This week audiences are in for rarely performed works by unknown composers as well as a complete recording of Wagner’s final installment of the Ring Cycle. Here is a look: Nikolay Myaskovsky: Vocal Works, Volume Two: Complete Songs for Baritone and Piano Ilya Kuzmin and Dzambolat Dulaev perform the works of Nikolay Myaskovsky alongside pianist Olga Solovieva. The new album {…}
Photo: Tristram Kenton Expectations were high for Deborah Warner’s new production of Alban Berg’s “Wozzeck” at the Royal Opera House. Warner’s acclaimed treatment of “Peter Grimes” saw her in similar territory—indeed, the debt owed to Berg’s score by Britten is considerable—in a pair of twentieth-century operas about alienated outsiders, disturbed by the very society that despises them. Both pieces are {…}
The Deutsche Oper Berlin has announced its 2023-24 season featuring six new productions. Premieres Puccini’s “Il Trittico” is set to be directed by Pınar Karabulut and conducted by Sir Donald Runnicles. “Il Tabarro” will star Misha Kiria, Jonathan Tetelman, Mikhail Pirogov, Carmen Giannattasio, and Maria Motolygina. Meanwhile “Suor Angelica” will star Mané Galoyan, Violeta Urmana, and Annika Schlicht. Finally, “Gianni Schicchi” {…}
The Staatsoper Hamburg has announced its 2023-24 season. Opera Kent Nagano conducts Frank Castorf’s production of Mussorgsky’s “Boris Godunov.” The opera will star Alexander Tsymbalyuk, Kady Evanyshyn, Olivia Boen, Renate Spingler, Matthias Klink, Alexey Bogdanchikov, Vitalij Kowaljow, Oleksiy Palchykov, and Ryan Speedo Green. Performance Dates: Sept. 16-Oct. 7, 2023 Catherine Foster and Ewa Płonka sing the title role of Puccini’s {…}
After a bumpy 2021, which still had numerous COVID cancelations, 2022 saw opera companies almost return to normalcy. There were setbacks like cyberattacks, a war that has destroyed a country, and companies losing funds from government agencies. But in all, it also showed how opera companies could unite through benefit concerts and through sheer artistry. And after releasing our favorite {…}
The Bayreuth Festival has announced a cast change for the premiere of “Götterdämmerung” on August 5, 2022. The company said, “To his greatest regret, Stephen Gould has to cancel his participation as Siegfried in the premiere of ‘Götterdämmerung’ due to illness. The festival management would like to thank Clay Hilley, who will also take on the role today.” Hilley has {…}
The Berliner Philharmoniker has announced its 2022-23 season featuring some of the greatest singers in the world. Here is a look at the vocal highlights of the season. Georg Nigl, Dirk Rothbrust and Vilde Frang are the soloists in the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin and Vladimir Jurowski’s concert. The program includes music by Iannis Xenakis, Béla Bartók, and Gustav Mahler. Performance Date: {…}
The Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia has announced it 2022-23 season featuring world class soloists. Here is a look at the vocal performances of the season. The season opens with Strauss’ “Elektra” with Ausrine Stundyte, Elisabeth Strid, Petra Lang, Neal Cooper, and Kostas Smoriginas. Antonio Pappano conducts. Performance Dates: Oct. 18-22, 2022 Antonio Pappano conducts Clay Hilley in a program {…}
The Festspielhaus Baden-Baden has announced its 2023 Easter Festival Baden-Baden. The festival will present a production of R. Strauss’ “Die Frau ohne Schatten” directed by Lydia Steier. The production will star Clay Hilley, Elza van den Heever, Michaela Schuster, Wolfgang Koch, and Iréne Theorin. Kirill Petrenko will lead the Berliner Philharmoniker. Performance Dates: April 1-9, 2023 Kirill Petrenko conducts Diana {…}
The Edinburgh International Festival has announced 2022 season. For the purposes of this article, we will focus solely on vocal and operatic performances. Opera Sir Don Runnicles will lead a performance of “Fidelio” starring Clay Hilley, Jennifer Davis, Markus Brück, Sir Willard White, Gideon Poppe, and Kim-Lillian Sterbel. Performance Dates: August 10, 2022 Natalya Romaniw will lead “Rusalka” in a {…}
(Credit: Bernd Uhlig) The Deutsche Oper Berlin has announced its upcoming performances of Wagner’s iconic “Der Ring des Nibelungen.” Wagner’s tetralogy will star number of renowned Wagnerian singers, including Brandon Jovanovich as Siegmund; Elisabeth Teige as Sieglinde; Nina Stemme in the role of Brünnhilde; Clay Hilley as Siegfried; Derek Welton as Wotan in “Das Rheingold”; Iain Paterson as Wotan/Der Wanderer; {…}