(Photo: Bernd Uhlig) “Siegfried” is a deceptively complicated opera, perhaps one of the most difficult in all “Der Ring” to pull off both musically and scenically. The main reason is that much of Wagner’s storytelling brings its characters to realizations within themselves, with inner drives and motivations lashing out often in vehemence and violence. What’s more, the once-recognizable leitmotifs are {…}
(Fotos von Bernd Uhlig, Kontakt: [email protected]) It does seem that the 2021 Deutsche Oper Berlin’s Ring has been somewhat of a success over the last few years. And this is good for opera. A major achievement, this as other cycles, after the centennial Patrice Chéreau staging have created negative stirrings, indeed vivid contestations largely due to mistaken stage-director conceptions ingrained {…}
(Photo credit: Bernd Uhlig) The man who gave the opera world its most dazzling 21st century “Parsifal,” Stefan Herheim, continues his quest to interrogate the Romantic text that is Richard Wagner’s “Ring of the Nibelungen.” Inspired refreshing of a 150-year-old work of art can provide new insights and flashes of illumination. But conceptual pyrotechnics can just as easily destroy its {…}
Welcome back for this week’s look at the latest CD and DVD releases in the opera world. This week audiences will get a taste of rare works by French and Italian composers. Here is a look at this week’s new releases. Kozłowski Requiem The Singapore Symphony Orchestra and its Music Director Hans Graf present a recording of Józef Kozłowski’s Requiem, {…}
The Opéra de Paris has announced its 2024-25 season. Opera Verdi’s “Falstaff” opens the season with a cast that includes Ambrogio Maestri, Olivia Boen, Marie-Andrée Bouchard-Lesieur, Andrei Kymach, Gregory Bonfatti, Marie-Nicole Lemieux, Iván Ayón-Rivas, and Federica Guida. Michael Schønwandt conducts the production by Dominique Pitoiset. Performance Dates: Sept. 10-30, 2024 Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” will star Eleonora Buratto, Elena Stikhina, Aude {…}
The San Francisco Symphony has announced its 2022-23 season and will feature numerous vocal performances. Here is a look at the vocal performances of the season. Golda Schultz and Michelle DeYoung will perform Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 with Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting. A work by Trevor Weston will have its world premiere. Performance Dates: Sept. 29-Oct. 2, 2022 Esa-Pekka Salonen {…}
(Credit: Bernd Uhlig) The Deutsche Oper Berlin has announced its upcoming performances of Wagner’s iconic “Der Ring des Nibelungen.” Wagner’s tetralogy will star number of renowned Wagnerian singers, including Brandon Jovanovich as Siegmund; Elisabeth Teige as Sieglinde; Nina Stemme in the role of Brünnhilde; Clay Hilley as Siegfried; Derek Welton as Wotan in “Das Rheingold”; Iain Paterson as Wotan/Der Wanderer; {…}
(Credit: Klaus Frahm) The Deutsche Oper Berlin has announced multiple cast changes for Wagner’s “Der Ring des Nibelungen.” For the performances of “Die Walküre” on Oct. 29, Nov. 10 & 17, 2021, Iain Paterson will replace John Lundgren in the role of Wotan. Paterson joins a cast that includes Brandon Jovanovich as Siegmund, Elisabeth Teige as Sieglinde, Tobias Kehrer as {…}
(In collaboration with Dejan Vukosavljevic) The Bayerische Staatsoper has announced its 2021-22 season featuring new productions and revivals as well as concerts. Here is a look at the new season. Premieres Shostakovich’s “The Nose” will get a new production by Kirill Serebrennikow. Vladimir Jurowski conducts the cast that includes Boris Pinkhasovich, Sergei Leiferkus, Gennady Bezzubenkov, Andrey Popov, Sergey Skorokhodov, Anton Rositskiy, {…}
(Photo Credits: Emma Birski / OnP) Opéra National de Paris has announced its 2021-22 season. Here is the full slate. Operas “The Seven Deaths of Maria Callas” by Marina Abramovic will open the season. The showcase stars Nadezhda Karyazina, Selene Zanetti, Leah Hawkins, Adela Zaharia, Lauren Fagan, Gabriella Reyes, and Hera Hyesang Park. Yoel Gamzou conducts. Performance dates: Sep. 1 {…}
(Credit: Suzanne Vinnik) Deutsche Oper Berlin has announced that the American heldentenor Clay Hilley will perform the title role in Wagner’s “Siegfried,” replacing Simon O’Neill. Hilley will join a cast that includes Iain Paterson in the role of Der Wanderer, Nina Stemme as Brünnhilde, Markus Brück in the role of Alberich, Tobias Kehrer as Fafner, Lindsay Ammann as Erda, and {…}