The Handel + Haydn Society has announced its 2020-21 season, which features a wide range of performances, including 10 company premieres. As always, our focus will be on performances of the operatic and vocal variety. The season kicks off with a performance of Brahms’ “A German Requiem” featuring soprano Amanda Majeski and baritone Ryan McKinny. Conductor Harry Bicket will lead {…}
(Credit: Marty Sohl / Metropolitan Opera) The Met Opera’s Live in HD series for the 2019-20 season continues this Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020 with a transmission of “Agrippina,” which was composed by Handel to a libretto by Grimani. The broadcast, which kicks off 12:55 p.m. Eastern time, will feature Joyce DiDonato in the title role with Brenda Rae as Poppea, {…}
The Canadian Opera Company has announced its 2020-21 season, which will feature six operas and some special events. The season opens with François Girard’s famed production of Wagner’s “Parsifal.” Christopher Ventris and Vikor Antipenko will alternate the title role with Johan Reuter as Amfortas and Tanja Ariane Baumgartner will take on Kundry. Robert Pomakov will interpret Klingsor while Mika Kares {…}
(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 {…}
The good news – there is a lot of good opera going around North America throughout the weekend. As such, this weekend’s top picks were not easy to come by or select. But the curation came down to a number of unique new operas and rarely performed gems of old with star-studded casts stretching from the east all the way {…}
It is the first weekend of October, which means that it is one filled with opening nights, new productions, contemporary works, classics, and baroque works. Let’s have a go. A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Wiener Staatsoper, Austria Lawrence Zazzo, Erin Morley, Théo Touvet, Peter Kellner, Szilvia Vörös, Josh Lovell, Rafael Fingerlos, Rachel Frenkel, Valentina, Naforniţa, Peter Rose, Benjamin Hulett, Wolfgang {…}
The weekend is here and there are five star-studded operas that we think you cannot miss. Here is a look at our recommendations. Adriana Lecouvreur – Salzburg Festival, Austria Anna Netrebko brings her signature role in Cilea’s masterpiece to Salzburg for the first time with Anita Rachvelishvili. When the two divas performed the opera at the Metropolitan Opera, OperaWire noted {…}
The Royal Opera House has announced its 2019-20 Season featuring some of the greatest singers in the world in 17 new productions of both ballet and opera. For this article, we will only focus on opera performances. Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” opens the 2019-20 season with Erwin Schrott in the title role alongside Roberto Tagliavini, Malin Byström, Christine Rice. Daniel Behle, Emanuele D’Aguanno, Louise Alder, Lars Woldt, {…}
The Theater an der Wien has announced its 2019-20 season featuring numerous rarely performed works, concert operas and a number of new productions. Opera Productions David Afkham conducts Amélie Niermeyer’s new production of Dvorak’s “Rusalka.” Maria Bengtsson sings the title role alongside Ladislav Elgr, Günther Groissböck, Natascha Petrinsky, and Kate Aldrich. Performance Dates: Sept. 19 – 30, 2019 Stefan Gottfried conducts Sam Brown’s production of Mozart’s {…}
The Edinburgh International Festival has announced its 2019 slate, which will feature a wide range of performances across opera, classical music, theatre, dance, and contemporary music. For this article, we will place focus solely on opera productions. The first of these is Barrie Kosky and the Komische Oper Berlin’s production of “Eugene Onegin,” which will feature Günther Papendell and Michael {…}
The Metropolitan Opera revealed its 2019-20 season on Wednesday afternoon. Among the major announcements were the company’s schedule for its ever-popular Live in HD slate. Here is a look at the list of performances that will be broadcast to audiences around the world. Worthy of note is that of the 10 productions set to screen in cinemas, three will be {…}