Arianna Vendittelli, Jakub Józef Orliński, Luigi De Donato, & Benedetta Mazzucato Star in the 2024 Innsbruck Festival of Early Music

Programming for the 2024 Innsbruck Festival of Early Music has been announced. This article only features vocal performances. First up is a workshop for the upcoming performances of Giacomelli’s “Cesare in Egitto.” Soloists include Arianna Vendittelli, Emőke Barath, Filippo Mineccia, Margherita Maria Sala, Valerio Contaldo, and Federico Fiorio. Ottavio Dantone conducts the Accademia Bizantina. Performance Date: July 27, 2024 (Tyrolean {…}

Apr 18, 2024

Teatro Comunale di Ferrara 2024 Review: Orlando Furioso

Photo credit: Marco Caselli Nirmal Vivaldi’s “Orlando Furioso” is a work that represents baroque opera at its most exciting. Set on Alcina’s magical island, where the weird and wonderful are commonplace, it opens up the possibility for colorful and spectacular stagings with shipwrecks, fantastical beasts, monsters and statues that come to life. There are high mountains, wooded groves, steep cliffs {…}

May 2, 2023

Teatro alla Scala 2022-23 Review: Li Zite Ngalera

(Photo: Brescia & Amisano) One of the more eye-catching works of Teatro La Scala’s current season is Leonardo Vinci’s “Li Zite Ngalera,” which has just finished a run of five performances. Vinci was born between 1690 and 1696 in Italy’s Calabria region but was dead by 1730, possibly poisoned by a jealous husband. Yet during his short life, he was {…}

Jan 25, 2023

Ravenna 2022 – 23 Review: Tamerlano

(Photo: Zani-Casadio) The rehabilitation of Vivaldi’s operas continues apace. Over the past five or six years, the number of performances of his works has soared so that productions, which would have only recently been classed as welcome but rare events, are now becoming increasingly common. At least, that is the case in Italy and one or two other countries. It {…}

Jul 18, 2022

CD Review: Marco Angioloni’s ‘A Baroque Tenor’

(Photo: Benoit Auguste) Over the course of the 17th century, the role of the tenor was displaced by the rise of the castrato. Whilst in opera’s early years tenors were given prominent roles, such as the title role in Monteverdi’s “L’Orfeo,” by the middle of the century they were relegated to comic or travesti roles. During the early 18th century, {…}

Jul 21, 2021

Angela Meade, Gregory Kunde, Francesca Dotto Lead Teatro Municipale di Piacenza’s Fall 2021 Season

Italy’s Teatro Municipale di Piacenza has announced the fall 2021 season. Here is a look at the operatic and vocal concerts. Opera The season opens with Bellini’s “Norma” starring Angela Meade, Stefano La Colla, Michele Pertusi, and Paola Gardina. Performance Dates: Oct. 20-24, 2021 Donizetti’s “Le convenienze ed inconvenienze teatrali” will star Giuliana Gianfaldoni, Nicolò Donini, Marco Filippo Romano, Paola Leoci, Silvia Beltrami, Matteo Desole, Andrea Vincenzo Bonsignore, Stefano {…}

Jun 17, 2021

Valentina Nafornița, Gaëlle Arquez & Franco Fagioli Headline Opéra Royal de Versailles’ 2021-22 Season

(Credit: EPV / Christian Millet) Opéra Royal de Versailles has announced its 2021-22 season, featuring number of rarely performed operas and vocal works. Here is the full slate. Opera André Grétry’s opera “Richard Cœur de Lion” features Rémy Mathieu as Blondel and Pierre Derhet in the title role. The cast will be rounded out by Melody Louledjian, Marie Perbost Antonio, {…}

Apr 26, 2021

Franco Fagioli, Chiara Skerath, Lawrence Zazzo & Delphine Galou Highlight Festival de Beaune 2021

(Credits: © Julian Laidig / © Capucine de Chocqueuse / Justin Hyer / Giulia Papetti) The Festival international d’Opéra Baroque & Romantique Beaune has announced its 2021 program, consisting of seven operas and oratorios, and four recitals. The festival will take place from July 9 until July 31, 2021. Operas & Oratorios Mozart‘s rarely performed operatic masterwork “Lucio Silla” will {…}

Feb 9, 2020

Bejun Mehta, Julia Lezhneva & Lawrence Zazzo Highlight Internationale Händel Festspiele Göttingen 2020

The Händel International Festival in Göttingen will open its doors on May 20 and it is set to run through June 1. Here is a look at what is on offer. “Rodelinda” HWV 19 will feature Christina Gansch, Christopher Lowrey, Thomas Cooley, Franziska Gottwald, William Berger, and Owen Willetts, with Laurence Cummings conducting. Performance Dates: May 20, 22, 23, 26, 31, June 1, {…}