(Credit: © Ilkka Saastamoinen) Sebastian Fagerlund‘s new opera, based on Karl Ove Knausgård’s novel “Morgenstjernen” in Swedish or “The Morning Star” in English, inhabits that rare territory where literature, music, and visual spectacle converge to create something genuinely original — unsettling and beautiful at the same time. Gunilla Hemming’s libretto doesn’t so much adapt Knausgård’s labyrinthine 666-page narrative as distill {…}
Welcome back for this week’s look at the latest CD and DVD releases in the opera world. This week, audiences will get to hear two Strauss recordings and a complete recording of Lalo’s famed work. Jewish Vienna Chen Reiss and Daniel Grossmann team up with the Jewish Chamber Orchestra Munich for an album which highlights Vienna at the turn of {…}
The Finnish National Opera has announced its 2025-26 season. Premieres Engelbert Humperdinck’s “Hansel and Gretel” will get a new production by Richard Jones and will be presented for the first time since 1996. The new Finnish translation by Mikko Koivusalo will star Tommi Hakala, Samuli Takkula, Tuija Knihtilä, Maiju Vaahtoluoto, Elli Vallinoja, Polina Liiv, Suvi Väyrynen, Emma Mustaniemi, Dan Karlström, and Roland Liiv. Antony Hermus conducts. Performance Dates: Oct. {…}
The Bregenz Festival has announced its 2025 season. Opera The festival will present Weber’s “Der Freischütz” in a production by Philipp Stölzl. The cast will include Liviu Holender, Johannes Kammler, Franz Hawlata, Raimund Nolte, Mandy Fredrich, Elissa Huber, Irina Simmes, Hanna Herfurtner, Gloria Rehm, Katharina Ruckgaber, Christof Fischesser, David Steffens, Oliver Zwarg, Thomas Blondelle, Attilio Glaser, and Mauro Peter. Performance Dates: July 17-August 17, 2025 Enescu’s {…}
The Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne has announced its 2024-25 season which features Renaud Capuçon as the Music Director. Here is a look at the vocal performances. Hossein Pishkar conducts a program of Haydn and Martin with bass-baritone Johan Reuter. Performance Date: Dec. 11 & 12, 2024 Barbara Hannigan conducts and sings a program of music by Khayam, Haydn, Stravinsky, and {…}
The Staatstheater Wiesbaden has announced its 2024-25 Season. Premieres Ligeti’s “Le Grand Macabre” will be conducted by GMD Leo McFall with Pınar Karabulut directing. Seth Carico, Cornel Frey, Galina Benevich, Josefine Mindus, Sion Goronwy, Ariana Lucas, Aaron Cawley, Hovhannes Karapetyan, Inna Fedorii, Fleuranne Brockway, Wooseok Shim, James Young, and Fabian-Jakob Balkhausen starring. Premiere Date: Sept. 28, 2024 Christian Rohrbach conducts {…}
(Photo: Charles Duprat / Opéra National de Paris) Whether you liked it or not, Lydia Steier’s “Salome” was the event of last season. Bleeding bodies, shooting guns, nudity, and rape; it was an R-rated “Salome.” Its provocations echoed both Wilde’s spirit and current discussions of gender, capitalism, and harassment. In this revival, the story is a bit different. The true {…}
The Finnish National Opera has announced its 2024-25 season. Premieres Leevi Madetoja’s “The Ostrobothnians”, which is known as Finland’s “national opera” will be directed by director Paavo Westerberg. The cast will include Jukka Rasilainen, Ville Rusanen, Jussi Vänttinen, Johanna Lehesvuori, Maria Turunen, Iida Antola, Päivi Nisula, Tuomas Pursio, Aarne Pelkonen, Ilkka Hämäläinen and Mika Pohjonen. The Orchestra of the Finnish National {…}
Welcome back for this week’s look at the latest CD and DVD releases in the opera world. This week audiences will experience albums from some of the top divas in the opera world as well as Christmas albums that will be great for the holiday season. Essence Marina Rebeka releases a new album on Prima Classic. The soprano sings a selection {…}
Credit: San Francisco Opera On June 4, a Sunday afternoon, everyone was high with anticipation. David Hockney‘s production of R. Strauss’ “Die Frau ohne Schatten” was opening at San Francisco Opera. Since its American premiere in 1959, the work had only been rarely mounted in San Francisco (five times since 1959), or in other houses, in Paris or Vienna, or {…}
(Credit: Robert Millard) The San Francisco Opera is set to present Richard Strauss and Hugo von Hofmannsthal’s “Die Frau ohne Schatten” from June 4–28 at the War Memorial Opera House. The work will return to the stage after a 34-year absence and will feature a new production by David Hockney. Former San Francisco Opera Music Director Sir Donald Runnicles conducts {…}