(Photo: Clarissa Lapolla) As the last notes of Ariodante’s aria “Dopo notte atra e funestra” died away, the audience sounded its approval with enthusiastic applause and loud cheering; some people were even on their feet. They were joined by the orchestra and its conductor, Federico Maria Sardelli, who was also applauding. And it showed no signs of abating, at least {…}
The Festival della Valle d’Itria is set to present Händel’s “Ariodante.” The opera will be performed in a new edition by Bernardo Ticci with the ensemble Modo Antiquo conducted by Federico Maria Sardelli. Torsten Fischer will direct the new production which he describes as a modern reading. In a statement, Torsten added, “The fickleness of love, lust for power, diabolical {…}
The Glyndebourne Festival has announced its 2025 season. New Productions The season will see the company’s first-ever production of Wagner’s “Parsifal” directed by Jetske Mijnssen. Robin Ticciati conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra with a cast that includes Daniel Johansson as Parsifal and mezzo-soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek as Kundry. Performance Dates: May 17 – June 24, 2025 Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro” {…}
Each music-lover has their “Requiem” of choice. The Heroic will want to be mourned under Verdi’s; tender souls feel represented by the ethereal melodies of Brahms or Fauré. But, it is safe to say that nine of ten music-lovers prefer Mozart’s unfinished “Requiem.” More than a masterpiece, it is arguably the most gracious sacred work in the classical repertoire. However, {…}
The Festival della Valle d’Itria di Martina Franca is set to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2024. The festival will include three operas and will run from July 17 through August 6, 2024. Operas The festival will open with Bellini’s “Norma” in a new production conducted by Fabio Luisi. The cast will include Jacquelyn Wagner (Norma), Valentina Farcas (Adalgisa), Airam {…}
(Photo: © Ruth Walz) A couple of weeks ago, I had a lovely conversation with one of the dramaturgists of Salzburg Festival’s production of Verdi’s “Falstaff.” He pinpointed how strange it is for a dramaturg to hear that the staging for this production did not work, but the music did. To him, music and theater are part of the same {…}
Torino’s Orchestra Rai has announced its 2023-24 season. Here are the vocal highlights. Philippe Jordan conducts Kate Lindsey in a program of music by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Ernest Chausson, Benjamin Britten, and Claude Debussy. Performance Dates: Dec 14 & 15, 2023 Michele Gamba conducts Francesco Meli and Markus Werba in a Puccini concert. Performance Date: March 20, 2024 Andres Orozco-Estrada conducts {…}
The Semperoper Dresden has announced its 2023-24 season. Here is a look at the operatic productions of the season. Premieres Puccini’s “Turandot” is set to star Elisabeth Teige, Aleksei Kulagin, Yonghoon Lee, and Elbenita Kajtazi. Ivan Repušić conducts the new production by Marie-Eve Signeyrole. Performance Dates: Oct. 7-Nov. 25, 2023 Mary Plazas, Katerina von Bennigsen, Peter Tantsits, and Andrew Nolen {…}
(Photo: Monika Rittershaus) Elites within society are nothing new. However, over the latter part of the 20th century and the first quarter of the 21st century, we have witnessed the emergence of an increasingly powerful elite who possess significant global interests yet apparently display little attachment to any specific country. It is an elite that is accumulating wealth and income {…}
On Oct. 28, The Teatro Carlo Felice is set to present Berlioz’s “Béatrice et Bénédict.” The opera will be performed in Italy for the first time and will open the 2022-23 season in Genoa. This opéra-comique based on Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing,” will be conducted by Maestro Donato Renzetti, who celebrates its inclusion as the 100th opera in his {…}
The Wiener Staatsoper has announced a cast change for its revival of “Il Barbiere di Siviglia.” The company said that Cecilia Molinari will sing the role of Rosina instead of Vasilisa Berzhanskaya in September performances. Molinari is a well known Italian mezzo who regularly performs Mozart, Donizetti, and Rossini, among others. She has performed at the Dutch National Opera, Opéra Royal {…}