(Credit: Studio Ghibli / Ken Howard / Metropolitan Opera) “Opera Meets Film” is a feature dedicated to exploring the way that opera has been employed in cinema. We will select a film section or a film in its entirety and highlight the impact that utilizing the operatic form or sections from an opera can alter our perception of a film {…}
(Credits: Patricia Varela) Young Norwegian soprano Elisabeth Teige has established herself as one of the most sought-after dramatic sopranos of her generation. She has appeared in the number of dramatic roles including Senta in “Der Fliegende Holländer,” Leonore in “Fidelio,” Cio-Cio-San in “Madama Butterfly,” Irene Wagner’s “Rienzi, der Letzte der Tribunen,” Elsa in “Lohengrin,” and the title character of Puccini’s {…}
August 16 and 17, 1876 featured the world premieres of “Siegfried” and “Götterdämmerung,” respectively. Those two operas have remained, along with the other two Ring operas, major fixtures of the opera repertory. In fact, the creation of the works, their history, and legacy, is legendary, especially among major Wagnerites. And it is precisely them that we challenge with this quiz {…}
The Metropolitan Opera’s first Ring Cycle of the 2018-19 season came to a glorious end with “Götterdämmerung” in a production featuring a tremendous cast. In some ways, this might have been the most satisfying evening of the entire cycle, with a luxurious cast of true singing actors against a production that, at times, had something to say. A Hero Above {…}
The Longborough Festival Opera is set to launch a new Ring Cycle in 2019. The cycle will kick off in June 2019 with a new production of “Das Rheingold.” Per a press release, this first installment will feature showcases on June 5, 7, 9, and 11. In June 2020, Wagner’s “Die Walküre” will get a new staging, followed by “Siegfried” {…}
The final two installments of Wagner’s famed Ring Cycle will be live streamed via the Vienna State Opera’s live streaming service. “Siegfried” will be showcased on Jan. 16, 2019 with Stephen Gould in the title role. Evelyn Herlitzius will perform the role of Brünnhilde with Tomasz Konieczny appearing as the Wanderer. Herwig Pecoraro completes the cast. Axel Kobler conducts the {…}
“Opera Meets Film” is a feature dedicated to exploring the way that opera has been employed in cinema. We will select a section or a film in its entirety, highlighting the impact that utilizing the operatic form or sections from an opera can alter our perception of a film that we are viewing. This week’s installment features “The Theory of {…}
We had the unexpected pleasure of attending the last Cycle of the Keith Warner production of “Der Ring des Nibelungen” at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (September 26 through November 2, 2018). Warner’s production, like most modern productions, had several insightful touches and many silly ones. The performance begins and ends with the Rhine Maidens in a “natural state” {…}
Wagner’s “Ring Cycle” will continue to take over Vienna State Opera’s live stream service this week with two major performances. The cycle’s third installment, “Siegfried” gets the spotlight on Wednesday, April 11, 2018, at 5:30 p.m. local time. The performance is slated to run until around 10 p.m. That’s around 12:30 p.m. EDT and 9:30 a.m. PST for the start {…}
Anytime the Metropolitan Opera puts on a new production of Wagner’s “Der Ring des Nibelungen,” you better believe that it is a major event. The tetralogy will reappear in 2018-19 for the first time since the 2013 season, and as might be expected, there aren’t very many opportunities to check it out. So here is a rundown of the essential {…}
It’s Halloween! Which means that most people are taking the opportunity to disguise themselves as someone else, live out a temporary existence as a character that they either dreamed of being or enjoy playing. Opera is full of this kind of interplay, with characters disguising themselves or putting on literal costumes to get their way. One thing we often learn {…}