PBS’ “Great Performances” series for 2017 comes to an end this summer with a performance of the Metropolitan Opera’s “Der Rosenkavalier” starring Renée Fleming, and Elina Garanca. The showcase will be on Sunday, Sept. 3 at 12:30 p.m. EDT. The performance was recorded on the final day of the 2016-17 season and was Fleming’s final performance as the Marschallin at {…}
Erich Kleiber is widely considered one of the great conductors of the mid-20th century. Born on August 5, 1890, he was in love with Wagner’s art from his childhood, playing piano transcriptions from such works as “Lohengrin” and “Tristan.” He would go on to a legendary career, particularly in the world of opera, where he had a truly profound impact. {…}
We can look at Wagner’s “Die Meistersinger,” which premiered on June 21, 1868, and marvel at its glorious music. Or its fascinating Schopenhauerian philosophy. Instead, let’s just look at the opera’s face value and marvel at the fact that this is an opera about singers. There are many operas laden with characters that sing within the context of the opera, {…}
Richard Strauss, born on June 11, 1864, is one of opera’s greatest composers. And many of his operas, including “Elektra,” “Salome,” “Der Rosenkavalier,” “Die Frau ohne Schatten,” and “Ariadne auf Naxos,” are major repertoire staples. Others still get occasional performances, including “Arabella,” “Capriccio,” and “The Egyptian Helen.” But there are still others that for whatever reason simply never made the cut {…}
After looking at the top female and male singers as well as the finest maestros of the 2016-17 season, we now turn the spotlight on the 10 best-assembled casts of the season. This was a truly difficult piece to put together as this Met season had great casts for almost every single opera. But the casts listed below were simply {…}
Take a look at the global box office for a moment. At number 10, below such films as “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “The Fate of the Furious,” “The Circle” and “Beauty and the Beast,” all featuring some of Hollywood’s most notable actors, is “Der Rosenkavalier.” That is the worldwide box office. Take that in for a second. The Met’s Live {…}
Everyone knows Nina Stemme for her dramatic skills, particularly for her Wagner repertoire. As a matter of fact, she is the leading Brünhilde and Isolde of our time and she is in demand all over the world. But in fact, Stemme did not begin with this repertoire and before her breakout Isolde with Plácido Domingo, this singer did a number {…}
The Glyndebourne Opera Festival has announced its 2018 schedule. The company announced that next season it will present Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” in Annilese Miskimmon’s Tour 2016 production. The production will make its Festival debut and will be conducted by Omer Meir Wellber. Strauss’ “Der Rosenkavalier” will be revived with the 2014 Richard Jones production making its return. Robin Ticciati conducts. Following {…}
The Metropolitan Opera’s new production of “Der Rosenkavalier” by Robert Carsen is as high stakes as it gets these days for the company in both the short and long-term view. In the short-term view, this production is the punctuation on the current season, its final new staging. It will also be the final HD performance of the season, and more {…}
When she steps on stage this Thursday to take her final run of Richard Strauss’ “Der Rosenkavalier,” Renée Fleming will have closed a door to one of the roles that was at the core of her legacy at the Metropolitan Opera. The new Robert Carsen Production has a star-studded cast with the likes of Elina Garanca, Matthew Polenzani, Erin Morley {…}
Elina Garanča has been hailed as one of the great mezzos of her time and one can see why the moment she steps on stage. She is an imposing actress who personifies each of her characters to perfection and has a luscious and expressive voice. This week she returns to the Metropolitan Opera to end one phase of her career. The talk {…}