The Vienna State Opera has announced its 2019-20 season, which includes six new productions and a whopping 58 operas overall. There are also a plethora of concert performances as well featuring some of the greatest opera stars on the planet. New Productions The new season kicks off with a new production of Britten’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Directed by Irina {…}
On March 14, 2019, the Metropolitan Opera raised the curtain on the next run of performances for its new production of Saint-Saens’ “Samson et Dalila.” Darko Tresnjak’s vision of ancient Israel is one that is both strange and stunning. While there is much to be savored visually, many aspects overplay certain elements of the opera, while not giving their due {…}
The Opéra National de Paris has announced its 2019-20 seasons which will feature a total of 19 operas and the entire Ring Cycle in an all-new production. Bellini’s “I Puritani” opens the season in a production by Laurent Pelly. Elsa Dreisig takes the leading role with Javier Camarena and Francesco Demuro sharing the role of Arturo. Riccardo Frizza conducts the {…}
The Metropolitan Opera completed its run of “Adriana Lecouvreur” on Saturday, Jan. 26, 2019. This opera had already been experienced and reviewed by OperaWire earlier in the run, but the high quality of this showcase was so great, that it felt worthwhile to check it out again, albeit with a major casting switch. Stronger Than Ever Those who had appeared {…}
PBS will showcase the Live in HD broadcast of “Aida” from the Metropolitan Opera as part of its Great Performances Series on Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. The broadcast, the first to showcase a performance from the 2018-19 season, will kick off at 12 p.m. EDT and features Anna Netrebko in Verdi´s famed opera. The performance also featured Anita Rachvelishvili as {…}
The Met Opera will continue its Live in HD series this Saturday, Jan. 12, 2019 with a performance of Cilea’s “Adriana Lecouvreur.” The broadcast, which kicks off 12:55 p.m. Eastern time, will showcase star soprano Anna Netrebko in the title role; this is the second HD transmission for the diva. This will be the Russian diva’s 15th Live in HD broadcast; {…}
This review is for the performance on Jan. 4, 2019. They say three times is a charm but in the case of the Metropolitan Opera, it took four tries to finally put on a production worthy of its legendary stature in the opera world. After three lackluster new productions, the company has finally hit a high note with Sir David McVicar’s 2010 {…}
The Metropolitan Opera is set to celebrate New Year’s Eve with a star-studded cast of “Adriana Lecouvreur” and talk has been about the diva and the tenor. But there is one artist in the cast that can’t be overlooked in the least – Anita Rachvelishvili. These performances of the Princess de Bouillon will be special because they will feature the {…}
Anita Rachvelshvili is set to star in Michael Mayer’s upcoming production of “Aida” at the Metropolitan Opera. The New York Times revealed in a new interview out this weekend that the mezzo soprano will star in the upcoming production set to for 2020. Rachvelshvili will once again join forces with Anna Netrebko, who is set for the title role. The {…}
This weekend, it’s all about new productions. From South America to Europe, three of Verdi’s greatest opera are getting new productions. Meanwhile, Saint-Saëns’ masterpiece is getting a rare performance while the Festival Donizetti is in full swing. Check it out. La Traviata – Teatro Municipal Enrique Buenaventura, Colombia Federico Figueroa directs a new production of “La Traviata” in Cali starring Gabriela {…}
The Salzburg Festival has announced it 2019 season with five new productions, two revivals, and two concert operas. Here is a look at what audiences can expect this season. Productions The 2019 Salzburg Festival opens with Mozart’s “Idomeneo.” Teodor Currentzis and Peter Sellars team up again after “La Clemenza di Tito” with a cast that includes Russell Thomas (Idomeneo), Paula Murrihy {…}