Seth Carico, Gaston Rivero & Jessica Muirhead Lead Theater Essen’s 2020-21 Season

The Theater Essen in Germany has announced its 2020-21 season featuring six new productions. Premieres Tomáš Netopil conducts a new production of Wagner’s “Tannhäuser.” The new production by Paul-Georg Dittrich stars Daniel Johansson in the title role, Karl-Heinz Lehner, Daniela Köhler, Deirdre Angenent, Heiko Trinsinger, and Albrecht Kludszuweit. Performance Dates: Sept. 26-Dec. 27, 2020 Jessica Muirhead sings the title role {…}

Mar 4, 2020

Renée Fleming, Lise Lindstrom & Stefan Vinke Highlight Oper Leipzig’s 2020 Season

The Oper Leipzig has announced its 2020-21 season featuring four new productions, a Wagner festival, and the Ring Cycle. Here is a look at the productions for the season. Premieres Ulf Schirmer conducts Katharina Wagner’s new production of Wagner’s “Lohengrin.” The cast includes Michael Weinius in the title role, Jennifer Holloway as Elsa, Kathrin Göring as Ortrud and Simon Neal {…}

Mar 14, 2019

Wallis Giunta, Olena Tokar & Gaston Rivero Highlight Oper Leipzig’s 2019-20 Season

Oper Leipzig has announced its 2019-20 season featuring seven new productions and a number of revivals. Find out what the company is presenting throughout its season. New Productions Rolando Villazón directs a new production of “L’Elisir d’Amore” with Bianca Tognocchi in the role of Adina and Piotr Buszewski and Matthias Stier sharing the role of Nemorino. Jonathan Michie and Franz {…}

Nov 9, 2018

Top 7 Operas to See This Weekend – International (8/9-11)

This weekend, OperaWire goes a little traditional in its weekend offerings. Granted if you look at the list many of the works recommended are not the most popular. Instead, there are rarely performed works, role debuts, and in the case of one production, a legendary showcase that has to be seen every time it is on stage. Here is a look {…}

Jul 23, 2018

Elena Moşuc & Liana Aleksanyan Headline Teatro Verdi Trieste’s 2018-19 Season

The Teatro Verdi Trieste has announced its 2018-19 season. The season opens with Bellini’s “I Puritani” starring Elena Moşuc, Antonino Siragusa, and Alexey Birkus. Fabrizio Maria Carminati conducts Emilio Sagi’s acclaimed production from the Teatro Real de Madrid. Performance Dates: Nov. 16-24, 2018 Christopher Franklin conducts Verdi’s “Nabucco” starring Giovanni Meoni, Giuseppe Infantino, Nicola Ulivieri, and Aya Wakizono. Performance Dates: Jan 18-26, 2019 {…}

Jun 7, 2018

Deutsche Oper Berlin 2017-18 Review – Nabucco: Željko Lučić Stands Tall While Keith Warner’s Printing Press Production Needs Serious Editing

With over 150 opera productions to his credit, British director Keith Warner is hardly a neophyte in the lyric theatre. The mystery is how this respected regisseur could have made such a muddle out of “Nabucco” for the Deutsche Oper Berlin. After all, it is not so difficult to stage Verdi’s first great operatic triumph. Jean-Paul Scarpitta managed to come {…}

Mar 14, 2018

Anja Kampe, Gatson Rivero & Karine Babajanyan Headline Oper Leipzig’s 2018-19 Season

The Oper Leipzig has announced its 2018-19 season with multiple new productions, concert performances, and revivals. It will also feature a number of international stars, as well as ensemble singers, that will perform some of the greatest operatic masterpieces in the repertoire. New Productions Karine Babajanyan and Anja Kampe headline a new production of Puccini’s “La Fanciulla del West” with {…}

Mar 7, 2018

Teatro Filharmonico Verona 2017-18 Review – Manon Lescaut: Soprano Amarilli Nizza Overcomes Illness in Graham Vick’s Insightful Reading of Puccini Classic

Graham Vick having already produced “Manon Lescaut” in a traditional manner, a production with which he admitted to being less than pleased with, decided to take a fundamentally different approach for this production at the Teatro Filharmonico, Verona. Instead of presenting it as a simple narrative, Vick represented the work as a “morality lesson,” in a modern day setting, but {…}

Jan 26, 2018

Top 7 Opera To See This Weekend (1/26-28): Anna Netrebko, Elina Garanca & Juan Diego Florez Showcase Their Star Power

This weekend sees the return of three major superstars in the opera world to the stage. Anna Netrebko, Juan Diego Flórez, and Olga Peretyatko sing major roles while Leipzig will host a Puccini festival. Puccini Weekend – Oper-Leipzig, Germany “Tosca,” “Turandot,” and “Madama Butterfly” will play over one weekend with superstar casts. First, up will be “Tosca” starring Gastón Rivero and {…}

Jul 28, 2017

Weekend Preview – International (7/28-30): Jonas Kaufmann, Elina Garanca, Tamara Wilson & Diana Damrau Headline Festivals

Festival season continues with some of the greatest stars headlining major productions around the world. Find out what you can see this weekend. Austria At the Salzburg Festival, “Il Ritorno d’Ulisse,” “L’Incoronazion di Poppea” and “La Clemenza di Tito,” starring Russell Thomas and Golda Schultz, headline the weekend. Meanwhile at the Bregenz Festival, Bizet’s “Carmen” will showcased on Friday, Saturday, {…}