(Credit: Dario Acosta) Opéra National de Paris has opened its doors for the first time in months and will present Offenbach and Barbier’s opera “Les Contes d’Hoffmann” today, January 25, 2020, at the Opéra Bastille, per an official statement on the company’s website. This is the first performance of “Les Contes d’Hoffmann” of the season after an earlier one was {…}
(Credit: Jiyang Chen) The Opéra National de Paris has canceled the opening night performance of Offenbach’s “Les Contes d’Hoffmann” scheduled for January 21 at the Opéra Bastille, according to the official statement on the company’s website. The cancellation came as a result of the strike notice against the French government pension reform and is the latest in a series of {…}
Franco Zeffirelli’s production of Puccini’s “La Bohème” is back at the Metropolitan Opera. It’s big, grand and a crowdpleaser thats gets reaction from the audience, particularly at the opening of Acts two and three. It’s well-known for its detailed, classic take on the opera and is the most staged production in the Met’s repertory. Since its premiere in 1981 the {…}
(Credit: Dario Acosta) Editor’s Note: This review was a collaboration between David & Francisco Salazar. The Richard Tucker Gala is one of those nights that you circle on your opera calendar every single year. It’s everything people want from a high-end concert. Big stars in glamorous attire. A hallowed venue. And some of the greatest music ever written. In the {…}
October is at an end and opera season is in full force. This weekend features a plethora of fascinating options across the country, making it truly challenging to single out a few specific performances. And despite the high quality all around, we zeroed in on a few showcases that we feel really rise to the top. Here are our top {…}
(Credit: Cory Weaver/Metropolitan Opera) On Oct. 25, 2019 Puccini’s “La Bohème” will open at the Metropolitan Opera reviving Franco Zeffirelli’s classic production. The Mimì’s This season the production will feature three acclaimed Mimì interpreters who have performed the role throughout their Met careers. Ailyn Pérez will open the production in a role she has been hailed for. OperaWire stated, “Pérez’s Mimì {…}
(Credit: © BAUS) Canadian director Robert Carsen is one of the most solicited directors in every major opera house nowadays and he proved why in his new production of the famous double bill of “I Paglliacci” and “Cavalleria Rusticana,” which opened the opera season at the Dutch National Opera. It is a production where he plays with theatre-within-theatre concept, making {…}
(Credit: Ken Howard / Metropolitan Opera) Venera Gimadieva has withdrawn from performances of Verdi’s “La Traviata” at the Bayerische Staatsoper. The company announced that Gimadieva was ill and therefore had to withdraw from performances scheduled on Sept. 25, 29, and Oct. 2, 2019. As a result, Ailyn Pérez will take over performances in the title role. Pérez is currently performing {…}
(Credit: Photo provided by the San Diego Opera) The San Diego Opera will present a special one-night-only event on Dec. 11, 2019, featuring soprano Ailyn Pérez and tenor Joshua Guerrero perform in concert at the Balboa Theatre. The e The two soloists will be accompanied by pianist Abdiel Vázquez in a recital opera arias, duets, zarzuela, and popular showtunes. The {…}
This weekend a number of classics will be presented in new productions and with some of the top stars. Here are the top showcases that we recommend. I Puritani – Opéra de Paris, France Elsa Dreisig makes her role debut as Elvira alongside a remarkable cast that includes Javier Camarena, Nicolas Testé, and Igor Golovatenko. Riccardo Frizza conducts Laurent Pelly’s {…}
(Photo by Merri Cyr) The Richard Tucker Foundation has announced that tenor Stephen Costello will join this year’s gala on Oct. 27, 2019 at Carnegie Hall. Costello was the 2009 Richard Tucker Award recipient and also received a Career Grant in 2007 and the Sarah Tucker Study Grant in 2006. He will join a cast that includes 2019 honoree Lisette {…}