Photo: Tristram Kenton Expectations were high for Deborah Warner’s new production of Alban Berg’s “Wozzeck” at the Royal Opera House. Warner’s acclaimed treatment of “Peter Grimes” saw her in similar territory—indeed, the debt owed to Berg’s score by Britten is considerable—in a pair of twentieth-century operas about alienated outsiders, disturbed by the very society that despises them. Both pieces are {…}
Berlin’s Staatsoper Unter den Linden has announced its 2023-24 season. The season will showcase numerous revivals and new productions. Premieres Calixto Bieito directs a new production of Verdi’s “Aida” with Grigory Shkarupa, Elīna Garanča, Ekaterina Semenchuk, Marina Rebeka, María José Siri, Yusif Eyvazov, Ivan Magrì, René Pape, Erwin Schrott, Vladislav Sulimsky, and Alfredo Daza. Nicola Luisotti conducts. Performance Dates: Oct. {…}
(Credit: Georg Zeppenfeld) The Wiener Staatsoper has announced that bass René Pape will not be appearing in the role of Gurnemanz in the run of Wagner’s “Parsifal.” As a result, German bass Georg Zeppenfeld will take over the role. Zeppenfeld joins a cast that includes Wolfgang Koch, Anja Kampe, Nikolay Sidorenko, Artyom Wasnetsov, Carlos Osuna, Erik Van Heyningen, Patricia Nolz, {…}
(Credit: Wiener Staatsoper official website) The Wiener Staatsoper has announced that soprano Anja Kampe will not be appearing in the role of Senta in Wagner’s “Der Fliegende Holländer” for the performances on Nov. 21 & 24, 2021. As a result, well-known dramatic soprano Ricarda Merbeth will take over the role. Merbeth has already stepped in for Kampe for the performance {…}
(Credit: Mirko Joerg Kellner) The Wiener Staatsoper has announced that soprano Anja Kampe will not be appearing in the role of Senta in Wagner’s “Der Fliegende Holländer” for the Nov. 17, 2021 performance. As a result, soprano Ricarda Merbeth will take over the role. Merbeth is a well-known dramatic soprano who has performed at the Teatro alla Scala, Bayerische Staatsoper, {…}
Spain’s Palau de la Música de Valencia has announced its 2021-22 season. For the purposes of this article, our focus will be on vocal performances. The Teatro Principal will present Nuria Rial and Martin Mitterrutzner in a program of Mozart, Tchaikovsky, and J. Strauss. Alexander Liebreich conducts. Performance Date: Dec. 22, 2021 Anja Kampe, Norbert Ernst and Ain Anger perform {…}
As July comes to a close we are fortunate to bring you another week of unique opera streams. Three hail from one company in Germany, but all of them are undeniably worth a look. We also have some unique streams from a number of other companies and organizations around the world. So without further ado, here are our top operas {…}
(Credit: Markus Jans) The Bayerische Staatsoper has announced a farewell concert in honor of its outgoing Intendant Nikolaus Bachler. The concert will take place on July 30, 2021 at the Nationaltheater. The concert will feature some of the world’s greatest performers, including Anna Netrebko, Jonas Kaufmann, Diana Damrau, Elīna Garanča, Nina Stemme, Alex Esposito, Christian Gerhaher, Anja Harteros, Ermonela Jaho, {…}
(Credit: Johannes Ifkovits) Polish bass-baritone Tomasz Konieczny will replace Sir Bryn Terfel in the title role of Wagner‘s “Der Fliegende Holländer” at the Bayerische Staatsoper’s Opera Festival on July 7, 2021. No immediate reason was given for the cancellation. However, current arrivals from United Kingdom to Germany have been banned except for the German nationals and residents due to the {…}
(Credits: Dario Acosta / Andrew Eccles/Decca / Javier del Real / Dario Acosta / Ray Burmiston) The Berlin Philharmonic has announced its 2021-22 season, spotlighting some of the world’s greatest performers. For the purpose of this article, we will focus on vocal works. Here is the full slate: The Bundesjugendchor presents works by Brahms, Schumann, di Laso, Harvey, Rihm, and {…}
(Credits: Dario Acosta / Sonya Yoncheva official website / © Gregor Hohenberg / Kasskara/DG / Operabase official website / Staatsoper Berlin official website) The Staatsoper unter den Linden in Berlin has announced its 2021-22 season. Here is the full slate. Operas Beethoven’s “Fidelio” will open the season. The opera stars Roman Trekel, Matthias Goerne, Pavel Černoch, Andreas Schager, Simone Schneider, {…}
