(Photo Credit: Bernd Uhlig) After a disappointing “Die Walküre” and a terrible “Siegfried,” my hopes for a stimulating ending of Stefan Herheim’s production of Deutsche Oper Berlin’s “Ring” were near non-existent. Fortunately, life is full of surprises; what started as a provocative, irreverent take on Wagner’s tetralogy in a first-rate staging of “Das Rheingold” and deteriorated into tedious attempts at {…}
(Photo Credit: Bernd Uhlig) Deutsche Oper’s Ring Cycle started promisingly with an original staging of “Das Rheingold,” with provocative ideas, irreverence and even humor. However, unfortunately it continued with a constant rehashing of ideas, which proved inadequate for the gigantic enterprise that is Wagner’s “Ring.” After a vocally satisfactory but scenically uninspired “Die Walküre,” matters deteriorated considerably on May 29 {…}
The Orchestre symphonique de Montréal has announced its 2026-27 season. Rafael Payare conducts Miah Persson, Rose Naggar-Tremblay, Clay Hilley, and Matthias Goerne in Gustav Mahler’s “Des Knaben Wunderhorn (extraits)” and “Das klagende Lied” (version mixte). Performance Dates: Sept. 16 & 17, 2026 Asher Fish leads the Chœur and orchestra de l’OSM in Hana Ajiashvili’s “Riddle,” Adrian Mocanu’s “de l’encra escafada”(“from faded ink”), Dalit Hadass Warshaw’s “Letter {…}
The Orchestra and Chorus of the Accademia di Santa Cecilia have announced its 2026-27 season. Here are the vocal performances. Concerts Daniel Harding conducts Vincent Huguet’s production of Wagner’s “Siegfried” with Clay Hilley, Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke, Michael Volle, Wolfgang Koch, Falk Struckmann, Anna Kissjudit, Elisabet Strid, and Lysa Menu. Performance Dates: Oct. 21-27, 2026 Alexander Soddy conducts Elsa Benoit in a program of music by Dukas, {…}
The Canadian Opera Company has announced its 2026-27 season. Verdi’s “La Traviata” opens the season with a cast that includes Kathryn Lewek, Lucia Cesaroni, Long Long, Luke Norvell, Russell Braun, and Reginald Smith, Jr. Paolo Carignani conducts Arin Arbus’ production. Performance Dates: Sept. 18-Oct. 17, 2026 Laurence Kilsby, Joel Alison, Daniel Okulitch, Lauren Fagan, Martina Myskohlid, and Tracy Dahl lead {…}
Welcome back as we explore the latest CD and DVD releases from around the opera world. This week, audiences get to hear a new ending to Puccini’s “Turandot” and various solo recitals from rising stars. Turandot: Christopher Tin Finale Christopher Tin’s new finale for “Turandot” is released featuring soprano Christine Goerke in the title role, while heldentenor Clay Hilley sings {…}
The Gran Teatre del Liceu is set to stream “Tristan und Isolde” on Feb. 15, 2026. The company announced that the production, which was recorded during the company’s run, will be presented on Liceu OPERA+. Lise Davidsen and Clay Hilley lead the cast which also includes Tomasz Konieczny, Roger Padullés, Ekaterina Gubanova, Albert Casals, and Milan Perišić. Bárbara Lluch directed {…}
Barcelona’s venerable Teatro Liceu hasn’t experienced this level of anticipation in a decade. It may be surprising that Wagner would stimulate such activity in a Mediterranean city, but the city of Gaudí is the most Wagnerian of Spanish locales and it’s long had a connection to the composer’s works. But that aside, the likely reason for the excessive buzz was {…}
(Credit: Deutsche Oper) The Deutsche Oper Berlin has announced its 2025-26 season. Premieres Detlev Glanert ‘s “Die drei Rätsel” will be conducted by Dominic Limburg and directed by Brigitte Dethier. The production will star Martina Baroni, Philipp Jekal, Chance Jonas-O’Toole, Joel Allison, Padraic Rowan, Maria Vasilevskaya, and Alexandra Oomens. Performance Dates: Oct. 11, 2025-Feb. 15, 2026 Sir Donald Runnicles will {…}
The London Symphony Orchestra has announced its 2025-26 season. Here is a look at the vocal performances. The season opens with Sir Antonio Pappano conducting a Bernstein and Copland program featuring Dame Felicity Palmer and Katharina Konradi. Performance Date: Sept. 14, 2025 Sir Simon Rattle conducts Janáček’s “The Makropulos Affair” with Marlis Petersen, Aleš Briscein, Jan Martiník, Svatopluk Semand Peter {…}
The Wiener Staatsoper has announced its 2025-26 season. Here is a look at the operas and recitals for the new season. Premieres Smetana’s “The Bartered Bride” will get a new production by Dirk Schmeding. The cast will be headed by Franz Xaver Schlecht, Margaret Plummer, Slávka Zámečníková, Ivo Stanchev, Monika Bohinec, Pavol Breslik, Michael Laurenz, Peter Kellner, Matthäus Schmidlechner, Ilia Staple, and Alex Ilvakhin. Tomáš Hanus conducts. A second cast will {…}