Angel Blue, Renée Fleming, Eva-Maria Westbroek, Anita Rachvelishvilli, Matthew Polenzani Lead Opéra de Paris 2021-22 Season

(Photo Credits: Emma Birski / OnP) Opéra National de Paris has announced its 2021-22 season. Here is the full slate. Operas “The Seven Deaths of Maria Callas” by Marina Abramovic will open the season. The showcase stars Nadezhda Karyazina, Selene Zanetti, Leah Hawkins, Adela Zaharia, Lauren Fagan, Gabriella Reyes, and Hera Hyesang Park. Yoel Gamzou conducts. Performance dates: Sep. 1 {…}

Feb 16, 2021

Riccardo Chailly Replaces Zubin Mehta in ‘Salome’ at Teatro Alla Scala

(Credit: Riccardo Chailly’s official website) Riccardo Chailly, Music Director of the Teatro alla Scala, will replace famed conductor Zubin Mehta for the live-streamed performance of Richard Strauss’ “Salome” on Feb. 20, 2021. Per an official press release, Mehta was discharged from the hospital on Jan. 15 in good health and there was hope that the conductor would be able to {…}

Feb 14, 2021

Conductor Zubin Mehta Hospitalized in Milan

(Credit: LA Philharmonic) Maestro Zubin Mehta was taken to hospital after he felt sick during a rehearsal of Strauss’ “Salome” on Feb. 13. The first medical check-ups were performed, and Italian doctors believe that Maestro Mehta suffers from accumulated stress due to the numerous work commitments. Mehta, who suffered from a kidney tumor in recent years and has since recovered, {…}

Jan 21, 2021

Teatro alla Scala to Stream A New Production of ‘Salome’

The Teatro alla Scala has announced that a production of R. Strauss’ “Salome” will be streamed on Feb. 20, 2021. The new production by Damiano Michieletto was set to open on March 8, 2020, but was canceled due to COVID-19. The production had already been in rehearsals when the production was canceled and was originally set to star Malin Bystrom and {…}

Oct 5, 2020

Jonas Kaufmann, Andreas Schager, Ricarda Merbeth, Eva-Maria Westbroek, Iain Paterson Lead Opéra de Paris 2020 Ring Cycle Concert Performances

(Credits: Gregor Hohenberg/Sony Classical /© David Jerusalem / © DR / Fazil Berisha / http://arsis-artists.com/en/iain-paterson/) L’Opéra de Paris has announced full casts and dates for the concert performances of Wagner “Der Ring des Nibelungen.” The Ring cycle was initially planned as a series of four fully staged operas but had to be reorganized into concert performances due to the ongoing {…}

Dec 28, 2019

Metropolitan Opera 2019-20 Review: Wozzeck

One could call the Met Opera’s new production of “Wozzeck” a collage. The opera itself undeniably brings this word to mind in how Alban Berg unites the dark tale of a misanthrope who murders his lover and drowns himself via numerous musical structures and forms. The entire first act features a suite, a rondo, a lullaby, and a passacaglia while {…}

Jul 26, 2019

Verbier Festival 2019 Review: Die Frau Ohne Schatten

(Photo: Diane Deschenaux) With Europe once again baking under unpleasantly high temperatures thanks to our lack of interest in dealing with the problems of global warming, what better place to go than high up in the Swiss Alps. Verbier at an altitude 1,500 meters would seem to be ideal. An alpine ski resort, set on a south-facing terrace with splendid {…}

Apr 15, 2019

Metropolitan Opera 2018-19 Review: Siegfried

On April 14, The Metropolitan opera opened the third opera in Wagner’s tetralogy, “Siegfried.” Perhaps the least performed of the four operas due to its nearly impossible tenor role, the Metropolitan Opera landed one of the best performances of the season and with it saw a heroic and historical debut. A Heroic Performance In his Met debut, Stefan Vinke got {…}

Mar 10, 2019

Metropolitan Opera 2018-19 Review: Das Rheingold

Wagner’s “Der Ring Des Nibelungen” made its long-awaited comeback to the Met Opera on Saturday afternoon with a performance of “Das Rheingold.” The Wagner epic is always a major draw for audiences and the house was packed for the matinee performance which marked the return of the famed “machine” production by Robert LePage as well as a number of debuts {…}

Dec 15, 2017

Metropolitan Opera 2017-18 Preview: Everything You Need to Know About ‘Hansel and Gretel’ Revival

On Dec. 18, the Metropolitan Opera will open its production of “Hansel and Gretel.” The current production, directed by Richard Jones, made its debut in 2007, and will now get its 32nd performance. Here are some fun facts about the upcoming production and what fans can expect from these seven showcases of “Hansel and Gretel.” New Production When the work {…}

Jul 13, 2017

‘Salome’ To Get a Livestream From Verbier Festival

The Verbier Festival will be live streaming a performance of Richard Strauss’ “Salome” on July 21, 2017. The opera will be a concert version of the famed work featuring Charles Dutoit as the conductor of the Verbier Festival Orchestra. Soprano Gun-Brit Barkmin will lead a cast that also includes Jane Henschel, Egils Silins and Gerhard Siegel, who recently performed the {…}

gerhard siegel