Debuting at the Metropolitan Opera is a hard gig to come by, especially when it’s a principal role in a new production in an opera that’s never even been performed on the Met stage. But after a decade of singing leading roles all over the world, American soprano Brenda Rae is readier than ever to tackle New York’s biggest stage, {…}
(Credit: Marty Sohl / Metropolitan Opera) The operas of Handel are not necessarily standards at the Metropolitan Opera. And to a certain extent, that is understandable. They are rather expansive in runtime with ample casts and a musical style that doesn’t always suit the cavernous hall. But the reality is that these operas, while dating to the 18th century, are {…}
The good news – there is a lot of good opera going around North America throughout the weekend. As such, this weekend’s top picks were not easy to come by or select. But the curation came down to a number of unique new operas and rarely performed gems of old with star-studded casts stretching from the east all the way {…}
(Credit: Marty Sohl / Metropolitan Opera) The Met has a long, celebrated history with the works of Verdi, Puccini, and Mozart. But not so much with Baroque composers. In the Met’s 140-year history, the company has only presented four operas by Handel (four and a half, if you count the pastiche “The Enchanted Island”). But that’s all slowly changing. The {…}
(Credit: Marty Sohl/Met Opera) The Metropolitan Opera House is a dream for every opera singer. This week acclaimed coloratura soprano and rising star Brenda Rae will get a chance to realize that very dream when she makes her Met debut in the company’s first-ever production of Handel and Grimani’s “Agrippina.” Rae, who is a former ensemble member of Oper Frankfurt {…}
(Credit: Rosetta Greek ) In 2017, Kate Lindsey released her first album “Thousands of Miles.” The album was comprised of songs by Kurt Weill and was a cross between classical music and Broadway. It was an experience that helped explore her voice and her technique in ways that she had never expected to and which posed new challenges that made {…}
The Works & Process at the Guggenheim will present “The Metropolitan Opera’s ‘Agrippina’” on Jan. 20, 2020. The event will feature a discussion between Metropolitan Opera general manager Peter Gelb and many of the key production and cast team members for the forthcoming rendition of Handel’s famed work. There will also be performances of the sections from the opera, which {…}
(Photo credit: Bengt Wanselius) The Drottningholms Slottstteater in Stockholm has announced its main production for the summer of 2020: a new staging of “Agrippina” by George Frideric Handel. The production will be from Swedish director Staffan Valdemar Holm. Francesco Corti , the acclaimed Italian harpsichordist who recently turned into a conductor, will lead Drottningholm Theatre Orchestra, which will play on {…}
Dartington International Summer School & Festival has announced its 2019 concert program. The festival will take place from July 27 – August 24, 2019. In her fifth and final year as Artistic Director, Joanna MacGregor “is gifting Dartington audiences a personal and intimate series of performances” featuring composers and music that she has found “profoundly influential.” For the purposes of {…}
OperaVision will present a live stream of Handel’s “Agrippina” from The Grange Festival on June 6, 2019. The stream kicks off at 7 p.m. local time. That’s around 1 p.m. EDT and 10 a.m. PST for the start time. It will be available for repeat viewings on Opera Vision until Dec. 12, 2019. The opera features Ashley Riches, Anna Bonitatibus, {…}
Marie-Nicole Lemieux has canceled her participation in the upcoming tour of Handel’s “Agrippina.” The contralto was forced to cancel the tour due to personal reasons. As a result, Xavier Sabata will replace Lemieux singing the role of Ottone. The contralto is the latest singer to cancel the tour. Previously Kathryn Lewek and Jakub Józef Orliński canceled their participation. Sabata is an {…}