Composer / pianist Felix Jarrar is set to present “Off With His Head” at St. John’s in the Village on April 21, 2023. The showcase will feature highlights from Donizetti’s “Roberto Devereux” and is set to star Caroline Spaeth as Elisabetta with tenor Sebastian Armendariz in the title role. Rebecca Sacks portrays Sara with Andrew Dawn interpreting the role of {…}
Opera Rara is set to perform Donizetti’s “L’esule di Roma” on May 11 celebrating the composer’s 225 anniversary. The performance will see the company join the Britten Sinfonia at Cadogan Hall for a performance of Opera Rara’s 27th complete Donizetti revival. Conducted by Opera Rara Artistic director, Carlo Rizzi, the opera will see a cast that includes Albina Shagimuratova, Nicola {…}
The New National Theatre Tokyo has announced the programming for its 2023-24 season. The season will open with a new production of Puccini’s “Suor Angelica” presented with Ravel’s “L’Enfant et les Sortileges.” This double bill will be led by conductor Numajiri Ryusuke and director Aguni Jun, with a cast featuring Chiara Isotton, Marianna Pizzolato, Chloe Briot, and Saito Junko. Performance {…}
On March 10, 2023, Curtis Opera Theatre will present Donizetti’s bel canto comedy, “The Elixir of Love.” Held at the Philadelphia Film Center, this production takes inspiration from steampunk and Victorian-era fashion and ingenuity, and comes as Curtis celebrates Women’s History Month by paying tribute to the impact of women in the arts. Sarah Ina Meyers, who has directed at {…}
The State Opera Prague will showcase Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor” starting on March 11, 2023. For this production, Lucie Kaňková will take on the title role. She will be joined by Matteo Desole as Edgardo and Pavol Kubán as Enrico. Rounding out the cast will be Daniel Matoušek as Arturo, Iurie Maimescu as Raimondo, Lucie Hilscherová as Alisa, and Ivan {…}
(Credit: Marty Sohl / Met Opera) Last month the Metropolitan Opera opened its final run of Sonja Frisell’s legendary “Aida” staging. The production, which opened in 1988, remains somewhat of a splendor for its lush and detailed sets. As I noted in my recent review, I have never been the biggest fan of this particular mise-en-scène, but on this revival, {…}
(Photo: Pat Redmond) The reaction of the audience at Dundalk’s Táin Theatre to Irish National Opera’s performance of Donizetti’s “Don Pasquale” said it all! Every scene, every joke, every overplayed reaction, every facial exaggeration was met with unaffected laughter. Rarely does one find an audience so totally engaged with a piece. At the final curtain, the performance was met with {…}
Superstar tenor Juan Diego Flórez will perform in recital at the Los Angeles Opera this coming January. On Jan. 23, 2023, the tenor will appear alongside longtime collaborator Vincenzo Scalera. The showcase will feature Italian songs alongside arias by such composers as Rossini, Donizetti, Verdi, Puccini, Gounod, and Lalo. The showcase starts at 7:30 p.m. local time at the Dorothy {…}
Aleksandra Kurzak’s early singing career saw her perform as a specialist in lyric and coloratura soprano roles before moving into heavier roles in 19th-century Romantic and verismo operas. The 2004-05 season saw her have two hugely successful debuts, at the Metropolitan Opera House and the Royal Opera House. She has since sung many leading roles in opera houses throughout the {…}
(Credits Gianfranco Rota) This year’s edition of the Donizetti Opera Festival is yet another perfect example of how much diversity there can be in the repertoire of one great Italian composer. As with every previous year, as I looked at the line-up of three operas chosen for the festival, I was left wondering which one was going to be the {…}
The Opéra National de Paris is set to present a series of concerts featuring artists from the Académie au Palais Garnier. First up will be an aria and ensembles concert. That showcase will feature music by Rossini, Thomas, Poulenc, Britten, Gounod, Massenet, and Donizetti from such operas as “Guillaume Tell,” “Semiramide,” “Il Barbiere di Siviglia,” “Hamlet,” “Dialogues des Carmélites,” “Gloriana,” {…}