(Photo: Zani-Casadio) Following on from the previous day’s performance of Monteverdi’s “Il Ritorno di Ulisse in Patria,” Ravenna’s Teatro Alighieri continued with a production of Purcell’s “Dido and Aeneas” coupled with “Hail, Bright Cecelia,” presented by the same cast under the musical direction of Ottavio Dantone. The fact that Pier Luigi Pizzi, who had been responsible for the lackluster staging {…}
(Photo: Zani-Casadio) In his program notes, the director, Pier Luigi Pizzi, writing about “Il Ritorno di Ulisse in Patria,” stated that “the opera speaks for itself,” adding, “we must not induce or force its interpretation… It is up to the audience to confront it, to think about it, and to decide for themselves whether or not it is worthwhile.” Even {…}
The Teatro Alighieri in Ravenna has announced its 2025 season featuring three opera productions. The season opens with Händel’s “Giulio Cesare“ conducted by Ottavio Dantone and directed by Chiara Muti. Raffaele Pe, Marie Lys, Delphine Galou, Filippo Mineccia, Federico Fiorio, Andrea Gavagnin, Clemente Antonio Daliotti, and Davide Giangregorio. Performance Dates: Jan. 17 & 19, 2025 Gaspare Spontini’s “La Vestale” will be conducted {…}
The Ravenna Festival has announced its autumn festival, which will run from Nov. 15 to 19, 2024, and be performed at the Teatro Aligheri. The festival will journey back in time to the roots of bel canto and the origins of opera, through the sounds and atmospheres of 17th-century Baroque music. Monteverdi’s “Il ritorno di Ulisse in patria” will be {…}
(Photo: Vincent Pontet) Paris is gearing up for the upcoming 2024 Olympic Games, and a variety of Olympic-themed events are taking place throughout the city. In this context, Antonio Vivaldi’s opera “L’Olimpiade” is a must-see, with the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées showcasing a new production by Emmanuel Daumas. Belgian soprano Jodie Devos, who recently passed away untimely, was originally scheduled to {…}
The Teatri di Reggio Emilia has announced its 2024-25 season. The season opens with Rossini’s “Mosé in Egitto,” which will star Riccardo Zanellato, Dave Monaco, Mariam Battistelli, Toni Nezic, Aida Pascu, Angela Schisano, Andrea Galli, and Matteo Mezzaro. Giovanni Di Stefano conducts the production by Pier Francesco Maestrini. Performance Dates: Nov. 15 & 17, 2024 Annalisa Stroppa, Caterina Sala, Matteo Falcier, Matteo Guerzè, {…}
The Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona, Spain has announced its 2024-25 season. Here is a look at the vocal performances. Palau 100 Sarah Connolly jons Anima Aeterna Brugge and Pablo Heras-Casado for Mahler’s “Rückert Lieder.” The program also includes music by Bruckner. Performance Date: Oct. 24, 2024 Philippe Herreweghe leads a program that includes pianist Kristian Bezuidenhout, Collegium {…}
(Photo: Zani-Casadio) The rehabilitation of Vivaldi’s operas continues apace. Over the past five or six years, the number of performances of his works has soared so that productions, which would have only recently been classed as welcome but rare events, are now becoming increasingly common. At least, that is the case in Italy and one or two other countries. It {…}
Ravenna’s Teatro Dante Aligheri has announced its 2023 season. Vivaldi’s “Il Tamerlano” will be performed by Bruno Taddia, Gianluca Margheri, Filippo Mineccia, Delphine Galou, Marie Lys, Federico Fiorio, and Giuseppina Bridelli. Ottavio Dantone conducts the production by Stefano Monti. Performance Dates: Jan. 14 & 15, 2023 Puccini’s “La bohème” will star Juliana Grigoryan, Alessia Pintossi, Alessandro Scotto di Luzio, Christian Federici, Clemente Antonio Daliotti, {…}
The Teatro Comunale di Modena has announced its 2022-23 season. Arrigo Boito’s “Mefistofele” opens the season with a cast that includes Simon Lim, Antonio Poli, Marta Mari, and Eleonora Filipponi. Francesco Pasqualetti conducts the production by Enrico Stinchelli. Performance Dates: Oct. 7 & 9, 2022 Vittoria Yeo, Daniela Schillaci, Diego Cavazzini, Nozomi Kato, and Sergio Vitale star in Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” with {…}
The Fondazione Teatri di Piacenza has announced its 2022-23 season featuring opera, dance, youth programs and concerts. Here is a look at the operatic performances. Opera The season opens with Verdi’s “Rigoletto” in a production by Leo Nucci. Marco Ciaponi, Amartuvshin Enkhbat, Federica Guida, Mattia Denti, and Isabel De Paoli lead the cast with Francesco Ivan Ciampa conducting. Performance Dates: {…}