(Credit: Camilla Greenwell) At the very opening of Damiano Michieletto’s new production of “Carmen,” I was struck by a very vivid sense of déjà vu! Before the curtain rises, a very sombre, spectral lady enters the stage, dressed in black with lace mantilla. For a brief instant, I thought I was back, four days PREVIOUSLY in the same house, where {…}
The Royal Opera House is set to present Bizet’s “Carmen” in cinemas on May 1, 2024. The company will showcase the new production by Damiano Michieletto and will star Aigul Akhmentshina in the title role. She will be joined by Piotr Beczala as Don José, Kostas Smoriginas as Escamillo, and Olga Kulchynska as Micaëla. The cast will be rounded out by Blaise {…}
The Theater an der Wien has announced its 2024-25 season. Monteverdi’s “Combattimenti” will star Ferran Albrich, Johanna Rosa Falkinger, Luciana Mancini, Ambra Biaggi, and Ilyà Dovnar. David Bergmüller conducts the production by Olivier Fredj. Performance Dates: Sept. 27-Oct. 18, 2024 David Bates conducts Mozart’s “Idomeneo” in a new production by Stefan Herheim. The cast includes Attilio Glaser, Emily Sierra, Jeanine De Bique, Elena Tsallagova, Ya-Chung Huang, and Levente {…}
The Deustche Oper Berlin has announced its 2024-25 season. Premieres Respighi’s “La Fiamma” will be directed by Christof Loy and conducted by Carlo Rizzi. The cast will include Aušrine Stundyte, Georgy Vasiliev, Vladislav Sulimsky, Martina Serafin, Sua Jo, Cristina Toledo, Martina Baroni, Karis Tucker, Caren Van Oijen, Doris Soffel, and Patrick Guetti. Performance Dates: Sept. 29-Oct. 18, 2024 Enrique Mazzola {…}
The Royal Opera House is set to perform a new production of Bizet’s “Carmen” directed by Damiano Michieletto. The opera will be performed between April 5 and May 31, 2024 and will be broadcast on May 1, 2024 in the cinema theatres of over 50 countries. Micheieletto has directed three other productions at the Royal Opera House including “Guillaume Tell {…}
Decca Classics has announced that it is signing mezzo-soprano Aigul Akhmetshina and will release her first album “Aigul” on July 26, 2024. The album will feature arias from a number of major operas, including “Carmen,” Akhmetshina’s signature role and one that she has performed around the world. The mezzo opened a new production of the work at the Met Opera, {…}
(Photo: Paola Kudacki / Met Opera) The Metropolitan Opera’s 2023–24 Live in HD season will continue with a live transmission of Bizet’s “Carmen” on Jan. 27, 2024. The transmission will feature English director Carrie Cracknell’s new production and stars mezzo-soprano Aigul Akhmetshina and tenor Piotr Beczała. They are joined by a cast that includes soprano Angel Blue and bass-baritone Kyle {…}
(Credit: Ken Howard / Metropolitan Opera) Act four of Bizet’s “Carmen.” The orchestra quiets down as hints of the most familiar theme of the opera, the first one audience hears, starts. It builds and builds and builds until it explodes with joy. With ferocity. With audacity. But on the Met stage, in Carrie Cracknell’s new production we get… a clown {…}
(Credit: Ken Howard / Met Opera) This New Year’s Eve the Metropolitan Opera is set to open a new production of Bizet’s beloved “Carmen.” The production will showcase one of the most sought-after Carmens currently performing in the world – Aigul Akhmetshina. Over the past years, Akhmetshina has performed the role at the Royal Opera House, Bashkir State Opera and {…}
(Photo Credit: andre uspensky) Peter Gelb has revealed upcoming projects for Aigul Akhmetshina at the Metropolitan Opera. In an AP News interview, the General Manager said he has great hopes for her and noted, “Aigul has a rich and gorgeous voice, strong theatrical instincts and presence, and the courage to go for it all on stage…Everything in opera is a {…}
And we’re back. And as has become the tradition here at OperaWire, we have asked our writers to select their choices for the opera performances that truly marveled them in 2023. So without further ado, here are our writers’ picks. Enjoy! Joao Copertino This year, in my opinion, the best performance was Aix-en-Provence’s “Picture a Day Like This,” a world premiere {…}
