The Santa Fe Opera has announced the extension of Harry Bicket’s contract as Music Director through the 2028 Season. Bicket, who was appointed as Chief Conductor in 2013 and later Music Director in 2018, has led productions spanning a wide range of repertory, including “Pelléas et Mélisande,” “Così fan tutte,” “Candide” and “Alcina.” In a statement General Director Robert K. {…}
(Foto: Monika Rittershaus / Courtesy of Opernhaus Zürich) George Frideric Händel composed “Agrippina” during his Italian tour, a work that marked a pivotal moment in his career. It solidified his grasp of Italian opera, represented his first genuine operatic triumph, and remains the earliest of his operas for which the complete score has survived intact. The libretto, written by Cardinal {…}
The English Concert is set to record over 600 works by Händel as part of a project entitled “Handel for All.” The project will feature an online library that includes older recordings, newer recordings as they are added, live performances, a resource for all ages and abilities, interactive digital learning materials, and resources for academic institutions and cultural researchers among {…}
In honor of Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, a number of prominent figures are being honored. Among the honorees, conductor Harry Bicket has received the OBE, and soprano Elizabeth Llewellyn has received the MBE. The list also includes fashion designer Stella McCartney, former English soccer player Rio Ferdinand, and Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler as well as Actor Damian Lewis who is also {…}
(Credit: © Camilla Greenwell, ROH 2022) A much-publicized intimacy director; bold text warnings about sexual violence and “terrorist themes.” There was a certain gung-ho mood amongst the audience going into Katie Mitchell’s new production of Handel’s tragic oratorio “Theodora” at the Royal Opera House this week. The first performance of the work in Covent Garden for 272 years, in fact. {…}
(Credit: Marty Sohl / Metropolitan Opera) The operas of Handel are not necessarily standards at the Metropolitan Opera. And to a certain extent, that is understandable. They are rather expansive in runtime with ample casts and a musical style that doesn’t always suit the cavernous hall. But the reality is that these operas, while dating to the 18th century, are {…}
At the end of “Semele” the chorus sings “Happy, happy, shall we be.” The text is a perfect sobriquet for anything to do with Harry Bicket and the English Concert. Their forays into the world of baroque music are never less than an exhilarating experience for audiences and artists alike. Meticulous musicianship and a palpable passion for playing make their annual {…}
Concert performances of operas can be a rather mixed bag. The works themselves were concocted with the vision of being complete art forms and taking them out of this context can be difficult. Many operas can get away with it simply by the symphonic qualities of the music (see Wagner or Strauss). But this can take an even more complex {…}
As Professor Higgins insisted, diction is everything. If one mentions the word “Rinaldo” in Madrid without clearly articulating the letter “i” as an Italianate “ee,” locals invariably start talking about the football superstar from the Stadio Bernabeu rather than an obscure baroque opera in the National Auditorium. Obviously Handel’s “Rinaldo” is a different pitch altogether, although ambiguity is still inherent. {…}
Susan G. Marineau, President of Santa Fe Opera has announced the appointment of Robert K. Meya as General Director of the Santa Fe Opera. The appointment will be effective Oct. 1, 2018. After years of serving as Director of External Affairs at the Santa Fe Opera, Meya will be the fourth General Director in the company’s 62-year history. As a {…}
It was Latin night at the Met on Friday, Dec. 29, 2017, with three Latin American artists headlining a revival of Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro.” Ailyn Pérez, Isabel Leonard, and Nadine Sierra all topped the billing of a cast that also included two Eastern Europeans, Ildar Abdrazakov and Mariusz Kwiecien, as Figaro and the Count Almaviva respectively. To put {…}