Lawrence Brownlee, Olga Peretyako & Serena Farnocchia Headline Opera Royal De Wallonie’s 2018-19 Season

The Opera Royal del Wallonie-Liege has announced its 2018-19 season featuring five new productions and nine showcases in total. The season contains a number of rarely performed works in addition to repertoire staples featuring many prominent and rising stars. Here is a look. Productions Stefano Vizioli directs Verdi’s “Il Trovatore” with Fabio Sartori in the title role and Violetta Urmana as {…}

Mar 30, 2018

Top 5 Operas to See This Weekend – International (3/30-4/1): Anna Netrebko, Christiane Karg & Michael Fabiano Headline Weekend

This weekend will be filled with a number of stars singing some of their most acclaimed roles. But what will make this weekend even more special is that it will feature a world premiere, a rarely performed Verdi gem, and a rarely performed baroque piece. Here is a look. Rusalka – Prague National Opera, Czech Republic Kerri-Lynn Wilson makes a {…}

Mar 26, 2018

Royal Opera House Season 2017-18 Review – Macbeth: Anna Netrebko & Zeljko Lucic Shine In Unsatisfactory Production

Director Phyllida Lloyd’s 2002 production of Verdi’s “Macbeth” doesn’t need a revival to age. Cluttered with too many literal symbols – Lady Macbeth attempting to wash blood off in the bath, Duncan clad in a glittery gold cloak that Macbeth dons when assuming the throne, the presence of a running tap onstage as the two killer spouses sing of their {…}

Mar 26, 2018

Royal Opera House 2017-18 Cinemas Preview: Anna Netrebko Leads ‘Macbeth’

The Royal Opera House will present Verdi’s “Macbeth” live in cinemas on April 4, 2018. The performance will be broadcast around the globe and will feature superstar soprano Anna Netrebko as the villainous Lady Macbeth. She will be paired with Zeljko Lucic in the title role; the two performed the Macbeths together at the Metropolitan Opera in a performance that {…}

Feb 8, 2018

Met Opera 2017-18 Live in HD Preview: Matthew Polenzani & Pretty Yende Star in ‘L’Elisir d’Amore’

On Saturday, the Metropolitan Opera will continue its 2017-18 Live in HD series with a performance of Donizetti’s “L’Elisir d’Amore.” The opera is set to star Matthew Polenzani, Pretty Yende, Davide Luciano, and Ildebrando d’Arcangelo in Bartlett Sher’s production. The production was largely hailed with OperaWire noting that the singers “made this night another success for the Met as the {…}

Jan 22, 2018

Metropolitan Opera: 2017-18 Review – L’Elisir D’Amore: Polenzani Leaves Audience Drunk on Love

This review is for the performance on Saturday, January 20, 2018. Audiences at the Metropolitan Opera were in for a treat this evening as they gathered for Donizetti’s heartfelt comedy “L’Elisir D’Amore.” Bartlett Sher’s production faithfully held to tradition while creating an authentic experience of a small, connected village where events big or small ripple outwards and leave nothing untouched. {…}

Jan 15, 2018

Metropolitan Opera 2017-18 Preview: Breaking Down the Cast for ‘L’Elisir d’Amore’

On Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2018, the Metropolitan Opera revives Bartlett Sher’s production of Donizetti’s “L’Elisir d’Amore” which opened the 2012-13 season. This season the opera will feature one returning star among a number of first-timers for this particular version of the opera. The work will run for 10 performances, ending on Feb. 17, 2018. Here is a look at the {…}

Dec 14, 2017

3 Surprising Roles in Ildebrando D’Arcangelo’s Repertoire

Ildebrando D’Arcangelo, born on Dec. 14, 1969, is one of the world’s most renowned Italian bass-baritones. Since his auspicious debut in the early 1990s, he has been a leading singer around the world, appearing at major opera houses under such conductors as Valery Gergiev, Claudio Abbado, Riccardo Chailly, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, and Seiji Ozawa, among many others. He’s become one of {…}

Aug 6, 2017

Macbeth DVD Review: Plácido Domingo & Ekaterina Semenchuk Give Revelatory Performances In LA Opera Production

Plácido Domingo has outpaced anyone’s expectations going on to perform more roles than anyone in the history of opera. Moreover, his work as a baritone has also proved to go beyond what all thought was possible. In 2015, Domingo made his debut as Macbeth, a role which is considered among the most difficult in the Verdi baritone canon and triumphed. {…}

Jun 2, 2017

Weekend Preview (6/2-4) – North America: San Francisco Opens Summer 2017 With ‘Don Giovanni’

With the summer taking shape, it remains a rather relaxed opera season in North America, with most companies off. But there are still a few companies putting on quality productions this week. The big fish is San Francisco Opera which kicked off its summer 2017 season with “Rigoletto” and will showcase “Don Giovanni” this weekend on Sunday. That work features {…}

Apr 28, 2017

Weekend Preview – International (4/28-30): Nadine Sierra, Ailyn Pérez and Sonya Yoncheva Lead Busy Weekend

The weekend will bring a wide variety of repertoire from rare Wagner and Rodgers and Hammerstein to Mozart and Rimsky-Korsakov. And as always the biggest stars including Sonya Yoncheva, Ailyn Pérez, Kate Lindsey, Aida Garifullina and Nadine Sierra will be on stage performing signature roles. Argentina Wagner’s “Das Liebesverbot” takes center stage at the Teatro Colón. The opera will see Lise {…}

Ildebrando d'Arcangelo