Anna Netrebko, Jonas Kaufmann, Diana Damrau, Michael Volle, Ludovic Tézier, Pretty Yende, Rolando Villazón, Federica Lombardi, Nicole Car, Freddie De Tommaso & Juan Diego Flórez Headline Wiener Staatsoper’s 2025-26 Season

The Wiener Staatsoper has announced its 2025-26 season. Here is a look at the operas and recitals for the new season. Premieres Smetana’s “The Bartered Bride” will get a new production by Dirk Schmeding. The cast will be headed by Franz Xaver Schlecht, Margaret Plummer, Slávka Zámečníková, Ivo Stanchev, Monika Bohinec, Pavol Breslik, Michael Laurenz, Peter Kellner, Matthäus Schmidlechner, Ilia Staple, and Alex Ilvakhin. Tomáš Hanus conducts. A second cast will {…}

Mar 6, 2025

Ambrogio Maestri Stars in Teatro Carlo Felice’s ‘Falstaff’

The Teatro Carlo Felice is set to present Verdi’s “Falstaff.” The Opera, which will open on March 7 and run through March 13 will star Ambrogio Maestri in his signature role of Sir John Falstaff and Ernesto Petti as Ford. They will be joined by Galeano Salas as Fenton, Blagoj Nacoski as Dottor Caius, Oronzo D’Urso as Bardolfo, Luciano Leoni as Pistola, Erika Grimaldi {…}

Jan 31, 2025

Teatro alla Scala 2024-25 Review: Falstaff

(Photo: Brescia – Amisano © Teatro alla Scala) There is no other title in operatic history that was created with as little expectation as “Falstaff.” Giuseppe Verdi concluded that he had composed everything he was meant to in life and stopped writing for several years. It wasn’t until 1880 that his wife, Giuseppina Strepponi, pointed out that to close his {…}

Jun 25, 2024

Iván Ayón Rivas, Maria Josè Siri, Erika Grimaldi, Piero Pretti & Olga Peretyatko Lead Teatro Carlo Felice’s 2024-25 Season

Genova’s Teatro Carlo Felice has announced its 2024-25 season. Here is a look at the operas and concerts. Opera The season will open with a double bill featuring the play “Giro di vite” by Henry James and Benjamin Britten’s “The Turn of the Screw.” Davide Livermore directs the production with Riccardo Minasi at the podium. The cast for Britten will {…}

Apr 18, 2024

Irina Lungu, Nicola Alaimo, Vittorio Grigolo, Arturo Chacón-Cruz & Lianna Haroutounian Lead Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège’s 2024-25 Season

The Opéra Royal de Wallonie in Liège has announced its 2024-25 season. Opera The season opens with Verdi’s “La Traviata” with Giampaolo Bisanti conducting a production by Thaddeus Strassberger. Irina Lungu, Dmitry Korchak, and Simone Piazzola star. Performance Dates: Sept. 13-24, 2024 Leoš Janáček’s “Kát’a Kabanová” will star Anush Hovhannisyan, Anton Rositskiy, Nino Surguladze, Sergei Skorokhodov, Jana Kurucová, Dmitry Cheblykov, {…}

Mar 20, 2024

Benjamin Bernheim, Lisette Oropesa, Ludovic Tézier & Asmik Grigorian Lead Opéra de Paris’ 2024-25 Season

The Opéra de Paris has announced its 2024-25 season. Opera Verdi’s “Falstaff” opens the season with a cast that includes Ambrogio Maestri, Olivia Boen, Marie-Andrée Bouchard-Lesieur, Andrei Kymach, Gregory Bonfatti, Marie-Nicole Lemieux, Iván Ayón-Rivas, and Federica Guida. Michael Schønwandt conducts the production by Dominique Pitoiset. Performance Dates: Sept. 10-30, 2024 Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” will star Eleonora Buratto, Elena Stikhina, Aude {…}

Oct 25, 2023

Luca Salsi, Anna Netrebko, Jessica Pratt, Lawrence Brownlee & Benjamin Bernheim Lead LaScalaTV’s 2024 Season

The Teatro alla Scala has announced its streaming schedule for La ScalaTV in 2024. The company will begin its streaming season with Filarmonica della Scala’s concert conducted by Ingo Metzmacher. Streaming Date: Jan. 2024 The following stream will be “Simon Boccanegra” starring Luca Salsi, Ain Anger, and Roberto De Candia. Streaming Date: Feb. 2024 Benjamin Britten’s ‘The Little Sweep” will {…}

Sep 3, 2023

Sonya Yoncheva, Leo Nucci, Ambrogio Maestri, Sydney Mancasola, Antonino Siragusa Headline Royal Opera Muscat’s 2023-24 Season

The Royal Opera House Muscat has unveiled its 2023-24 season. Here is the rundown of the classical vocal performances on offer. First up is “The Barber of Seville” with the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI and the Intermezzo Choir under the musical direction of Antonino Fogliani. The opera stars Antonino Siragusa as Conte d’Almaviva, Carlo Lepore as Dr. Bartolo, Nicola {…}

Aug 27, 2023

Wiener Staatsoper Announces Cast Change for ‘Il Trittico’

The Wiener Staatsoper has announced a cast change for October dates of Puccini’s “Il Trittico.” The company said that Michael Volle will sing the role of Michele in “Il Tabarro” instead of Carlos Álvarez while Ambrogio Maestri will sing the title role in “Gianni Schicchi” instead of Álvarez. Volle will join a cast that includes Anja Kampe, Joshua Guerrero, and Monika {…}

Mar 5, 2023

Jonas Kaufmann, Saioa Hernández, Lise Davidsen & Sonya Yoncheva Lead Bayerische Staatsoper’s 2023-24 Season

The Bayerische Staatsoper has announced its 2023-24 season. New Productions The first new production of the season will be Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro.” Stefano Montanari conducts the production by Evgeny Titov. The cast will include Huw Montague Rendall, Mattia Olivieri, Elsa Dreisig, Maria Bengtsson, Louise Alder, Konstantin Krimmel, Avery Amereau, and Dorothea Röschmann. Performance Dates: Oct. 30, 2023-July 17, 2024 {…}

Jan 12, 2023

Metropolitan Opera 2022-23 Review: L’Elisir d’Amore

(Credit: Marty Sohl / Met Opera) Last month the Metropolitan Opera opened its final run of Sonja Frisell’s legendary “Aida” staging. The production, which opened in 1988, remains somewhat of a splendor for its lush and detailed sets. As I noted in my recent review, I have never been the biggest fan of this particular mise-en-scène, but on this revival, {…}