San Francisco Opera’s “Elektra” is a powerhouse! From the minute the curtain rises on the “Museum Elektra,” filled with the artifacts of the Greek age and styled with an array of modern visitors, complete with cell phones and baseball caps, one strange dark-haired woman skulking around from this case to that, defying the Guards who monitor the whole scene until {…}
Michaela Martens will replace Stephanie Blythe in the San Francisco Opera’s upcoming production of “Elektra.” Martens will appear in the role of Klytemnestra in a new staging by Keith Warner, which starts on Sept. 9, 2017. She is set to take on Klytemnestra with Houston Grand Opera in January 2018 as well. Martens’ San Francisco Opera debut came in 2015 {…}
The Berlin Staatsoper has announced its 2017-18 season with a lineup of superstars. New Productions The opera with a new production of Schumann’s oratorio “Szenen aus Goethes Faust” directed by Jürgen Flimm. Daniel Barenboim conducts the production which is set to star Roman Trekel and Rene Pape. The company will then present the chamber opera “Rivale” followed by the kinderoper “Der Unglaubliche {…}
For 50 years, the Metropolitan Opera has made its home in Lincoln Center, creating numerous cathartic and revelatory memories for both audiences and artists alike. In speaking with some of the world’s greatest artists that have performed at the Met, OperaWire has been granted the opportunity to hear some unique, enriching and entertaining stories and experiences that have taken place {…}
Sopranos dead by the final curtain are a dime a dozen; murderous sopranos are rarer; sopranos who slay murderous roles scarcer still. As “Tosca,” in the Canadian Opera Company’s revival of Puccini’s beloved work which opened on April 30th, Canadian soprano Adrianne Pieczonka died, murdered, and slayed, not necessarily in that order. A Triumphant Diva Her death should have been {…}
The Vienna State Opera is presenting over 50 operas next season and that can be overwhelming for any opera lover trying to pick out what they want to see. After analyzing the immense season, OperaWire has selected what we think will be unmissable nights at the Vienna State Opera. Adriana Lecouvreur The revival of this famed production marks the second {…}
The Vienna State Opera has announced its 2017-18 season with six new productions and 48 revivals. Given the sheer size of the schedule, you might expect the company to feature opera’s greatest stars. You would be absolutely right. As always the company will feature the biggest stars in the world including Anna Netrebko in her second run of performances of {…}
No opera house has more superstars on the roster next season than the Bayerische Staatsoper. Anna Netrebko and Jonas Kaufmann, arguably the two biggest stars in the opera world, will both appear in Munich in 2017-18, albeit in limited runs. Their appearances in America are limited to a total of eight shows between the two of them. In Munich, that {…}
I preface this by stating that this review is for the performance on March 24, 2017. I would also like to recognize that this is just one, performance of a seven-performance run. In an ideal situation, I would attend every performance and write a detailed review of the overall work. As it stands, I can only go on my perspective of one performance. 2017 has been the year of {…}
How do you maintain a dramatic soprano voice fresh? The answer isn’t always obvious for a singer of that voice type. These voices, prized for their sheer power and weight, often face the most difficult repertoire in the operatic canon, many of which can be damaging if sung too often. But for acclaimed Canadian soprano Adrianne Pieczonka, who sings Beethoven’s {…}
The San Francisco has announced its 2017-18 season with major classics making a return to the house and one significant world premiere slated to close out 2017. The big announcement of the day was that this season is music director Nicola Liusiotti’s last with the company, though it was hinted that the company would find ways to have him return {…}