The Greek National Opera is currently performing a production of Cherubini’s rarely performed opera “Medea.” The run of the opera is part of the company’s tribute to the centennial of Maria Callas’ birth. Callas was well known for rediscovering “Medea” and made it one of her signature roles. She went on to perform it more than 30 times at the Dallas {…}
The Gran Teatre del Liceu has announced the programming for its 2023-24 Liceu+ slate. The company will live stream “Eugene Onegin.” The opera stars Svetlana Aksenova, Audun Iversen, and Alexey Neklyudov. Josep Pons conducts. Streaming Date: Oct. 8, 2023 / Special Edition in November 2023 Next up is “Antony and Cleopatra” with Julia Bullock and Gerald Finley. John Adams conducts. {…}
The Wiener Staatsoper has announced the 2023-24 season featuring new productions, revivals, and concerts. Premieres The company will showcase Tatjana Gürbaca’s production of “Il Trittico.” For “Il Tabarro,” audiences will hear Carlos Álvarez, Anja Kampe, and Joshua Guerrero. Headlining “Suor Angelica” will be Eleonora Buratto and Michaela Schuster. Finally, for “Gianni Schicchi,” the headliners including Carlos Álvarez, Serena Sáenz, Michaela {…}
The Opéra de Paris has announced its 2023-24 Season featuring many new productions and many of the great stars in the world. Alexander Soddy conducts Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” with a cast that includes Peter Mattei, Kyle Ketelsen, Adela Zaharia, Julia Kleiter, Ben Bliss, Cyrille Dubois, John Relyea, Gaëlle Arquez, Tara Erraught, Alex Esposito, Bogdan Talos, Guilhem Worms, Ying Fang, and {…}
Photo: Marc Brenner Having an unequivocal passion for Puccini, this reviewer must confess to being somewhat conflicted over his final work. These concerns, though, have always been assuaged with the knowledge that many others have also been plagued with such uncertainty, not least with the original work itself, for, of course, the maestro died before the completion of “Turandot.” After {…}
Photo: Marc Brenner/ROH Somnific fiction is the stuff of bedtime stories starring beasts and feasts of the absurd: displays of madness only children could endure pre-slumber. Lumbering imaginations with beguilement, it refrains from the revilement of base villains, wrapping them instead in tangible entrancement. This enhancement of surrealness makes the fairytale the tender tooth’s apéritif: a nightly dose of magical {…}
Photo credit: Marty Sohl The Greek National Opera (GNO) will present the Greek premiere of Sir David McVicar’s production of Cherubini’s “Medea” starring soprano Anna Pirozzi. Alongside Pirozzi is bass-baritone Yanni Yannissis as Creon, soprano Vassiliki Karayanni as Glauce, tenor Giorgio Berrugi singing the role of Jason, mezzo-soprano Nefeli Kotseli as Neris, bass Nikolas Douros as the Captain of the {…}
The Opera de Liège has announced a cast change for its production of Cilea’s “Adriana Lecouvreur.” The company said that Anna Pirozzi will not be making her debut as “Adriana Lecouvreur,” as the soprano is reserving her role debut for Paris. The soprano also announced that she will be retiring the role of Abigaille in “Nabucco” after performing the opera {…}
This review is for the performance of January 21, 2023 Unearthing the bodies of “Il Trovatore,” La Fura dels Baus and Àlex Ollé found the first great war. This is not a literary metaphor used by this pedantic critic, but what actually was presented in the stage. Large tombs are raised and lowered into rows of graves on the stage {…}
In very direct terms: Paris’s “La Forza del Destino” is the best production of the opera company this season so far. The success is living proof of the golden rule of opera: great music with great musicians make opera (always) great. It seems to be an easy rule, but it is often forgotten. “La Forza” is an Opera with capital {…}
The Opéra National de Paris is set to present Verdi’s “Il Trovatore” starting on Jan. 21, 2023. The opera, which will run through Feb. 17, 2023 for nine performances, will be conducted by Carlo Rizzi. It will star Anna Pirozzi as Leonora with Yusif Eyvazov as Manrico. In the role of Il Conte di Luna, audiences will see Étienne Dupuis. {…}