Luciano Pavarotti, Pene Pati, Ermonela Jaho Sandrine Piau, Lea Desandre, Maria Brea, Dame Sarah Connolly, & Arsen Soghomonyan Lead New CD/DVD Releases

Welcome back for this week’s look at the latest CD and DVD releases in the opera world. This week, Decca celebrates Pavarotti while many artists release solo albums. There are also some historical performances that audiences will not want to miss. Songs of Passion The new album is a collection of vocal and instrumental music by John Dowland and Henry {…}

Feb 3, 2025

Marie Lys, Benjamin Appl, Inés Alonso & Mélissa Petit Lead Festival de Peralada’s 2025 Season

The Festival de Perelada has announced its 2025 Easter Festival. Here are the vocal performances. Johann Adolf Hasse’s “Oratorio in F major” is set to be performed for the first time in Spain. Valer Sabadus, Marie Lys, Rafael Quirant, Maria Espada, and Anna Alàs i Jové. Dani Espasa conducts the Vespres d’Arnadi. Performance Date: April 17, 2025 Benjamin Appl and Dani Espada {…}

May 9, 2022

Teatro La Fenice 2021-22 Review: La Griselda

(Photo: Michele Crosera) Given that Venice is the city of Vivaldi’s birth and the scene of most of his musical successes, it is fitting that La Fenice has been one of the leading companies in the movement toward rehabilitating staged performances of his operas. This season’s production of the composer’s 1735 work “La Griselda” will mark the fifth consecutive year {…}

Dec 7, 2021

Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia 2021 Review: Juditha Triumphans

(Photo: Musacchio, Ianniello e Pasquini) As part of its 2021-22 concert series the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia brought together an impressive cast which included baroque specialists Vivica Genaux and Ann Hallenberg for a performance of Vivaldi’s only surviving oratorio “Juditha Triumphans,” under the direction of the Vivaldi specialist Federico Maria Sardelli. Written in 1716 to a libretto by Giacomo {…}

Nov 6, 2021

Mezzo-Soprano Ann Hallenberg & Baritone John Lundgren Appointed Royal Court Singers by King of Sweden

(Credits: © Örjan Jakobsson / Bayerische Staatsoper official website) Mezzo-soprano Ann Hallenberg and baritone John Lundgren have been appointed Royal Court Singers by His Majesty King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf. Hallenberg and Lundgren join a long list of famed opera singers who carry this designation, including Nina Stemme, Peter Mattei, Anna Larsson, Miah Persson, Michael Weinius, Malin Byström, Katarina {…}

Aug 8, 2021

Drottningholms Slottsteater Cancels ‘Agrippina’ Premiere Due to COVID-19

(Credit: Markus Gårder) The Drottningholms Slottsteater in Sweden was forced to cancel the premiere of Georg Friedrich Händel’s opera “Agrippina” due to COVID-19. On August 7, 2021, the theater’s General Manager Anna Karinsdotter alongside director Staffan Valdemar Holm informed the audience that one of the singers in the production tested positive for the virus and as result, the theater was {…}

Jun 14, 2021

Anna Netrebko, Renée Fleming, Sonya Yoncheva, Anita Rachvelishvili & Lise Davidsen Headline Berlin Philharmonic’s 2021-22 Season

(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 {…}

Jun 12, 2021

Renée Fleming, Magdalena Kožená & Markus Brück Highlight Musikfest Berlin’s 2021 Edition

(Credits: www.opera-online.com / © Katrin Penschke) The Musikfest Berlin has announced its 2021 slate. For the purposes of this article, we will focus on the vocal works only. The Inaugural concert will feature the Bundesjugendchor performing choral works by Brahms, Schumann, di Lasso, Harvey, Hofmeyr, Rihm, Denner, and MacMillan. Anne Kohler conducts. Performance date: Aug. 28, 2021 Famed American soprano {…}

May 20, 2021

Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe Announces 2021-22 Season

The Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe in Germany has announced its 2021-22 season featuring ballet, theater, and opera. For this article, we will only highlight the opera productions. Premieres Mozart’s “La Finta Giardiniera” will get a new production with Yura Yang conducting and Anja Kühnhold directing. Premiere Date: Oct. 23, 2021 Emmerich Kálmán’s “Grafin Mariza” gets a new production with Georg Fritzsch {…}

Dec 12, 2020

Joseph Calleja, Ann Hallenberg & The Crossing Lead New CD/DVD Releases

As the holiday season arrives there are new holiday albums, rarely performed gems, and world premiere recordings. Here is a look at what audiences can stream this week. White Christmas Joseph Calleja has released a single of the holiday classic on Decca Classics. The new track features Mantovani and His Orchestra and marks Calleja’s first Christmas recording. Rising W/The Crossing {…}

Aug 15, 2020

Elena Stikhina, Christiane Karg & Ann Hallenberg Highlight Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra 2020 Fall Season

(Credits: Daniil Rabovsky / Gisela Schenker / Monteverdi Choir & Orchestras official website) The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra will be returning to the stage on August 28, 2020. The Orchestra has announced its fall season which will last until December 23, 2020. For the purpose of this article, we will focus only on the vocal works. Mezzo-soprano Ann Hallenberg will perform {…}