attis is a handsome Phrygian youth beloved by the goddess Cybèle. She demands his absolute fidelity but he betrays her with a nymph. As {…}

Interviews, Reviews, Special Features

Best of 2025: Most Read Articles on OperaWire This Year

https://operawire.com/best-of-2025-most-read-articles-on-operawire-this-year/

As we wrap up 2025, here is a look back at some of the most-read articles of the year. We will focus mainly on longer-form pieces like reviews and interviews for this article. Top 10 Most-Read Reviews of 2025 Metropolitan Opera Review of New “Aida” Production Royal Ballet & Opera Review of “Tosca” with Anna Netrebko Metropolitan Opera Review “La {…}