Third Coast Baroque, an early music ensemble from Chicago, has unveiled its 2019-20 season. For the purposes of this article, we will only focus on concerts related to opera and vocal performances. It all kicks off with “Wonder Women: Female Strength in Handel’s Cantatas.” The concert will star Nathalie Colas, Kaitlin Foley, Erica Schuller, and the TCB Chamber Ensemble. The {…}
(credit: Marco Borggreve) Trinidadian soprano Jeanine De Bique hadn’t seen a fully staged opera until the age of 21, but had been raised to appreciate the classical arts by her mother. Now, the award-winning singer is highly sought after for concert and staged works, with The “Washington Post” noting her “dramatic presence and versatility.” And as such, she will make {…}
Audiences in Mexico will get a chance to experience the local premiere of Handel’s serenata “Aci, Galatea e Poliferno” on August 9 and 11 at the Teatro Ignacio de la Llave in Orizaba, Veracruz. The performance will be conducted by José Antonio Espinal, who will lead the Orquesta Filarmónica de las Altas Montañas. In the role of Acis, audiences will {…}
(Credit: Henning Ross, Sony Classical) Countertenor Valer Sabadus will be performing in Australia for the first time in collaboration with Pinchgut Opera on August 25, 2019. The recital will take place at the City Recital Hall in Sydney and will feature the Orchestra of Antipodes under the musical direction of Erin Heylard. It will feature music by Handel, Caldara, Hasse, {…}
OperaVision will present a live stream of Handel’s “Agrippina” from The Grange Festival on June 6, 2019. The stream kicks off at 7 p.m. local time. That’s around 1 p.m. EDT and 10 a.m. PST for the start time. It will be available for repeat viewings on Opera Vision until Dec. 12, 2019. The opera features Ashley Riches, Anna Bonitatibus, {…}
Cantata Profana will present “Lucretia,” a “dramatically and politically charged show spiraling from the intensity and drama of Handel’s ‘La Lucrezia’ performed on baroque and modern instruments,” according to the press release. Rarely heard masterpieces spanning from the medieval era to the 21st century will be performed. The program will include Bunita Marcus’ “Julia” (1989), Ottorino Respighi’s “Lucretia” (opera exerpt) {…}
Serse’s short aria, “Ombra mai fu,” in which he passionately addresses a plane tree, may be the most famous aria from Handel’s opera “Serse,” but is it the most significant moment in the work? Certainly, an argument could be made for it being the case, as it establishes from the outset Seres’s strong, but superficial emotional response to the world {…}
On March 31, 2019, the Metropolitan Opera’s National Council Auditions were brought to a thrilling conclusion with their grand finals concert. Hosted by countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo, nine young finalists took to the Metropolitan’s stage for the first time to share their artistic gifts with the audience. Opening the afternoon’s concert was soprano Meghan Kasanders, singing “Dich, teure Halle’ from {…}
“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 we will take a {…}
When it comes to baroque opera, George Frideric Handel is the go-to composer. Born on Feb. 23, 1685, Handel worked as a composer in Hamburg and Italy before eventually making his way to London where he would become a prominent figure. He set up three commercial opera companies in London and wound up composing a whopping 42 operas between 1705 {…}
Nashville Symphony has announced its 2019-20 season. There will be a wide variety of series and events at Nashville Symphony this season, including the Classical Series, FirstBank Pops Series, Movie Series, Blackford Jazz Series, The Ann & Monroe Carell Family Trust Family Series, National Geographic Live Series, and Special Events & Presentations. In order to stick to opera, we will {…}