(Credit: ©2026 Monika Rittershaus) Despite the numerous positive accounts of Barrie Kosky’s “Siegfried” that gave me hope for a rich and nuanced performance, I found the singing, acting and stage design to be flat, unconvincing and shallow. As a devoted Wagnerite, I do not feel that most of the performers truly understood the vast musical work that they were performing. {…}
The Orchestra and Chorus of the Accademia di Santa Cecilia have announced its 2026-27 season. Here are the vocal performances. Concerts Daniel Harding conducts Vincent Huguet’s production of Wagner’s “Siegfried” with Clay Hilley, Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke, Michael Volle, Wolfgang Koch, Falk Struckmann, Anna Kissjudit, Elisabet Strid, and Lysa Menu. Performance Dates: Oct. 21-27, 2026 Alexander Soddy conducts Elsa Benoit in a program of music by Dukas, {…}
The Birgit Nilsson Festival has announced its 2026 season. Here is the a look at the vocal performances. Opera singer and actor Richard Hamrin, together with pianist Eric Skarby, takes the audience on a personal journey through the life and music of this magnificent and controversial prima donna. Performance Date: August 3, 2026 Two of Sweden’s most beloved opera stars {…}
The Finnish National Opera has announced its 2025-26 season. Premieres Engelbert Humperdinck’s “Hansel and Gretel” will get a new production by Richard Jones and will be presented for the first time since 1996. The new Finnish translation by Mikko Koivusalo will star Tommi Hakala, Samuli Takkula, Tuija Knihtilä, Maiju Vaahtoluoto, Elli Vallinoja, Polina Liiv, Suvi Väyrynen, Emma Mustaniemi, Dan Karlström, and Roland Liiv. Antony Hermus conducts. Performance Dates: Oct. {…}
The Grand Théâtre de Genève has announced its 2024-25 season. Opera Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde” opens the season with Gwyn Hughes Jones, Burkhard Fritz, and Elisabet Strid in the title roles. Marc Albrecht conducts the production by Michael Thalheimer. The cast will also include Tareq Nazmi, Kristina Stanek, Craig Colclough, and Julien Henric. Performance Dates: Sept. 15-27, 2024 Tomáš Netopil {…}
The Royal Opera House has announced its 2024-25 season. Here is a look at the season. Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro” will open the season with a cast that includes Luca Micheletti, Ying Fang, Huw Montague Rendall, Jacquelyn Stucker, and Ginger Costa-Jackson. Performance Dates: Sept. 2-15, 2024 Verdi’s “La Traviata” will feature two casts. The first cast will be headlined {…}
(Photo: © ROH 2024. Photo by Tristram Kenton) It’s 35 years since Bryn Terfel delivered a barnstorming, roof-raising rendition of “Die Frist ist um” from “Der fliegende Holländer” at Cardiff Singer of the World. His battle then with the late Dmitri Hvorostovsky was as titanic as the great oceanic, cosmic forces that suffuse Wagner’s 1843 opera. Much has changed vocally, {…}
Welcome back to this week’s look at the newest CD and DVD releases in the opera world. Among the major options are three DVD releases, a world premiere, and a film album by the world’s most famous tenor. Here’s the rundown. Oklahoma Chandos Records releases a recording of Rodger’s & Hammerstein’s beloved musical, “Oklahoma” led by acclaimed conductor John Wilson. The {…}
The Teatro de la Maestranza in Seville has announced its 2023-24 season. Opera Henrik Nánási conducts a new production of Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde” by Allex Aguilera. Stuart Skelton, Elisabet Strid, Agnieszka Rehlis, Markus Eiche, Albert Pesendorfer, Jorge Rodríguez-Norton, Fernando Campero, and Juan Antonio Sanabria star. Performance Dates: Sept. 27-Oct. 3, 2023 Yolanda Auyanet and Berna Perles share the title role {…}
The Teatro Comunale di Bologna has announced its 2022 season featuring several new productions and star singers. Here is a look at this season’s lineup. Puccini’s “Tosca” inaugurates the season with Hugo De Ana directing. Daniel Oren conducts the production which is set to star María José Siri, Roberto Aronica, Mikheil Sheshaberidze, Svetlana Kasyan, Erwin Schrott, Dalibor Jenis, and Claudio {…}
Oper Leipzig has announced its 2021-22 season featuring four new productions. Here is a look: New Productions Viktor Ullmann’s “The Fall of the Antichrist” will be conducted by Matthias Foremny and directed by Balázs Kovalik. The production will star Thomas Mohr, Dan Karlström, Kay Stiefermann, Stephan Rügamer, Sebastian Pilgrim, and Martin Petzold. Performance Dates: Sept. 25-Oct. 17, 2021 David Pountney {…}