(Photo: Paola Kudacki / Met Opera) The Metropolitan Opera revealed its 2020-21 season on Wednesday afternoon. Among the major announcements were the company’s schedule for its ever-popular Live in HD slate. Here is a look at the list of performances that will be broadcast to audiences around the world. Aida (Oct. 10, 2020): Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts Michael Mayer’s new production {…}
(Photo Credit: Marty Sohl / Metropolitan Opera) On Jan. 9, 2020, the Metropolitan Opera resumed this season’s run of Puccini’s “La Bohème.” Zeffirelli’s classically gorgeous production was enlivened by a solid cast of artists under the baton of conductor Marco Armiliato. For this revival, Gregory Keller directed the production which saw it’s performers through a myriad of comedic, animated interactions {…}
One could call the Met Opera’s new production of “Wozzeck” a collage. The opera itself undeniably brings this word to mind in how Alban Berg unites the dark tale of a misanthrope who murders his lover and drowns himself via numerous musical structures and forms. The entire first act features a suite, a rondo, a lullaby, and a passacaglia while {…}
(Credit: Dario Acosta) Editor’s Note: This review was a collaboration between David & Francisco Salazar. The Richard Tucker Gala is one of those nights that you circle on your opera calendar every single year. It’s everything people want from a high-end concert. Big stars in glamorous attire. A hallowed venue. And some of the greatest music ever written. In the {…}
October is at an end and opera season is in full force. This weekend features a plethora of fascinating options across the country, making it truly challenging to single out a few specific performances. And despite the high quality all around, we zeroed in on a few showcases that we feel really rise to the top. Here are our top {…}
(Credit: Fay Fox/Andrew Eccles/Simon Pauly/ Bree Anne Clowdus) The Richard Tucker Award is considered one of the most prestigious awards for American opera singers. Each year the Tucker foundation awards an American singer who is on the cusp of becoming a national and international star, with the hopes that the award acts as a well-timed catalyst to elevate the artist’s {…}
It’s time for another weekend of opera, with a wide range of impressive offerings coming from around the continent. This week’s selections include a number of repertory staples as well as some unique modern operas by living composers. Frida – Atlanta Opera, Georgia The Atlanta Opera closes out its production of “Frida” with two performances on Friday and Sunday. The {…}
(Credit: Cory Weaver / San Francisco Opera) Billy Budd, Foretopman, is the center of the conflict between evil and good, dark and light, vulnerable and powerful in Benjamin Britten’s masterpiece “Billy Budd.” Picking this opera for the second night opening of San Francisco’s 97th season was a masterful choice. Everything – the music, drama, ethical conflict, suspenseful, challenging, rewarding – {…}
(Photo by Merri Cyr) The Richard Tucker Foundation has announced that tenor Stephen Costello will join this year’s gala on Oct. 27, 2019 at Carnegie Hall. Costello was the 2009 Richard Tucker Award recipient and also received a Career Grant in 2007 and the Sarah Tucker Study Grant in 2006. He will join a cast that includes 2019 honoree Lisette {…}
San Francisco Opera and San Francisco Chronicle will celebrate the start of the company’s 97th season with the latest edition of Opera in the Park. The free event will “bookend an action-packed weekend” for San Francisco Opera, according to the press release. The season will open with Gounod’s “Romeo and Juliet,” the Opera Ball, and the BRAVO! CLUB Gala on {…}
(Credit: Alastair Muir/Glyndebourne Productions Ltd.) The San Francisco Opera is set to present Britten’s “Billy Budd” to open the 2019-20 season. The work returns to the company after a 15-year absence in Michael Grandage’s production, which was unveiled at the Glyndebourne Festival. The opera is set to star John Chest in the title role in his company debut alongside William {…}