https://operawire.com/los-angeles-philharmonic-2018-review-otello/
Last year, rising Verdi star Russell Thomas spoke to OperaWire about his strategy for easing into such a titanic role the title role in Verdi’s “Otello.” “I always thought if I would try to take on such a monumental task, the first outing would have to be in concert so I can focus only on the singing and not have to {…}
https://operawire.com/tanglewood-festival-2018-la-boheme/
Some reading this review — perhaps many — have never been to the Tanglewood Music Festival in Lenox, Massachusetts. Much more than the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Tanglewood is a magical place; so many thrilling, historical performances and moments have taken place here. And I’ve been lucky to attend many of those performances, such as Seiji Ozawa’s {…}
https://operawire.com/gran-teatro-del-liceu-2017-18-review-manon-lescaut/
Any time an opera production begins with non-textual lines, especially in a language different to the libretto, alarm bells ring louder the tubular Grail chimes in “Parsifal.” Such was the case in Davide Livermore’s new staging of “Manon Lescaut” for the Gran Teatre del Liceu which had already been seen in co-production with the Teatro San Carlo in Naples. Instead of {…}
https://operawire.com/opera-in-the-ozarks-2018-review-the-ballad-of-baby-doe-cast-soars-in-american-classic/
Beverly Sills once said the most challenging part of playing Baby Doe was making her likable from the start. The same might be said of the other main characters in Moore’s opera, all of whom are profoundly flawed and selfish. At the opener of this year’s Opera in the Ozarks production an excellent cast reveals all the good in what could {…}
https://operawire.com/new-zealand-appoints-new-general-director/
New Zealand Opera has appointed Thomas de Mallet Burgess as its General Director. Burgess joins the company after five years with Perth-based company Lost & Found, whose mission is to present unusual operas in found spaces that speak to the resonance of the work. Throughout the years he has established an international reputation for directing award-winning opera and leading ground-breaking {…}
https://operawire.com/ildar-abdrazakov-placido-domingo-maria-jose-siri-lead-teatro-alla-scalas-2018-19-season/
The Teatro alla Scala has announced its 2018-19 season featuring a number of new productions and operatic classics. The season will once again include a number of Italian operas continuing the theater’s initiative to bring back Italian opera. Here is a look! Productions The season opens with a new production of Verdi’s “Attila” starring Ildar Abdrazakov. David Livermore directs the {…}
https://operawire.com/composer-profile-jules-massenet-the-chameleon-composer/
Jules Massenet, born on May 12, 1842, is arguably the chameleon of all opera composers, his style evolving to suit the text rather than imposing a specific musical style to every work. This ability makes him, for many, the greatest French composer of opera to ever live. He studied under Ambroise Thomas in his youth, won the country’s top musical {…}
https://operawire.com/opera-ithaca-announces-5th-anniversary-2018-19-season/
Opera Ithaca has announced its 2018-19 season, its 5th edition. The season will showcase four productions, including a world premiere. Thomas’ “Hamlet” opens the season, celebrating the 150th anniversary of the work’s Paris Opera premiere in a production by director/designer Zachary James. Conductor, Keith Chambers leads a cast that includes Garrett Obrycki as Hamlet, Holly Flack as Ophelie, Leah Marie {…}
https://operawire.com/new-york-opera-fest-2018-preview-why-to-go-see-encompass-new-opera-theatre/
With the New York Opera Fest 2018 officially underway, OperaWire will be showcasing small previews for each major participant at the festival, as we did during last year’s event. However, we are doing things a bit differently this year and giving the floor directly to each company to speak to you, the reader, directly. Enjoy! You can look all over {…}