(Photo: Genevieve Girling) The main opera presentation at this summer’s Buxton International Festival was Ambroise Thomas’ 1868 composition, “Hamlet,” to a libretto by Michel Carré and Jules Barbier. Although initially successful, it eventually faded from the international stage as the popularity of French grand opera declined; its last Parisian performance took place in 1938. In 1978, however, a staging in {…}
(Photo: Genevieve Girling) In 1786, Mozart broke off from composing “La Nozze di Figaro” to pen a short ‘comedy with music,’ called “Der Schauspieldirektor,” for Emperor Joseph II at the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna. Consisting of a mere five musical numbers connected by a copious amount of spoken text that pokes fun at the behavior of singers and the theatrical {…}
(Photo credit: Hugo Glendinning) The Buxton International Festival has unveiled its 2025 season. This article features opera and choral events only. A full cast list will be announced at a later date. Ambroise Thomas’ “Hamlet” stars Gregory Feldmann in the title role. He is joined by Alastair Miles, Yewon Han, Richard Woodall, and Allison Cook, among others. Jack Furness directs {…}
The English National Opera has two cast changes for its production of Donizetti’s “The Elixir of Love.” The company said that due to unforeseen circumstances, Innocent Masuku and Nmon Ford have withdrawn from the roles of Nemorino and Belcore in November 2024. As a result, Thomas Atkins will sing Nemorino and Dan D’Souza will perform Belcore. Both will make their {…}
(Photo: Clive Barda) Once upon a time, a magician named Prospero was overthrown and expelled from his kingdom by his brother Antonio. He eventually found refuge, with his daughter Miranda, on a small island that belonged to an evil sorceress called Sicorace, whom he imprisoned in a rock, then turned her monstrous son, Calibrano, into his slave. Using his powerful {…}
(Photo: Padraig Grant) As part of Artistic Director Rosetta Cucchi’s remodeling of the Wexford Festival Opera, the afternoon performances of “opera shorts,” shortened versions of well-known operas played to piano accompaniment, have been replaced by a production for young singers from the Wexford Factory program and “pocket operas,” new or rarely performed operas, aimed at providing members of the Wexford {…}