(Credit: Ray Burmiston) “One voice in a million.” This is the kind of phrase on which legacies, mythologies, histories are built. And it’s the phrase that continues to crop up whenever Norwegian soprano Lise Davidsen enters the operatic conversation. The soprano has definitely played her part in bringing about this idea that her voice is of a unique power. She {…}
(Credit: Emelie Kroon) When COVID-19 struck a few months back, one of the final “live” performances to take the stage was a rendition of Wagner’s “Die Walküre” in Sweden. Among the performers in that production was dramatic soprano Elisabet Strid, who took on the role of Sieglinde. Strid, who has performed in such opera houses as the Teatro Real, Lyric {…}
(Credits: Stefan Vinke / Iona MacPherson / Vitalij Kowaljow official website) Opera Australia has announced new dates for its production of Richard Wagner’s Ring cycle. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the opera house was forced to postpone the production for 2021. Wagner’s acclaimed masterwork was originally been scheduled for November 2020. Per the new schedule, the season will now {…}
Opera Australia has announced that it will be postponing its hotly anticipated production of “Der Ring des Nibelungen” until 2021 due to continued concerns over COVID-19. The production, which was originally scheduled for November 2020, will be directed by Chen Shi-Zheng and was to be the first fully digital staging of the famed tetralogy. “As disheartening as this news is, {…}
(Credit: Fay Fox / Dan Steinberg) Los Angeles Opera has announced its latest set of performances as part of its LAO at Home series. Kicking things off will be a living room recital featuring tenor Russell Thomas. The famed interpreter of such works as “Norma,” “Otello,” “La Clemenza di Tito,” and “Tosca,” will work together with pianist Kyung-mi Kim on {…}
(Credit: Studio Ghibli / Ken Howard / Metropolitan Opera) “Opera Meets Film” is a feature dedicated to exploring the way that opera has been employed in cinema. We will select a film section or a film in its entirety and highlight the impact that utilizing the operatic form or sections from an opera can alter our perception of a film {…}
The Royal Swedish Opera is showcasing two major performances on its official website. The first of these that is streaming is Verdi’s “Aida” in a production by Michael Cavanaugh. It stars Katarina Dalayman as Amneris, Christina Nilsson as Aida, Iva Defabiani as Radamès, and Alessio Cacciamani as Ramfis. Pier Giorgio Morandi conducts the performance, which is presented in two parts. {…}
The New York Philharmonic will be broadcast Act one of Wagner’s “Die Walküre” on April 2 at 7:30pm. The broadcast, which is set to be shown on Facebook, stars Heidi Melton as Sieglinde, Simon O’Neill as Siegmund, and John Relyea as Hunding with Jaap van Zweden. The performance comes from the 2017-18 season, a showcase during which OperaWire noted, “Jaap {…}
Queen City Opera is joining the ranks of opera companies around the world who are giving audiences a chance to check out a past production online. The Cincinnati-based company is now its complete history of production available for free online via its QueenCityOpera.org and on YouTube. Among the offerings are three Mozart operas including “Don Giovanni,” “Zaide,” and “Bastien und {…}
(Credit: Carl Thorborg) The Royal Swedish Opera will be live stream a concert performance of Wagner’s “Die Walküre” on Saturday, March 14 at 3 p.m. local time in Sweden. The performance stars Iréne Theorin, Elisabet Strid, and Greer Grimsley under the musical direction of Constantin Trinks. The company noted in its official announcement that it will open up more daily {…}
(Credit: Javier del Real) The Teatro Real de Madrid continued its staging of Wagner’s tetralogy with the second, and arguably most popular installment, “Die Walküre.” The production features the same artistic-conducting team with Robert Carsen directing and Pablo Heras-Casado on the pit. Sadly, given that each opera of this cycle is being performed one season at a time, the casts {…}