The Metropolitan Opera has announced Week 7 of its weekly streams. This week’s slate will feature Donizetti’s Tudor Trilogy in addition to showcasing a rare modern opera and a Russian classic. But the big surprise this week will be the showcase of a legendary performance starring Leontyne Price, suggesting that the company will start to showcase some of its historic {…}
The Orchestre de Paris has announced its 2020-21 season. For this article we will focus only on vocal performances. Elisabeth Kulman and Mari Eriksmoen perform Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 Resurrection with Klaus Makela conducting. Performance Date: Nov. 18 & 19, 2020 Daniel Harding conducts Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 starring Erin Wall, Christopher Maltman, Shenyang, Andrew Staples, Marina Prudenskaya, Jamie Barton, {…}
This weekend two new productions open with some of the biggest stars in opera while a rarely performed work is set to open in Germany. Don Giovanni – Teatro Mayor, Colombia José Areán conducts Marcelo Lombardero’s production of Mozart and Da Ponte’s masterpiece. Acclaimed bass Nahuel di Pierro stars in the title role with a cast that also includes Hernán {…}
The London Philharmonic has announced its 2020-21 season featuring a number of important soloists around the world. For this article we will highlight the vocal performances. The season opens with a program entitled Fantastic Symphony with Edward Gardner leading a program of works by Tchaikovsky, Lutosławski, and Berlioz. Gerald Finley will be the featured soloist. Performance Date: Sept. 23, 2020 Edward {…}
(Credit: Washington National Opera) The Washington National Opera has announced its 2020–2021 season offering up some ambitious repertoire. The season with WNO’s new production of Beethoven’s “Fidelio.” Robert Spano makes his WNO debut conducting a cast that includes Elza van den Heever, Brandon Jovanovich, Brian Mulligan, Ryan Speedo Green, Joshua Blue, and Eric Owens. Performance Dates: Oct. 24–Nov. 9, 202o {…}
The Grammy Awards have unveiled their nominations for the 62nd annual ceremony. For the purposes of this article we will focus on categories related to the opera world. Best Opera Recording In the Best Opera Recording categories, the first nominees is George Benjamin’s “Lessons in Love & Violence,” under the musical direction of the composer himself. Benjamin leads the Orchestra {…}
There were high expectations surrounding the return of superstar Anna Netrebko to the Teatro Real were she had participated in Prokófiev’s “War and Peace” in 2001. The result was a mixture of excitement and disappointment: Firstly, there was the usual imposition of her husband Yusif Eyvazov in the program, a good singer who does not reach the quality and artistic {…}
(Credit: Brinkhoff/Mogenburg) Bartlett Sher’s “Rigoletto,” new this year at the Staatsoper Berlin, initially appeared an intriguingly localized production. Though a co-production with the Metropolitan Opera, its context and setting were uniquely Berlin. The opera’s action has been relocated to Weimar-era Germany, and the stage was dominated by the paintings of the Berlin-born painter George Grosz. The audience, as they filed {…}
(Credit: Teatro Regio di Parma/ SF/Monika Riitshaus/Rossini Opera Festival) This weekend new productions open, a major festival kicks off and a rising star makes a major debut at a historical arena. Here is what we recommend for the weekend. Œdipe – Salzburg Festival, Austria Christopher Maltman sings the title role of Enescu’s rarely performed work. The star baritone is joined {…}
(Credit: Brinkhoff/Mogenburg) Enescu’s “Œdipe” is a rarely performed work that premiered in 1936 and has since has made limited appearances around the world. It’s a work that depends on the dramatic powers of its lead baritone and one that many consider a challenge. This week, the Salzburg Festival is set to present the opera in a new production with Christopher {…}
This weekend will be dedicated to favorites with some of the biggest singers performing signature roles. Turandot – Teatro Colón, Argentina Maria Guleghina stars in the title role of Puccini’s final work. The soprano appears alongside Verónica Cangemi, Kristian Benedikt, and legendary bass James Morris. Christian Badea conducts. Les Huguenots – Semperoper Dresden, Germany Venera Gimadieva and Jennifer Rowley make their highly anticipated {…}