La Monnaie / de Munt has announced the cancelation of its 12 performances of “Carmen.” The company noted that the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 forced the company to only be able to perform for 200 people. Unfortunately, as per an official statement, that would result in the loss of 900,000€. “Add to this the fact that we {…}
New National Theatre, Tokyo is set to stream its production of “Carmen” on Oct. 18, 2021. The opera, which is directed by Àlex Ollé and conducted by Kazushi Ono, will star Stéphanie D’Oustrac in the title role and Toshiaki Murakami as Don José. Alexandre Duhamel interprets the role of Escamillo while Ryoko Sunakawa takes on Micaëla. Other cast members include {…}
(Photo: Josef Fischnaller) Fatma Said has had a remarkable career. She was the first Egyptian vocalist to perform at Teatro alla Scala in Milan, where she sang the role of Pamina in Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte.” She has performed in both opera and concert settings in some of the leading opera houses throughout Europe and is an artistic representative for her {…}
The Sarasota Opera has announced its 2021-22 season featuring five masterworks from the Italian and French repertoire. Fall Season Rossini’s rarely performed gem “La Scala di Seta” will open the season. Performance Dates: Oct. 29-Nov. 13, 2021 Winter Season The first production of the winter will be Puccini’s beloved “Tosca” in the company’s classic production. Ann Toomey and Ben Gulley {…}
(Credits: Dario Acosta / © Gregor Hohenberg / Sony Classical / Angela Gheorghiu official website / Michael Cooper / Kasskara/DG / Chris Singer) The Royal Opera House Covent Garden has announced full details of its exciting 2021-22 season, which will star some of the world’s greatest performers. The Royal Opera House Live Cinema Season and digital program will be announced {…}
“Page to Opera Stage” looks at stories – real-life or fiction, old and new – that have inspired operas, and the ways these narratives have been edited and dramatized to fit a new medium. This week’s article looks at the stylings of Prosper Mérimée’s novella “Carmen” and Bizet’s streamlined operatic adaptation. In terms of French literary history, Prosper Mérimée may not {…}
Pacific Opera Project is set to present a series of live, in-person productions this June. The company unveiled that it would be performing Bizet’s “Don Procopio” between June 4-6, 2021 at the Heritage Square Museum in Los Angeles, California. All three showcases will feature socially-distanced audiences. The showcase will feature Ben Lowe in the title role alongside Rachel Policar, Jon {…}
The Royal Opera House announced that it will present the special performance of Puccini’s opera ‘La bohème’ in order to express their gratitude to the staff of the National Health Service. The presentation will take place on June 27, 2021. The opera will be performed for specially-invited NHS staff, including nurses and healthcare support workers from the Royal Opera House’s {…}
Throughout its history, the $244.4 billion film industry, has relied heavily on historical embellishment for its “narrative spice,” these choices often creating ethical challenges. For example, despite being crowned Best Picture at the 2013 Oscar Awards, the harrowing film “Argo,” a tale about the ersatz American film crew tasked with saving six captive Americans from Iran, is chock-full of historical {…}
“Opera Meets Film” is a feature dedicated to exploring the way that opera has been employed in cinema. We will select a film section or a film in its entirety and highlight the impact that utilizing the operatic form or sections from an opera can alter our perception of a film that we are viewing. This week’s installment features Florian {…}
On April 27, 2021, Victorian Opera will present Georges Bizet’s “The Pearl Fishers,” held at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. Maestro Richard Mills conducts the Orchestra Victoria, and a cast comprised of soprano Kathryn Radcliffe as Leila, bass-baritone Teddy Tahu Rhodes as Nourabad, tenor Carlos E. Barcenas as Nadir, and baritone Stephen Marsh as Zurga. This semi-staged concert production is {…}