Ailyn Pérez, Golda Schultz, Étienne Dupuis, Adela Zaharia Headline New Productions Added to Bayerische 2020-21 Season

(Credit: Askonas Holt /Gregor Röhrig / Julien Fauguere / Chris Singer) The Bayerische Staatsoper has announced a major change to its 2020-21 season, adding several productions to the slate. New Productions The company will world premiere “7 Deaths of Maria Callas” on Sept. 1, 2020. The opera had previously been slated to have its first performances at the tail-end of {…}

Q & A: Soprano Hanna-Elisabeth Müller on ‘Reine de Coeur’ & Why She Loves ‘Le Nozze di Figaro’

On Feb. 5, 2020, soprano Hanna-Elisabeth Müller returned for a run of performances in this season’s production of Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro” at the Metropolitan Opera. This will be her third opera with the company, after making her debut in 2017 in Beethoven’s “Fidelio” and subsequent performances of “Die Zauberflöte.” Müller came to international fame in 2014, performing the {…}

Hanna-Elisabeth Müller, Pavol Breslik, Simone Kermes Headline New CD/DVD Releases (Week of 2/7)

There are a plethora of major releases this weekend. So without further ado, let’s get into it. Tebaldo e Isolina Composer Francesco Morlacchi’s “Romeo and Juliet” story with a “happy ending” will get a unique CD release with mezzo-soprano Laura Polverelli, soprano Sandra Pastrana, and tenor Anicio Zorzi Giustiniani. Antonino Fogliani conducts the Virtuosi Brunensis and the Camerata Bach Choir, Poznań, {…}

Riccardo Muti, Anita Rachvelishvili & Francesco Meli Highlight Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s 2020-21 Season

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra has announced its 2020-21 season with Riccardo Muti leading a number of important and rare works and international soloists. For this article we will highlight the vocal performances. A highlight of the year-long celebration of the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth will be Riccardo Muti conducting the composer’s Missa solemnis. The maestro will conduct the Chicago {…}

Diana Damrau & Riccardo Muti Highlight Orchestra of the Bayerischen Rundfunks’s 2019-20 Season

The Orchestra of the Bayerischen Rundfunks has announced its 2019-20 season. For this announcement we have only concentrated on the vocal performances in Munich and the Bavarian area. Daniel Harding conducts Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 with soprano Hanna-Elisabeth Muller and mezzo soprano Okka Von der Damerau. Performance Dates: Sept. 26-28, 2019 Mariss Jansons and Diana Damrau perform a program of {…}

Plácido Domingo, Marina Rebeka & Rolando Villazón Highlight Hamburg State Opera’s 2019-20 Season

The Hamburg State Opera has announced its 2019-20 season featuring six new productions and a number of revivals. There is also a mix of contemporary repertoire with classic and repertory staples. Here is a look at what to expect. New Productions  Elbenita Kajtazi, Renate Spingler, Hellen Kwon, Peter Galliard, Stefan Sevenich, Iwan Iwanowitsch, and Julian Arsenault star in a new production of Shostakovich’s “The {…}

Joyce DiDonato, Nadine Sierra & Mariella Devia Lead Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia’s 2018-19 Season

The Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia has announced its 2018-19 season featuring an array of diverse repertoire. For this season announcement, we will only focus on the vocal performances. Orchestra Concerts  The season opens with Bernstein’s “West Side Story” with Nadine Sierra and Alek Shrader in the lead roles with Antonio Pappano conducting. Jessica Vosk, Mark Stone, and Aigul Akhmetshina {…}

Metropolitan Opera Review 2016-17 – Fidelio: Beethoven’s Ode to Women Celebrated With Stunning Cast & Production

I preface this by stating that this review is for the performance on March 24, 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. 2017 has been the year of {…}