“I’m not ill, I’m nervous.” — George III in Sir Peter Maxwell Davies’ monodrama Coming to Bavarian State Opera was always a special event. I consider this theater to be the only one that never fell short of my expectations. And it’s not a surprise that I chose to review a performance from there during these busy weeks when the {…}
(Credit: Bayerische Staatsoper official website) The Bayerische Staatsoper has announced that it will close until at least Feb. 28, 2021. Per the statement on the company’s website, Bernd Sibler, Minister for Arts of the State of Bavaria, and the directors of all Bavarian state theaters agreed to discontinue theater operations in February. “With the extended suspension of events, we are {…}
(Photo: Jon Tyson) Every Friday, Polina Lyapustina delivers a short essay on some of the most sensitive topics in the industry with the intent of establishing a dialogue about the opera world and its future. This week, I tried to flee from the grave feelings I experienced last week working on my piece about the situation with the Met Orchestra {…}
(Credit: Csudai Sándor-Origo) Famed Hungarian baritone Sándor Sólyom-Nagy has died at the age of 79. Sólyom-Nagy graduated from the Franz Liszt Music Academy in Budapest in 1966. He became a member of the ensemble of the Hungarian State Opera, and quickly became one of the leading baritones. Sólyom-Nagy also performed on the stages of the Wiener Staatsoper and the Bayerische {…}
(Credit: Gregor Hohenberg/Sony Music) France has announced the traditional New Year’s list of honors. La Grande Chancellerie de la Légion d’honneur has published the full list of recipients. Among those awarded is the celebrated tenor Roberto Alagna, thus becoming the Officer of Légion d’honneur . The famed tenor recently debuted the title role of Wagner’s “Lohengrin” at the Staatsoper Berlin. {…}
Credit: Bayerische Staatsoper official website The Royal Danish Opera has announced that Italian conductor Paolo Carignani has been appointed the new Chief Guest Conductor, starting in the 2021-22 season. The contract will last for three years. Carignani will replace the late conductor Alexander Vedernikov in his new position. “Paolo has gained great recognition as a conductor at the Royal Theater {…}
The Bayerische Staatsoper showcased “La Boheme” as part of its Montagsstücke series. Asher Fisch led the Bayerischen Staatsöper Orchestra and a starry cast that included tenor Jonas Kaufmann as Rodolfo and soprano Rachel Willis-Sorensen as Mimì. The outcome was a performance that came to life on screen and renewed the spirit of opera lovers during a time of lockdown and {…}
The Bayerische Staatsoper has announced an Advent concert. The performance, which will be held on Dec. 14 without an audience, will feature soloists Mirjam Mesak, Corinna Scheurle, Jonas Kaufmann, Johannes Moritz, Milan Siljanov, and Caspar Singh under the direction of Vladimir Jurowski. The program will feature music by Corelli, Mozart, Tartini, Bach, Praetorius, and a folk song. The Advent concert {…}
Get ready for another exciting and unique week of operatic experiences. From streams of some of the greatest repertory staples to arguably the biggest online gala experience of 2020 and a reimaging of a holiday classic, this week’s streaming options are sure to please all kinds of opera fans around the world. Falstaff – Bayerische Staatsoper (NOW) For those seeking {…}
(Credit: Sony / Gregor Hohenberg) Famed baritone Christian Gerhaher will lead a group of prominent singers and artists that will take a legal action against closures of theaters, concert halls and opera houses in Bavaria, Germany. This closure is the result of a decision by the authorities of Bavaria led by CSU President Markus Söder to close theaters until the {…}
Credit: Marica Rosengard Celebrated Finnish soprano Karita Mattila has been awarded the Order of the Lion of Finland, First Class Commander Badge. The Order of the Lion of Finland is one of three official orders in Finland, along with the Order of the Cross of Liberty and the Order of the White Rose of Finland. The famed Finnish soprano has {…}