Puccini’s “Il Trittico” returns to the Met Opera on Nov. 23, 2018, for seven performances. Despite being one of Puccini’s finest works, it has only been presented with the company on 74 occasions; by the end of this run, it will have 81 performances total. As is always the case with these operas, there are a ton of singers involved {…}
Last year, rising Verdi star Russell Thomas spoke to OperaWire about his strategy for easing into such a titanic role the title role in Verdi’s “Otello.” “I always thought if I would try to take on such a monumental task, the first outing would have to be in concert so I can focus only on the singing and not have to {…}
It’s festival season and that means many stars are heading over to major companies to make role debuts, perform signature roles, or simply make important debuts with companies. Here is a look at what OperaWire recommends for this weekend. Nabucco – State Opera Stara Zagora, Bulgaria Maria Guleghina takes on her signature role of Abigaille alongside Romanian baritone Ionut Pascu and bass Ivailo {…}
This week, Anna Netrebko, Barbara Hannigan, Leonard Bernstein and George Gagnidze release new DVDs and CDs. It will be a chance to see some of your favorite singers and conductors in signature roles as well as rarely performed works. Take a look! “Giovanna d’Arco” Anna Netrebko’s celebrated interpretation of Verdi’s early work comes to DVD. The production, which opened the {…}
The Royal Opera House Muscat has announced its 2018-19 featuring 40 new programs and a total of 69 performances. The season will include some of the best conductors and singers in the world leading the world’s finest orchestras, the concentration of orchestral talent appearing at ROHM this season is impressive. Here is a look at the operatic and vocal events {…}
“Pagliacci” and “Cavalleria Rusticana” is one of the signature double bills in opera that show offs the many qualities of a leading tenor. Both parts are known for their demanding vocal challenges and in many cases are sung by two different tenors. However, in the Metropolitan Opera’s current revival of David McVicar’s production, Roberto Alagna triumphed in two of his best {…}
This weekend the Salzburg Festival, the Arena di Verona, and the Edinburgh Festival see their respective seasons come to an end. But before they end, there are still must see performances. Argentina At the Teatro Colón, Kurt Weill’s “Rise and Fall of The City of Mahagonny” gets its second and third performances with Iris Vermillion and Alejandra Malvino alternating the role of Leokadja. Austria The {…}
The Rome Opera has announced its 2017-18 season showcasing a number of new productions. New Productions The season opens on Dec. 6, 2017, with Berlioz’s “La Damnation de Faust.” Conducted by Daniele Gatti, the opera will get a new production by Damiano Michieletto, who recently directed a highly acclaimed “Il viaggio a Reims” for the company. The opera will star {…}
Georgian baritone George Gagnidze will inaugurate the 2017 season of the Arena di Verona. Gagnidze will sing the title role in Verdi’s “Nabucco” on June 23 and 29 and on July 7, 2017 at the Roman amphitheater in a new production by Arnaud Bernard and under the musical direction of Daniel Oren. “I’m delighted to inaugurate the season of a prestigious festival {…}
I preface this by stating that this review is for the performance on March 31, 2017. I would also like to recognize that this is just one, performance of a seven-performance run. In an ideal situation, I would attend every performance and write a detailed review of the overall work. As it stands, I can only go on my perspective of one performance. Despite being such a familiar opera, {…}