Bizet’s “Carmen” is one of the great operas of all time and one of the few to really have a massive impact on popular culture. The opera, which premiered back on March 3, 1875, was a failure upon premiering with Bizet never actually getting a chance to experience the success of his masterwork. Since then the opera, which was adapted {…}
Lionel Bringuier has pulled out of Bizet’s “Carmen” at the Opera National de Paris. According to Forum Opera, the conductor pulled out for personal reasons leaving the Opera National de Paris in a mad scramble to find a replacement. As it turns out, audiences will now get three different musical interpretations to look forward to. Bertrand de Billy will conduct on {…}
With February drawing to a close, Opera Philadelphia announced its 2017-18 season. The company is slated to open the new season with a 12-day festival that will showcase opera across six venues for a total of 25 performances. This festival, called O17, will take place between Sept. 14-25. The festival opens with the world premiere of Kevin Puts’ “Elizabeth Cree” {…}
Prepare yourself for two high profile premieres this weekend on opposite sides of the country. On Saturday, the Los Angeles Opera lifts the curtain on “Salome” starring Patricia Racette in the role that she dominated at the Metropolitan Opera. Regarding her performance OperaWire wrote, “she dominated the stage in one of her greatest achievements on the Met stage.” Another major {…}
Roberto Aronica will sing the final performance of Bizet’s “Carmen” on Feb. 18. He will replace Marcelo Álvarez, who is ill. Aronica stepped in for the previous Feb 7, 11 and 15 performances after Rafael Davila filled in for two performances including the opening night. Álvarez sang three performances of the run but opted out of finishing it. Aronica made his Met debut as Alfredo in {…}
It’s Valentine’s Day, a momentous occasion to celebrate love and romance. Romance is at the heart of opera with the art forms pull coming from our connection with beautiful love affairs. Most everyone melts at Rodolfo and Mimì’s blooming love in “La Bohème” or Alfredo and Violetta’s in “La Traviata.” We admire the sacrifice of Roméo and Juliette or even {…}
Two major cancellations were announced on Monday at the Metropolitan Opera. First it was announced that Diana Damrau would not partake in the second performance of “I Puritani” on Tuesday, Feb. 14 and then it was revealed tenor Marcelo Alvarez would also withhold from performing the performance of “Carmen” on Feb. 15. Pretty Yende, coming off a thrilling running of {…}
This review is for the performance on Friday, Feb. 3, 2017. When Sophie Koch cancelled all of her performances for Bizet’s “Carmen” at the Metropolitan Opera, attention immediately turned toward Clémentine Margaine, who was set to make her Met debut on Feb. 3. Instead the French mezzo saw her first performance at the history house pushed up two weeks. Of {…}
With each passing week, the opera world gets the lates ton the 2017-18 season. The Atlanta Opera has joined the fray announcing the six operas that its audiences will get to clamor over between November 2017 and June 2018. The Flying Dutchman – Nov. 4, 7, 10, 12 (2017) Wagner’s early masterwork gets a new production by the company’s General {…}
Roberto Aronicia will take over the role of Don Jose on Feb. 7 and 11 in Bizet’s “Carmen” at the Metropolitan Opera. The tenor will step in for Marcelo Alvarez who is ill. Aronica becomes the second tenor this season who is filling in for Alvarez. On opening night Rafael Davila made a heroic debut as he stepped in an {…}
The Aix-en-Provence festival has announced the schedule for 2017, which will feature one new production after another with many of opera’s greatest singers. Pinocchio – July 3-16 The festival will kick off with the World Premiere of Phillippe Boesmans’ “Pinocchio” on July 3, 2017. The opera will feature Chloé Briot in the title role with Stéphane Degout as the troupe {…}
