(Photo: Rossini Opera Festival) “The Journey to Reims” occupies a singular place in Gioachino Rossini’s catalogue today: few could have imagined that a work conceived as a circumstantial celebration of the coronation of Charles X would, two centuries later, become one of the most emblematic titles of the Rossini Opera Festival (ROF) in Pesaro and a veritable testing ground for {…}
(Photo: Padraig Grant) The Wexford Factory Academy is a program offering young singers the opportunity to take part in workshops, masterclasses and performances in the weeks leading up to and during the festival. The highlight of the program is a fully staged production on the festival’s main stage, in which all the roles are performed by the Factory singers. The {…}
The up-and-coming British soprano Jane Burnell recently made her role debut as Countess Cortese in “Il Viaggio di Reims” at the Wexford Festival Opera. OperaWire was lucky to meet up with her for a quick interview to get to know more about her. OperaWire: What was the first opera you went to see? Jane Burrell: I was about 11 years {…}
(Photo: Amati Bacciardi / ROF 2025) Although conceived as a one-act opera, “Il viaggio a Reims” has monumental proportions: it lasts nearly three hours and was therefore divided into three parts at its premiere. It is Rossini’s last opera in Italian, before he devoted himself exclusively to French. Its initial success was remarkable, fueled both by the high expectations surrounding {…}
Opera Philadelphia is set to present Rossini’s “Il viaggio a Reims.” The company will present the work four times at the Academy of Music on Sept. 19, 21, 26, and 28 in Damiano Michieletto’s production. In a statement, General Director Anthony Roth Costanzo said, “This opera is an explosion of sparkling bravura energy, and with the brilliant Corrado Rovaris at {…}
(Photo: Armati Bacciardi) Over the next few months, OperaWire will be reviewing a number of productions at a variety of festivals across the globe. One name that keeps cropping up, at least in Europe, is that of Rosetta Cucchi. Blessed with a never-ending supply of energy and ideas, she always has one project on the go with others in the {…}
(Credits: Opera Australia official website / Opera Online) The Teatro Verdi di Padova has announced that it will livestream Franz Léhar’s “Die Lustige Witwe.” The showcase will star Omar Montanari in the role of Baron Mirko Zeta, Ruth Iniesta as Valencienne, Alessandro Safina as Count Danilo Danilovitsch, and Anastasia Bartoli as Hanna Glawari. The cast also includes Matteo Roma, William {…}
(Credits: Matilde Fasso / © DR / Deutsche Oper am Rhein official website / Opus 3 Artists official website) Italian television channel Rai5 has announced broadcasts for the week of Jan. 11 – Jan. 15, 2021. First up will be a production of Donizetti’s “L’elisir d’amore” with Mariangela Sicilia, John Osborn, Iurii Samoilov, Alex Esposito and Francesca Benitez. Francesco Lanzillotta {…}
(Credit: Jesús Cornejo/Cortesía) The Orquesta Del Teatro De Bellas Artes in Mexico City has announced that conductor and counter-tenor Iván López-Reynoso has been appointed its new Artistic Director. López-Reynoso also holds the position of the Chief Guest Conductor of the Oviedo Filarmonía. “Being the next Artistic Director of Orquesta Del Teatro De Bellas Artes is the greatest honor I have {…}
The Rossini Opera has announced streamings for its autumn Rossini Opera Festival. The company announced that Nov. 25, 27 and 29 perofrmances of “Il barbiere di Siviglia” will be streamed via the company’s rossinioperafestival.it. The production by Pier Luigi Pizzi will be conducted by Michele Spotti and star Juan Francisco Gatell (Count Almaviva), Carlo Lepore (Bartolo), Aya Wakizono (Rosina), Iurii {…}
(Credit: Miguel Lorenzo/Mikel Ponce) Rossini’s “Il viaggio a Reims” is a difficult show to stage. To begin with, it was written as a “cantata” and not an opera, and it has 14 solo voices. Moreover, it is a compilation of Rossini’s past compositions, including his opera buffa and serious works, but with a stronger influence of the French “Grand Opera” {…}