I think the trickiness of reviewing this work – for me, at least – can be expressed by an exchange I had with a couple at Bard’s Sosnoff Theater during the intermission of the Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s opera, “Das Wunder Der Heliane (The Miracle of Heliane).” Apparently, a woman had noticed me taking notes during the performance, perhaps deduced I {…}
The Teatro La Fenice has announced its 2019-20 season featuring a number of productions and concerts. Opera Alex Esposito, Piero Pretti, Julian Kim, and Maria Agresta star in Verdi’s “Don Carlo.” Myung-Whun Chung conducts a production by Robert Carsen. Performance Dates: Nov. 24-Dec. 7, 2019 Enrico Calesso conducts a new production of Carlo Collodi’s “Pinocchio.” Gianmaria Aliverta directs the production in a new version with Silvia Frigato {…}
As the 2018-19 season comes to an end, the opera season continues with festivals and many companies opening new productions. With a ton of selections to choose from, we eventually whittled it down to the 10 Must-See productions, as we did internationally. Here is a look at the operas you cannot miss this summer in the U.S.. 10. Hérodiade – New Amsterdam {…}
Another weekend, more opera selections. This weekend we take a look at a plethora of rare works that will be taking the stage in major forms. Anna Bolena – Opera de Liege, Belgium Olga Peretyatko, Marko Mimica, Celso Albelo, and Sofia Soloviy headline a new production of Donizetti’s breakout opera. Giamopaolo Bisanti conducts the production Stefano Mazzonis di Pralafera. Gianni {…}
One of the most exciting aspects of a new season is the fact that audiences will get an opportunity to encounter new artists for the very first time. This is also the case at the Wiener Staatsoper, which will feature a plethora of debuts in numerous major productions. Here is a look at five stars set to make headlines as {…}
The Staatsoper Berlin has announced its 2019-20 season, which will feature 10 new productions in addition to numerous revivals. Production premieres It all starts with Otto Nicolai’s “The Merry Wives of Windsor” with Daniel Barenboim conducting and David Bösch. René Pape will interpret the role of Falstaff with the remaining cast members including Michael Full, Wilhelm Schwinghammer, Pavol Breslik, Linard {…}
The Bard Summerscape 2019 festival has been announced. This year the festival will celebrate its 30th anniversary season and will focus on “Korngold and His World.” There will be film screenings, opera, recitals, and dance. For this article, we will only concentrate on the operatic and vocal showcases. Opera Christian Räth directs the American premiere of Korngold’s “The Miracle of Heliane” {…}
This weekend, celebrate Valentine’s day with a plethora of dramatic works and tragedies. This weekend will not include repertory staples but rarely performed works that are getting revivals or new productions. Check it out. Salome – Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Italy Ausrine Stundyte takes on the title role in Strauss’ early masterwork. Gabriele Lavia directs a production, which also stars Doris Soffel, Tuomas Pursio, and Ian {…}
In 2018, Ausrine Stundyte made her role debut as Salome at the Berlin State Opera and immediately became a sensation in the role. Critics said, “Stundyte is a consummate stage animal, and acts her heart out in the part.” Now after a sensational debut and rave reviews, the soprano is taking her acclaimed portrayal to the Teatro Comunale di Bologna. {…}
The Teatro Comunale di Bologna has announced its 2019 season with 10 productions all year. The Italian company is giving its native repertory most of the stage-time, with a total of seven productions this season; there are two German works and one in English, that will also appear. So let’s dive in and break it down. “Il Trovatore” opens the {…}