OperaWire met up with English soprano Charlotte Bowden between performances of Monteverdi’s “Il Ritorno di Ulisse in Patria” and a double Purcell bill of “Hail! Bright St. Cecilia” and “Dido and Aeneas” at the Ravenna festival, in which she was essaying the roles of Melanto, a solo soprano and Belinda, respectively. Although she only recently graduated from the Royal College {…}
(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 Credit: Cassandra Hannagan) Audience-members arriving at Sydney’s Angel Place Recital Hall for Pinchgut Opera’s latest production, Purcell’s opera “Dido and Aeneas,” walked in on a boxed theatrical space in which ensemble-members crossed and re-crossed the stage folding linen. While some audience-members were to be heard wondering what the folding signified, the repeated activity, minutes before the opera started, could {…}
St. Mary’s Abbey of Morristown, New Jersey is joining forces with Somerset Hills Chorus of Music and LOTUS Chorale to present Purcell’s “Dido and Aeneas” on May 4, 2024. The opera will star Emily Skilling as Dido with Christopher Herbert as Aeneas. Skilling is the South Carolina District winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions while Herbert is a {…}
The Waterperry Festival has announced its 2023 lineup. The ten-day festival, which runs Aug. 11-20, features something for everyone, from children’s shows to grand operas. Here’s what’s in store for audiences. The festival will unveil a new production of “Carmen,” directed by Anna Morrissey and featuring Samantha Price in the title role, Xavier Hetherington as Don José, Matthew Durkan as {…}
Photo: Pablo Lorente Opéra Royal de Versailles’ “Dido and Aeneas” has, on paper, great musicians, a good stage director, good dancers, and even William Christie. But that was not enough to prevent leaving the theater frustrated. The principal point of frustration came from how poorly conceived the production itself was. This failure is exclusive to good and well-intentioned artists—those from {…}
San Francisco Performances will present five-time Grammy Award winner Dawn Upshaw, along with the Brentano String Quartet, in “Dido Reimagined: A Response to Purcell’s Lament.” The program, scheduled for Jan. 12, 2023 at the Herbst Theatre, will feature numerous English works, including Purcell’s famed lament from “Dido and Aeneas.” The second half will showcase a new work composed by Pulitzer Prize winner Melinda {…}
Opera San José is set to return to the stage with “Dido and Aeneas.” The opera, which marks the first in-person performance that the company showcases in over one year, will take place starting on Nov. 13 at the California Theatre in downtown San José. The run will last through Nov. 28. Audiences will see mezzo-soprano in the role of {…}
(Credits: Operabase official website / Jiyang Chen / Simon Pauly / Ray Burmiston / Opus 3 Artists official website) The Elbphilharmonie Hamburg has announced its 2021-22 season. For the purposes of this article, we will focus on the vocal works only. Baritone Matthias Goerne presents works by Richard Wagner alongside conductor Manfred Honeck. Performance date: Aug. 29, 2021 Soprano Diana {…}
(Credits: LA Opera official website / Kristen Hoebermann / Dario Acosta / Opéra National de Paris official website) Opéra de Lille has announced its 2021-22 season. Here is a look. Operas André Campra’s “Idoménée” spotlights Tassis Christoyannis, Samuel Boden, Chiara Skerath, Hélène Carpentier, Eva Zaïcik, Yoann Dubruque, Victor Sicard, Enguerrand de Hys, and Frédéric Caton. Emmanuelle Haïm conducts the production {…}
(Credits: Dario Acosta / Sonya Yoncheva official website / © Gregor Hohenberg / Kasskara/DG / Operabase official website / Staatsoper Berlin official website) The Staatsoper unter den Linden in Berlin has announced its 2021-22 season. Here is the full slate. Operas Beethoven’s “Fidelio” will open the season. The opera stars Roman Trekel, Matthias Goerne, Pavel Černoch, Andreas Schager, Simone Schneider, {…}