Soprano Alžběta Poláčková will perform the title role in Dvořák´s “Armida” at the National Theater Opera in Prague. Alongside Poláčková is bass František Zahradníček as Hydraot, baritone Svatopluk Sem, bass Štefan Kocán. They are joined by the National Theatre Chorus and Orchestra led by Robert Jindra. Jindra will make his debut conducting as music director of the National Theatre Opera. {…}
(Photo: Festival Janacek Brno) Human beings need love and friendship to flourish and to pursue normal, balanced lives. Remove this support and replace it with abuse, neglect and contempt, and a person will become unable to function successfully. They will become maladjusted, unable to relate to others with ease and confidence, and suffer increasing periods of loneliness and isolation. Desperate {…}
This week’s recommendations kick off with a modern work followed by a long line of performances and productions dedicated to some of the repertory favorites. As we head toward the end of the week, the theme shifts to major commemorations of JUNETEENTH. Here’s a look a the Top 10 operas to stream this week. Le Soulier de Satin – Paris {…}
The Brno Janacek Festival 2020 kicked off with a performance of one of Janacek’s lesser known works, his semi-autobiographical opera “Osud,” with the Czech soprano Alžběta Poláčková in the lead female role of Mila. It would be a fair description to refer to Poláčková as one of the stars of the Czech National Opera, and no surprise that it was {…}
One brand new opera with three endings. A 20th-century work from a noted Czech composer. Two gala performances. A recital of new songs. A Shakespeare / Verdi / Ring Mashup. Beethoven. And three Italian operas with some of opera’s biggest stars for those looking for more standard repertory. That eclectic list comprises our top 10 operas to stream this week. {…}
(Photo: Marek Olbrzymek) Janacek was not a man to hide his obsession for a woman under a bushel, a fact that became a constant torment to his wife, and they were obsessions, not casual or even consummated affairs. The most famous, of course, was his infatuation with Kamila Stösslová who became the muse for a number of his works, not {…}
Finally, I have arrived in Brno for the Janacek Festival, 24 hours later than scheduled thanks to a strike by Italian rail staff, which following a series of cancellations and delays left me stranded and seeking a hotel room in Vienna at half-past midnight. Brno is a small picturesque Czech city set close to the Austrian border which each year {…}
(Credit: Paul Schirnhofer/DG/Chris Singer) The Musikverein Wien has announced its 2020-21 Season featuring a number of great stars. For this article of the Austrian concert hall, vocal performances have been highlighted. Michael Havlicek joins the Philharmonia Schrammeln for “Schlawi(e)nerisches.” Performance Date: Oct. 6, 2020 Andrés Orozco-Estrada conducts Haydn’s Die Schöpfung. Oratorium with soloists Christiane Karg, Benjamin Bruns, and Florian Boesch. Performance {…}