(Credit: Marty Sohl / Met Opera) On Nov. 9, 2021, the Metropolitan Opera will revive Franco Zeffirelli’s classic staging of Puccini’s “La Bohème.” The production is the all-time most-performed staging and will celebrate its 40th anniversary of its 1981 premiere. This season the Met will feature South Korean conductor Eun Sun Kim, who became music director of San Francisco Opera {…}
Rolando Villazón will celebrate his 50th birthday with a concert “Cinquentañero.” The concert, which will be held on Feb. 21, 2022, one day before his 50th birthday, will take place at the Stiftung Mozarteum Salzburg. Many of Villazón’s closest collaborators will celebrate the famed tenor’s milestone birthday including Daniel Barenboim, Plácido Domingo, Charles Castronovo, Magdalena Kozena, Regula Muehlemann, Fatma Said, {…}
Poland’s Opera Wroclaw has announced its 2021-22 season featuring new productions, numerous debuts, and star-studded casts. Here is a look at the new season. New Productions The season opens in a new production of Puccini’s “Tosca” directed by Michael Gieleta. Lianna Haroutounian, Giorgi Sturua, and Ambrogio Maestri lead the first cast and Ewa Vesin, Tadeusz Szlenkier, and Mikołaj Zalasiński leading {…}
(Credits: Shervin Lainez / Raphael Brand / Pia Clodi) The L’Instant Lyrique in France has announced its 2021-22 season featuring many leading singers from around the world. The season will open with sopranos Barbara Hannigan and Jeanne Gérard, mezzo-soprano Ema Nikolovska, and bass-baritone Yannis François alongside pianist Michalis Boliakis. Performance date: Sep. 27, 2021 Tenor Michael Spyres sings alongside pianist {…}
This week two new DVDs will be available. One comes from the archives while the other comes from an exceptional production recorded last summer. Soprano Julia Bullock also previews her new album with the first single. Here is a look. Mireille Gounod’s “Mireille” will get a reissue on Naxos from the Paris Opera. The production hails from the 2009–10 season {…}
(Credits: Dario Acosta / Sonya Yoncheva official website / © Gregor Hohenberg / Kasskara/DG / Operabase official website / Staatsoper Berlin official website) The Staatsoper unter den Linden in Berlin has announced its 2021-22 season. Here is the full slate. Operas Beethoven’s “Fidelio” will open the season. The opera stars Roman Trekel, Matthias Goerne, Pavel Černoch, Andreas Schager, Simone Schneider, {…}
The Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona has announced a star-studded 2021-22 season with some of the world’s greatest orchestras, soloists, and choruses. Here is a look at the vocal and choral performances. The Cor Lieder Càmera and Josep Vila i Casañasperformworksby Bach, Brahms, Duruflé, Gasull, Morera, Ollé, Vila i Casañas, and Vaughan-Williams. Performance Date: Sept. 19, 2021 Joyce {…}
The Lyric Opera of Chicago has announced its 2021-22 season. It all kicks off with a new production of Verdi’s “Macbeth” starring Luca Salsi, Sondra Radvanovsky, Joshua Guerrero and Christian Van Horn. Enrique Mazzola conducts the production by Sir David McVicar. Performance Dates: Sept. 17- Oct. 9, 2021 Enrique Mazzola will conduct “L’Elisir d’Amore” in a production by Daniel Slater. {…}
(Credit: Javier del Real/Salva Lopez) The Théâtre des Champs-Elysées has announced its 2021-22 season featuring some of the biggest stars in the world, staged operas, and concert operas. Staged Opera Debussy’s “Pelléas et Mélisande“ will be conducted by François-Xavier Roth and directed by Eric Ruf. Patricia Petibon, Stanislas de Barbeyrac, Sir Simon Keenlyside, Jean Teitgen, and Lucile Richardot star. Performance {…}
This week audiences will get to experience the world premiere recording of a recent opera, two acclaimed productions on DVD, and the debut album for one of today’s rising stars. Let’s have a look. Rhapsody Cecilia Bartoli continues her series ‘Mentored by Bartoli’ series in partnership with Decca Classics. The second album will feature Varduhi Abrahamyan’s debut recording and music {…}
This week, audiences will get a chance to see and listen to world premieres and rarely performed pieces. There is also an intriguing work from Richard Wagner’s son. Check out this week’s new releases. Songs for Murdered Sisters The new song cycle, which was co-commissioned by Houston Grand Opera and Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra, was conceived to wake people {…}
