Opera is home to some of humanity’s most infamous villains: manipulative characters who lie, cheat, and steal, pillage and murder, and generally ruin the loves of the innocent, unsuspecting heroes and heroines that we all know and love. But conflict and tension form the bones of most great art, and opera would not be opera without the Iagos, Scarpias, and {…}
Soprano Julie Fuchs has announced on her Facebook page that she will no longer be performing in Staatsoper Hamburg’s upcoming production of Mozart’s “Die Zauberflote.” “Today, I have an unexpected announcement to make,” writes Fuchs. “The Staatsoper Hamburg has unfortunately informed me just this week that the artistic integrity of the Jette Steckel production of ‘Die Zauberflöte’ cannot be maintained {…}
This Friday you can check out “Die Zauberflöte” live from the Vienna State Opera as part of the company’s live stream service. The performance will kick off at 7 p.m. local time and run through around 10 p.m. Audiences from around the world will get an opportunity to experience the opera from the comfort of their respective homes. This season’s {…}
Last week we got “Norma,” and this week, the Metropolitan Opera’s famed Live in HD series continues with a broadcast performance of “Die Zauberflöte” on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017. The broadcast, which kicks off 12:55 p.m. Eastern time, will feature maestro James Levine in his first of several broadcasts this season. This will be the maestro’s 48th performance of the {…}
Kathryn Bowden will make her Metropolitan Opera debut in the role of Queen of the Night on Thursday Oct. 5. The soprano will replace Kathryn Lewek in the Metropolitan Opera’s “Die Zauberflote.” Bowden made her 2015 San Francisco Opera debut as the Queen of the Night and made her entry onto the Metropolitan Opera roster as a cover for the {…}
Premiering on September 30, 1791, “Die Zauberflöte,” or “The Magic Flute” in English, is the last of the works composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, barring his unfinished Requiem. Much like an operetta, “Die Zaubeflöte” is a singspiel, which has spoken dialogue between musical numbers and arias. Working with German librettist Emanuel Shikaneder, the opera contains a vast number of influences, {…}
On September 27, 2017, the Metropolitan Opera revived its Julie Taymor production of “Die Zauberflöte.” Her take on this beloved classic, complete with puppets and dancing flamingos, is a treasured relic of the Volpe era and this revival received the star treatment. James Levine, the Met’s music director emeritus, was in the pit while coloratura Kathryn Lewek offered her world-famous {…}
Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte” is one of the most popular operas ever written. According to OperaBase, the work was the second most performed in 2015-16, a trend likely to continue into the upcoming seasons. For its 2017-18 rendition of the opera, the Metropolitan Opera is doing something quite unusual, at least by the company’s standards – it is showing the famed {…}
Right after “La Bohème” kicks off its run at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte” will take over the headlines with 13 performances starting on Sept. 12, 2017, and ending on Oct. 14, 2017. Here are essential facts to prepare you for the classic gem before you check it out in London. 1. The opera will feature {…}
The Prague Summer Nights festival, presented by Classical Movements, continues this week in Salzburg where young artists will have the chance to perform at the legendary Mozarteum. Among the young artists is Anna Kozlakiewicz, a lyric soprano who studied voice at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw and Art History at the UKSW Warszawa. She is currently studying at Indiana University, {…}
The Prague Summer Nights kicked off its operatic selections on July 1, 2017, with a production of “Die Zauberflöte” with one major caveat. Due to renovations at the Estates Theater, the festival was forced to move all its opera productions and concerts to the St. Simons and Judes Church for this year’s festival. While it definitely limits the possibilities of {…}