The Polish National Opera has canceled its upcoming production of “Madama Butterfly.” The famed Puccini opera was set to open on Dec. 5 and star Aleksandra Kurzak, Bernadetta Grabias, Rafał Bartmiński, and Tomasz Rak. The decision to cancel the December production of follows a current lockdown in which the company was set to remain closed until the end of November {…}
There’s no doubt that it hasn’t been an easy week in the opera world. With COVID-19 continuing to spread across the world at alarming rates, companies across Europe have entered a second lockdown, ending what many hoped would be a continuation of performances throughout the 2020-21 season. But it has not quite worked out that way. As such, online broadcasts {…}
The Vienna State Opera has announced that it will resume the streaming of opera performances via its online platform. The company will kick it off with a production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” from Oct. 2, 2019 featuring Lawrence Zazzo, Erin Morley, Théo Touvet, Valentina Nafornita, Rafael Fingerlos, and Peter Rose, among others. Simone Young conducts. Streaming Date: Nov. 4, {…}
(Terrence McCarthy/ San Francisco Opera) The San Francisco Opera will continue its Opera is On series starting Oct. 31 and running through Nov. 29, 2020. The month begins with San Francisco Opera’s 2008 presentation of Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor” starring Natalie Dessay, Giuseppe Filianoti, Gabriele Viviani, and Oren Gradus. The production is directed by Graham Vick and Jean-Yves Ossonce conducts. {…}
In collaboration with Dejan Vukosavljevic On the heels of its 2020-21 season cancelation, the Metropolitan Opera has announced its 2021-22 season. The company will present six new productions including three company premieres. Here is a look at the new season. New Productions The season opens with “Fire Shut Up in My Bones” by Terence Blanchard. The opera will be conducted by {…}
(Credit: © Gregor Hohenberg) The Metropolitan Opera Stars Live in Concert series continued this Sunday with a performance by the celebrated French-Italian tenor Roberto Alagna and Polish soprano Aleksandra Kurzak on the hilltop medieval village of Èze, France. On the outdoor terrace located at the Château de la Chèvre d’Or, Alagna and Kurzak were accompanied by the Vienna Morphing Quintet. {…}
(Credit: Teatro Massimo di Palermo) Opera in Europe continues to flourish with performances around Italy bringing mass audiences and acclaimed singers in some of their signature roles. This week the Teatro Massimo di Palmero opened its “Cavalleria Rusticana” with Aleksandra Kurzak making her role debut as Santuzza and Roberto Alagna in his signature Turiddu. It is a big week for {…}
(Image source: Met Opera Official Website) Roberto Alagna and Aleksandra Kurzak continue the Metropolitan Opera’s “Met Stars Live in Concert” series on August 16, 2020. The event, which will begin at 1:30 p.m. ET, will feature the duo live outdoors from the Château de la Chèvre d’Or, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, in Èze, France. The program, which will feature the Vienna Morphing Quintet, will include {…}
We are deep into the summer, but opera has not stopped. We are getting live performances throughout Europe and still getting full slates of online opera offerings. So for this week’s recommendations, we are looking at a wide range of options, including a few classic works, a recital from two major opera stars, and a lot of new operas. As {…}
The Metropolitan Opera has announced a new pay-per-view series “Met Stars Live in Concert” featuring opera’s greatest stars from around the world. The concert series, which was announced via a Zoom press conference, will consist of 12 live performances starting on July 18 and running through December. “This new initiative is intended to create live performance opportunities for our artists {…}
The Teatro Massimo di Palermo has announced a summer season entitled “Sotto Una Nuova luce.” The concerts will take place at the Teatro di Verdura and will be streamed via the company Massimo TV. For this article, we will only focus on vocal performances. Omer Meir Wellber opens the festival with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Desirée Rancatore, Chiara Amarù, {…}