It’s officially the month of March Madness and to celebrate the month which will see “Elektra” and “Lucia di Lammermoor” open at the Metropolitan Opera, OperaWire will be writing a weekly article on our favorite mad scenes, favorite interpretations of mad scenes and some of the most iconic performances of mad scenes. Lucia di Lammermoor-“Il Dolce Suono” Donizetti’s mad scene {…}
After looking at the top female and male singers as well as the finest maestros of the 2016-17 season, we now turn the spotlight on the 10 best-assembled casts of the season. This was a truly difficult piece to put together as this Met season had great casts for almost every single opera. But the casts listed below were simply {…}
Nadine Sierra is the winner of the 2017 Richard Tucker Award. The 28-year-old soprano, a previous recipient of a 2010 Sara Tucker Study Grant and a 2013 Richard Tucker Career Grant, follows in the line of such major artists as Renée Fleming, Stephanie Blythe, Lawrence Brownlee, Matthew Polenzani, Christine Goerke and Joyce DiDonato to win the prestigious award. The 2016 award winner was Tamara Wilson. “I {…}
Matthew Polenzani loves Mozart’s “Idomeneo.” During a recent interview with OperaWire, the tenor went so far as to call it the composer’s “greatest opera.” That’s right, with output that includes gems such as “Le Nozze di Figaro,” “Don Giovanni,” “Così Fan Tutte” and “Die Zauberflote,” Polenzani, who is among the greatest exponents of these very operas, puts his marker on {…}
Many opera companies get back in on the action this weekend from all around the country in one of the busier weekends of the season. The Dallas Opera makes its great return on Friday, March 10 with a production of Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly.” Hui He stars in the leading role with Gianluca Terranova, Lucas Meachem and Manuela Custer rounding out the {…}
This review is for the premiere on opening night of the run, March 6, 2017. Mozart’s “Idomeneo” has accrued quite the history at the Met since its premiere in 1982. It has been sung by major singers that include the likes of Plácido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, Ileana Cortrubas, Hildegard Behrens, Frederica Von Stade and Carol Vaness among many others. Safe {…}
“I have always felt like the odd one out. The way I put my voice together. No one knows what to do with me. In terms of my height, I was a six-foot girl since I was 10-years-old. I have always been the outsider.” This was Elza Van Den Heever’s response to my question regarding how she relates to the {…}
This Monday, March 6, Mozart’s “Idomeneo” returns to the Metropolitan Opera for a run featuring some of the world’s greatest singers. “Idomeneo” is one of the rare Mozart operas that only gets a look every once in a while. It was the composer’s 13th work for the operatic stage and came right before the ever popular “Abduction from the Seraglio.” {…}
Ben Heppner was one of the most beloved dramatic tenors of his time and one that was admired for his technique. While he retired from the opera world and dedicated himself to radio, the tenor left so many memorable moments on stage. This season he celebrated his 25th anniversary at the Metropolitan Opera with a special gala alongside Deborah Voigt {…}