The Arena di Verona has announced its 2018 summer festival, which will feature five operas over the course of two months. The festivities kick off on June 22, 2018, with Bizet’s “Carmen.” The opera runs through August 31 for a total of 13 performances. June 23, 2018, marks the first performance of “Aida,” which will run for 16 performances, the {…}
On Sept. 9, 2017, the LA Opera opens its 2017-18 season with a repertory staple, Bizet’s “Carmen.” However, what makes this revival so appealing is the addition of a soprano in the title role instead of a mezzo-soprano. Ana María Martínez takes on the iconic role for the second time after receiving raves at the Houston Grand Opera. With the {…}
“Opera Meets Film” is a feature dedicated to exploring the way that opera has been employed in cinema. We will select a section or a film in its entirety, highlighting 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 Pete Doctor’s “Up.” {…}
Regina Resnik is often cited as one of the great American mezzos of the 20th century. Born on August 30, she managed an international career that spanned a whopping five decades and became a house favorite with such companies as La Scala, the Paris Opera, the Royal Opera, the Vienna State Opera, and of course, the Metropolitan Opera, where she {…}
The Los Angeles Opera has added one more performance of “Carmen.” The opera, which will open the season on Sept. 9, 2017, will get an additional showcase on Thursday, Sept. 28, 2017, bringing its total presentations to seven. The opera will star Ana María Martinez in the title role. She will appear in all the performances and has noted that {…}
Bryan Hymel, born on August 8, 1979, is one of the exciting artists living and breathing today. The American tenor, whose lyric voice makes him perfect for the French repertoire and some dips into the Italian, is one of the most sought-after around the world, putting his mark on such operas as “Les Troyens” and “Guillaume Tell.” He doesn’t have {…}
It’s that time of the year when opera seasons return and when some of the biggest stars grace the world’s most prominent stages. In the case of United States, there will be a number of world premieres as well as rising stars and established stars who have some fascinating performances planned for this year. With hundreds of different shows, OperaWire has curated {…}
On August 2nd, Opera Breve brought a fascinating concept to life with their new production of Bizet’s “Carmen.” Stripped of its spoken dialogue and most of its music, this shortened version of the opera found most of its substance through the narration of a fictional psychoanalyst, Dr. Eva Stone. The details presented in the narration helped create an atmosphere in {…}
The LA Opera simulcast is back and this year the company will bring the experience to the Los Angeles community on Sept. 23, 2017. With the help of the Los Angeles County and the Board of Supervisors, the Los Angeles Opera will broadcast the evening’s performance of “Carmen” to the Santa Monica Pier and Exposition Park. The opera is set {…}
When we look back at the history of operatic tenors, Mario del Monaco, born on July 27, 1915, will always stand out for his massive sound and larger-than-life vocal personality. He had a massive sound that he wielded like a weapon full of intensity and emotional prowess. Looking at his repertoire, he wasn’t the most diverse of singers, his number {…}
“Carmen,” Georges Bizet’s Spanish-inspired masterpiece, was performed at the Festival d’arLyriqueue d’Aix-en-Provence’s 2017 season in an unconventional production. Russian director Dmitri Tcherniakov’s has consigned the traditional Sevillan mantillas, toreros, and abrigos de luz to distant memory and, for the hugely popular opera’s return to Aix for the first time in 60 years, has fully reviewed the story to give it {…}