(Credit: Fotos von Bernd Uhlig, Kontakt: [email protected]) Often after watching a perplexing rendition of “Das Rheingold“, critics and public alike might proclaim: “Let’s see what will happen tomorrow night. Let us hold our judgement until then, to see where all of this is going.” And then, Herheim’s “Die Walküre” began, proving to be the worst of the cycle. The First {…}
(Photo credit: Bernd Uhlig) The man who gave the opera world its most dazzling 21st century “Parsifal,” Stefan Herheim, continues his quest to interrogate the Romantic text that is Richard Wagner’s “Ring of the Nibelungen.” Inspired refreshing of a 150-year-old work of art can provide new insights and flashes of illumination. But conceptual pyrotechnics can just as easily destroy its {…}
Opernhaus Zürich has announced its 2024-25 season. Premieres Samuel Penderbayne’s “Wir pfeifen auf den Gurkenkönig” will be conducted by Thomas Barthel and Ann-Katrin Stöcker. Claudia Blersch directs the production which will star Liliana Nikiteanu, Sylwia Salamonska, Irène Friedli, Philipp Mayer, Stanislav Vorobyov, Valeriy Murga, Gary Martin, Martin Zysset, Carl Hieger, Christian Sturm, Indyana Schneider, Céline Akçağ, Sylwia Salamonska, and Rebeca {…}
(Photo: © Enrico Nawrath) As the final cycle of Bayreuth’s 2023 “Ring des Nibelungen” came to a close, the air remained electric with the sounds of Wagner’s apocalyptic horns and the swirling raptures of the Rhine. Camps came away divided into those either outraged or captivated by director Valentin Schwarz‘s reinvention of the Walsung’s messy journey into oblivion. To be {…}
On Sept. 17, Oper Köln will kick off its 2023-24 season with the premiere of R. Strauss and Von Hoffmansthal’s “Die Frau ohne Schatten (The Woman Without a Shadow).” Considered exceptionally demanding, and requiring a massive orchestra, the opera is a fairy tale that Strauss believed was his most important work. The story relates the tale of an ethereal Empress {…}
(Credit: Enrico Nawrath) And now we have entered the realm of the absurd. Those who read my reviews for “Das Rheingold” and “Die Walküre,” know that I was quite critical of director Valentin Schwarz’s approach, which proved hostile to the original libretto in most of his “creative” choices. But this production of “Siegfried” somehow managed to push beyond those limits {…}
Germany’s Theater Chemnitz has announced its 2021-22 season featuring opera, dance, and theater. For the purposes of this article we will focus on opera and vocal performances. Premieres Wagner’s “Tristan Und Isolde” will be conducted by Guillermo García Calvo and directed by Elisabeth Stöppler. The production will star Daniel Kirch, Alexander Kiechle, David Steffens, Stéphanie Müther, Daniela Köhler, Oddur Jonsson, {…}
(Credit: Bayerische Staatsoper official website) The Bayerische Staatsoper has announced the cancellation of its performance of Richard Strauss’ “Der Rosenkavalier” on April 3, and a presentations of Verdi’s “La Traviata” on April 9, 11 & 15, 2021. Per an official statement on the company’s website, the opera house was forced to cancel the performances due to the worsened epidemiological situation {…}
Audiences who crave seeing opera’s biggest stars on the small screen will have a lot to enjoy. From a Jonas Kaufmann triumph at the Met to a new role for Marlis Petersen and a video showcase for Kristine Opolais, this week’s selection should certainly fulfill a lot of operatic wishes. But there are also two world premieres – one in {…}
(Credits: Yiorgos Mavropoulos/Jiyang Chen) The Bayerische Staatsoper has announced that it will livestream the premiere of Richard Strauss’ “Der Rosenkavalier” on March 21, 2021. Soprano Marlis Petersen will debut in the role of Die Feldmarschallin alongside Christof Fischesser who will perform the role of Baron Ochs and Samantha Hankey who will sing the role of Octavian. The performance will also {…}
(Credits: Gregor Hohenberg/Sony / Chris Singer / Rebecca Fay / Artists Management Zürich official website) The Bayerische Staatsoper has announced the full slate for its 2020-21 free streaming season. Here is the look. Walter Braunfels’ “Die Vögel” will feature Wolfgang Koch, Günter Papendell, Caroline Wettergreen, Emily Pogorelc, Yajie Zhang, Eliza Boom, Bálint Szabó, Theodore Platt, George Vîrban, Charles Workman, and {…}