Opera Australia has announced that it will be presenting Wagner’s Ring Cycle in 2020. The company is dubbing it the “first fully digital Ring Cycle” and it will be performed in Brisbane at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre. The production will be directed by Chen Shi-Zheng, who will incorporate Chinese mythology with the Norse Mythology of Wagner’s story to create {…}
The Concerto Köln and Kent Nagano will showcase Wagner’s “Wesendonck Leder” in an upcoming concert, as part of a project that aims to present “Der Ring des Nibelungen” from a “historically informed performance practice perspective.” The concert, set for May 16 in the Cologne Philharmonie, will feature mezzo-soprano Sophie Harmsen as well as a performance of Bruckner’s Symphony No. 3 {…}
“Opera Meets Film” is a feature dedicated to exploring the way that opera has been employed in cinema. We will select a section or a film in its entirety, highlighting the impact that utilizing the operatic form or sections from an opera can alter our perception of a film that we are viewing. This week’s installment features Bryan Singer’s “Valkyrie.” {…}
Wagner’s “Der Ring Des Nibelungen” made its long-awaited comeback to the Met Opera on Saturday afternoon with a performance of “Das Rheingold.” The Wagner epic is always a major draw for audiences and the house was packed for the matinee performance which marked the return of the famed “machine” production by Robert LePage as well as a number of debuts {…}
The Longborough Festival Opera is set to launch a new Ring Cycle in 2019. The cycle will kick off in June 2019 with a new production of “Das Rheingold.” Per a press release, this first installment will feature showcases on June 5, 7, 9, and 11. In June 2020, Wagner’s “Die Walküre” will get a new staging, followed by “Siegfried” {…}
Bass-Baritone James Morris is one of the great American singers of the late 20th century. Born on Jan. 10, 1947, Morris studied with Rosa Ponselle at the Peabody Conservatory and then attended the Academy of Vocal Arts and University of Maryland. He made his debut with the Baltimore Opera in 1967 and then appeared with the Metropolitan Opera for the {…}
Happy New Year! This is a time of excitement, introspection, and probably a dose of anxiety as we all figure out how we might want to live this next chapter in our lives. There are so many directions our lives can take at a given moment with our priorities constantly shifting. So here’s an opera quiz where you can see {…}
“Opera Meets Film” is a feature dedicated to exploring the way that opera has been employed in cinema. We will select a section or a film in its entirety, highlighting the impact that utilizing the operatic form or sections from an opera can alter our perception of a film that we are viewing. This week’s installment features “Captain America: The {…}
Wolfgang Windgassen, born on June 26, 1914, is one of the greatest heldentenors of all time. He was actually born in France to two singers. His father Fritz Windgassen was a well-known heldentenor and his mother, Vali von der Osten, was a coloratura soprano. His aunt, Eva von der Osten, was the singer who created the role of Octavian in {…}
The Musicians of the San Francisco Opera orchestra are set to present jazz composer Valerie Capers in an evening of jazz works based on Wagner’s “Der Ring des Nibelungen.” The event, entitled “Wagner Takes the ‘A’ Train,” will take place on Saturday, June 30, 2018 at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Recital Hall at 7:30 p.m. Per a press {…}
It’s the summer, which means that a ton of people are going to be spending quality time at the movies. And Wagner’s “Der Ring des Nibelungen” is about to open at the San Francisco Opera, among other places, as well. And then there is the whole business about Wagner being the greatest influence on musical composition in movies. So we {…}