(© 2022 ROH. Photograph by Clive Barda) Camille Saint–Saëns’ “Samson et Dalila” received its first new production – indeed first performance – at the Royal Opera House in nearly 20 years, replacing Elijah Moshinsky’s, which had a vintage of 1981 (before this reviewer was even born). It’s a tricky work to get right – traditionalist stagings feel uncomfortably Orientalist, sometimes {…}
(Credit: Sarah Katharina) Elīna Garanča has opened up about the #Metoo movement openly criticizing the effects in a new interview with the telegraph. Ahead of her performances at the Royal Opera House in a new production of “Samson et Dalila,” the mezzo told the publication she was shocked there were no more dirty jokes and no more compliments. She said, {…}
The Berliner Philharmoniker has announced its 2022-23 season featuring some of the greatest singers in the world. Here is a look at the vocal highlights of the season. Georg Nigl, Dirk Rothbrust and Vilde Frang are the soloists in the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin and Vladimir Jurowski’s concert. The program includes music by Iannis Xenakis, Béla Bartók, and Gustav Mahler. Performance Date: {…}
The Wiener Staatsoper has announced its 2022-23 season featuring six new productions, all of which are themed around Mahler. Premieres Lorenzo Viotti conducts “Von Der Liebe Tod” which includes Mahler’s “Kindertotenlieder” and “Das klagende Lied.” Calixto Bieito directs the production which stars Vera-Lotte Boecker, Tanja Ariane Baumgartner, Daniel Jenz, and Florian Boesch. Performance Dates: Sept. 29, 2022-May 16, 2023 Philippe Jordan {…}
The Arena di Verona has announced the casting for its 2022 season. The season will open with Bizet’s “Carmen” starring Elina Garanča, Clémentine Margaine, J’Nai Bridges, and Yulia Matochkina in the title role. The cast will also include Karen Gardeazabal, Gilda Fiume, Maria Teresa Leva, Lavinia Bini, Brian Jagde, Vittorio Grigòlo, Roberto Alagna, Luca Micheletti, Gëzim Myshketa, and Claudio Sgura. Performance Dates: June 17-August 27, 2022 Liudmyla Monastyrska, {…}
The Salzburg Easter Festival has announced its 2023 season. The season will present Andris Nelsons conducting Richard Wagner’s “Tannhäuser” in a production by director Romeo Castellucci. The main roles will be sung by Marlis Petersen, Elīna Garança, Jonas Kaufmann, Georg Zeppenfeld, and Christian Gerhaher. The season will include Brahms’ “German Requiem” performed by Bavarian Radio Chorus with soloists Julia Kleiter {…}
(Credit: Sarah Katharina. Wardrobe by Niko Niko.) Elīna Garanča and Piotr Beczala have canceled their performances in Russia. Both artists took to social media to announce their positions on why they were canceling their upcoming concerts in the country. Beczala stated, “I am not a politician and I have no influence on political decisions. But I am an artist and {…}
(Photo Credit: Sarah Katharina. Wardrobe by Niko Niko) Famed mezzo-soprano Elina Garanca is set to perform at The Broad Stage on March 15, 2022. The internationally renowned star, who made her U.S. recital debut at The Broad Stage back in 2021, will perform music by Rachmaninoff, Bizet, and Mascagni, among others, alongside pianist Malcolm Martineau. Garanca was previously set to {…}
(Credit: Ludoviz Ludha) The Staatsoper Unter den Linden has announced that Scottish tenor Nicky Spence has withdrawn from the production of Leoš Janáček’s “The Makropulos Affair” in February 2022. The tenor took to Twitter saying “So sad not to make my debut @StaatsoperBLN as planned… I fell down the stairs at the airport en route & am now stuck in {…}
(Credit: Anne Zeuner) The Salzburg Festival has announced its 2022 season, featuring eight operas, concerts, and international opera stars. For the purpose of this article we will focus on the vocal works only. Operas The season opens with Romeo Castellucci’s production of Béla Bartók’s “Bluebeard’s Castle.” The opera stars Mika Kares and Aušrinė Stundytė in the lead roles, alongside soprano {…}
(Credit: Achim Graf) The Staatsoper Unter den Linden has announced that mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča will not be appearing in the title role of Camille Saint-Saëns’ opera “Samson et Dalila” for the entire run ending Dec. 19, 2021. The mezzo-soprano already missed the opening night performance on Dec. 5 and was replaced by mezzo-soprano Anna Lapkovskaja. Lapkovskaja will now take over {…}