Boston Lyric Opera is set to present a new production of “The Anonymous Lover” by Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges. The premiere includes a new adaptation by Obie Award-winning Boston playwright Kirsten Greenidge that mixes English dialogue with the original French singing. Told in two acts over 90 minutes with no intermission, the opera will star Nardus Williams as Léontine, Omar {…}
The Opernhaus Zürich presents a new production of a French Baroque masterpiece: “Platée,” a ballet-bouffon composed by Jean-Philippe Rameau in 1745. The premiere took place in Versailles as part of the festivities for the wedding of Louis XV with María Teresa Rafaela of Spain. The libretto, by Adrien-Joseph Le Valois d’Orville, draws inspiration from Greek mythology. It narrates the tale {…}
(Photo: Monika Rittershaus) To mark the 700th anniversary of Dante Aligheri’s death in September 1321, the Aix-en-Provence festival staged the world premier of French composer Pascal Dusapin’s opera “Il Viaggio, Dante,” based upon the poet’s iconic narrative poem “The Divine Comedy.” To say that this is an ambitious undertaking is an understatement, especially as the work has been compressed into {…}
( Credit: Gunnar Geller) The Komische Oper Berlin has announced that it will remain shut down until at least Easter 2021, due to continued concerns over the spread of COVID-19. The opera house has officially stated that the productions of Jean-Philippe Rameau’s “Les Boréades,” George Enescu’ s “Œdipe,” and Jacques Offenbach’s opera “Orphée aux enfers” will be postponed until future {…}
(Credit: Monika Rittershaus) OperaVision has announced streams for the first month of 2021. The first opera to be streamed starting on Jan. 3, 2021 will be Barrie Kosky’s production of Handel’s operatic masterpiece “Semele” from the Komische Oper Berlin. The opera features Eric Jurenas as Athamas, Prince of Bœotia; Allan Clayton in the role of Jupiter, King of the Gods; {…}
Former vice-president at Columbia Artists, Michael Benchetrit, has struck out on his own, founding Minerva Artists with 15 high-profile artists entrusting their careers to the seasoned agent. Benchetrit was at Columbia for 25 years before the agency shuttered in August. Minerva’s current roster includes sopranos Michelle Bradley, Nicole Cabell, Anna-Sophie Neher, Marjorie Owens, Brenda Rae, and in memoriam, Erin Wall; {…}
The Semperoper Dresden has announced two cast changes for the May 22 performance of ‘Don Giovanni.” First, the company announced that Iulia Maria Dan will sing Donna Elvira in the performance replacing Hrachuhí Bassénz, who is ill. The company also announced that Evan Hughes will sing Leporello in the performance replacing Markus Marquardt, who is also ill. Hughes recently performed George {…}
Komische Oper Berlin has announced its 2019-20 season. This season will celebrate Dionysus, the forefather and protagonist of Greek theatre, with new productions reflecting the entire spectrum of musical theatre. Chief Director Barrie Kosky comments, “. . . [O]nce we believe in the power of theatre and music, believe in their intoxicating, seductive, physical, emotional, and ultimately community-building impacts, once {…}
The San Diego Opera has announced that bass-baritone Evan Hughes, will replace Nicholas Brownlee in the company’s upcoming production of “Le Nozze di Figaro.” Per a press release, Brownlee, who was set to interpret the title role of the Mozart classic, was released due to a scheduling conflict. This will mark Evans’ debut with the company and he will be {…}