(Photo: Ruth Medjber) Irish National Opera’s production of Janacek’s “The Cunning Little Vixen” proved to be a valid, yet commonplace, sentimental, child-centered reading, which unfortunately failed to delve below the surface narrative, although this was not the intention of its director, Sophie Motley. The Director’s Ideas Fail to Translate into Practice In her program notes, Motley explained that her aim {…}
(Photo: Frances Marshall) With Ireland’s Blackwater Valley Opera Festival about to get underway, OperaWire thought it would be a good opportunity to catch up with mezzo-soprano Sharon Carty, who will be playing the role of Sesto in the festival’s headline presentation, Handel’s “Giulio Cesare.” 2024 is proving to be a busy year for Carty. She has had a full calendar, {…}
To coincide with the centenary of the death of the composer Charles Villiers Stanford, the Somm label has released a new disc entitled “Cushendall,” comprising his three Irish song cycles, “A Fire of Turf,” “A Sheaf of Songs from Leinster” and “Cushendall,” along with two arias from his opera, “Shamus O’Brien” and the “Blarney Ballads,” performed by mezzo-soprano Sharon Carty, {…}
Credit: Uwe Arens/Dario Acosta/Tatyana Vlasova The Staatstheater Wiesbaden has announced its 2020-21 season featuring eight new productions, the Ring Cycle and a number of important revivals. Here is a look. Premieres Konrad Junghänel conducts a new production of Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” with Tilo Nest directing. Ioan Hotea and Antonio Garés share the role of the count while Silvia {…}