Nadezhda Karyazina, Mauro Peter & Chiara Skerath Lead Opernhaus Zürich’s Livestreams

(Credits: Kartal Karagedik / © Capucine de Chocqueuse / Christian Felber) Opernhaus Zürich will live stream two of its productions in February 2021. Due to the Swiss government’s COVID-19 regulations, both productions will be performed without a live public. Performances will be viewable on the Opernhaus Zürich’s website. First up will be Franz Schubert’s “Winterreise.” Hans Zender’s rearrangement of Schubert’s {…}

Jan 14, 2021

Swiss Opera Houses Close Until March 2021

(Credits: Opernhaus Zürich official website / https://www.opera-online.com / Basel.com) The Opernhaus Zürich, Grand Théâtre de Genève, and Theater Basel have all announced their respective closures until at least Feb. 28, 2021. The announcements came as a result of a decision by Swiss federal authorities to extend the lockdown until Feb. 28, 2021. The Opernhaus Zürich stated that it also had {…}

Oct 28, 2020

Obituary: French Soprano Edith Selig Dies At 91

(Credit: © École Normale de Musique) French soprano Edith Selig has died at the age of 91. Selig graduated from Conservatoire de Strasbourg and Conservatoire national Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris. She specialized in performing the works of Johann Sebastian Bach and French composers. The soprano left numerous recordings of several works including the Bach cantatas with {…}

Aug 20, 2020

Teatro Español Announces the European Premiere of ‘As One’

(Credit: Esmeralda Martin) The Teatro Español has announced that it will present the European premiere of Campbell, Reed, and Kaminsky’s “As One” on September 24, 2020 in a co-production with the Teatro Arriaga. The opera will spotlight mezzo-soprano Inés Olabarria-Smith and baritone Enrique Sánchez-Ramos. The Bauhaus String Quartet will accompany the two singers. Carlos Calvo Tapia will conduct the production {…}

Mar 31, 2020

OperaVision to Feature Italian Operas by Verdi, Mozart, Rossini Throughout April

(Credit: Roberto Ricci) OperaVision is going to keep the opera going throughout the month of April. The streaming service has announced that it will showcase six Italian operas throughout the month. It all kicks off with La Fenice’s “Alceste” on April 3, 2020. The presentation will be available for repeat viewings for six months thereafter. “Guillaume Tell” will start streaming {…}

Nov 13, 2019

Bampton Classical Opera Announces 2020 Production of Gluck’s “Paride ed Elena”

Bampton Classical Opera has announced a production of one of Gluck’s rarer works “Paride ed Elena,” set for performance in the summer of 2020. The third of Gluck’s reform operas, this work will feature an English translation by Gilly French, titled “Paris and Helen.” This production follows Bampton’s recent exploration of seldom-staged works by Christoph Willibald Gluck and his student {…}

Oct 21, 2019

Metropolitan Opera 2019-20 Review: Orfeo ed Euridice

(Photo Credit: Ken Howard / Met Opera) On October 20, 2019, the Metropolitan Opera premiered this season’s production of Gluck’s “Orfeo ed Euridice.” Mark Morris’ production gave the classic work a staging that, while at times veering towards the abstract, remained consistent to its artistic vision and true to its source material. One detail, downplayed but very present, were the {…}

Apr 9, 2019

Watch the Irish National Opera’s ‘Orfeo ed Euridice’ On OperaVision

OperaVision will present the Irish National Opera’s production of “Orfeo ed Euridice” on April 12, 2019. The production will feature Sharon Carty, Sarah Power, and Emma Nash under the direction of Emma Martin. Peter Whelan conducts. The stream kicks off at 7 p.m. local time. That’s around 2 p.m. EDT and 11 a.m. PST for the start time. It will {…}

Mar 12, 2019

The Crypt Sessions 2019 Review: Lucas & Irina Meachem

On March 7, 2019, lovers of classical music gathered at the Church of the Intercession for the latest installment of Unison Media’s celebrated series, The Crypt Sessions. These concerts, curated by company president Andrew Ousley, often sell-out in minutes due to not only the limited size of the crypt, but the world-class performers that fill its depth with music. This {…}

Dec 26, 2018

CD / DVD Releases – Week of Dec. 28

Even though the holiday season is at an end, there are some rather exciting recordings heading to the market. Interestingly, both works are by composers of decidedly different eras which makes them a fascinating exercise in stylistic counterpoint for those who might want to pick them both up. Orphée et Euridice Gluck’s famed opera will be released in French with {…}

Jul 2, 2018

Composer Profile: The Revolutionary Christoph Willibald Gluck

Few composers in the history of opera were as influential as Christoph Willibald Gluck. Born on July 2, 1714, the composer was one of the major reformers of the artform of his day. He was noted as being critical of opera of his day and how it had strayed from its origins. He sought to bring back the sense of {…}

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