Photo credit: Agathe Poupeney-OnP Thomas Adès’s “The Exterminating Angel” is one of the most successful contemporary operas of the century. Beyond its many productions—the Parisian one being the best of them all—, the opera quickly entered the symphonic repertoire with a very well-crafted symphonic suite. The opera, based on Luís Buñuel’s homonymous film, follows its source material: more than a {…}
Photo: Bernd-Uhlig-OnP On Mar. 11, 2023, Paris Opera premiered a new production of Thomas’s “Hamlet” at the giant opera colosseum, La Bastille. “Hamlet” premiered at Paris Opera, then known as Académie Impériale de Musique, in 1868, with immense success. One year later, the opera was presented in London with an alternative ending where the hero, Hamlet, dies, changing Shakespeare’s original {…}
The Opéra National de Paris is set to showcase “Peter Grimes,” opening on January 26, 2023. The opera is directed by Deborah Warner, whose production premiered at the Teatro Real de Madrid in 2021. Conductor Alexander Soddy, who worked as the music director at the Nationaltheater Mannheim between 2016-22, will make his Paris Opera debut in the pit. Headlining the {…}
Photo: © CLIVE BARDA/ArenaPAL Opening night was delayed due to a storm – very on brand for Leoš Janáček, though perhaps more apt for “Kat’a Kabanova” – so nature very much had the upper hand when this new production of “The Cunning Little Vixen” opened at the London Coliseum on Sunday. Director Jamie Manton has previously made an impact with {…}
(Photo: Fabrizio Sansoni) In 2005, Vlaamse Opera premiered the first part of the Giorgio Battistelli’s Shakespeare trilogy, “Richard III,” to widespread acclaim. It has since gone on to receive a number of productions across Europe, although it had to wait until 2018 to receive its Italian premiere at Venice’s La Fenice. OperaWire was present for the occasion, and for what {…}
(Credit: Fabrizio Sansoni-Teatro dell’Opera di Roma) The Teatro dell’Opera di Roma is set to open its 2021-22 season with the world premiere of “Julius Caesar” by Giorgio Battistelli. The world premiere marks the first time since 1901 that the Teatro Costanzi opens a season with a world premiere. The previous time was for “Le maschere” by Mascagni. For the historic {…}
(Credit: Teatro dell’Opera di Roma) Italy’s Teatro dell’Opera di Roma has announced the 2021-22 season featuring world premieres, rarely staged works, and star singers. Here is a look at the operatic performances of the season. Pre-Opening Before opening night, the fall season will see Verdi’s “Giovanna d’Arco.” The work will be presented for the first time in Rome since 1972 {…}
The Glyndebourne Open House series is set to return this May with four streamed operas on its official website and YouTube channel. “Last year’s Open House broadcasts were hugely popular so we’re delighted to be offering more free online operas, and hope that people will once again take the opportunity to create their own Festival experience at home,” said Stephen {…}
We are reaching an interesting point in the summer for the opera world. Europe has essentially returned to “normalcy” as far as performances go. That also means an increasing lack of online content for operagoers from Europe’s biggest houses. Meanwhile, the rest of the opera world is in a transitional phase. With most companies preparing for digital starts to their {…}
(Credit: Alasdair Muir) Glyndebourne has unveiled the next set of operas that will stream as part of its online “Open House Series.” The company revealed that it will be streaming a production of Verdi’s “Falstaff” as directed by Richard Jones. The production, which was conducted by Vladimir Jurowski, stars Christopher Purves in the iconic title role alongside Alasdair Elliott, Paolo {…}