As you read through this list take notice that there are no popular operas from the standard repertoire. We thought that instead we would spice things up by recommending five rare works that will still feed your interest. Les Troyens – Wiener Staatsoper, Austria Joyce DiDonato returns to the Vienna State Opera after years to sing her first production of {…}
PBS will showcase the Live in HD broadcast of “Cendrillon” from the Metropolitan Opera as part of its Great Performances Series on Sunday, Sept. 9, 2018. The broadcast will kick off at 12 p.m. EDT and features Joyce DiDonato, Alice Coote, Kathleen Kim, Stephanie Blythe, and Laurent Naouri in the Massenet adaptation of “Cinderella.” The Live in HD broadcast was {…}
The Gramophone Awards have been announced and the top Opera recording for 2018 goes to Erato’s release of Berlioz’s “Les Troyens.” The recording is led by John Nelson, one of the great Berlioz conductors of the 20th and 21st century. His cast includes Michael Spyres, Marie-Nicole Lemieux, and Joyce DiDonato. Contralto Delphine Galou’s album “Agitata” took home the best recital {…}
Joyce DiDonato has announced on social media that the first preview track to her upcoming album, “Into the Fire,” has been released via Apple Music and Spotify. The new track entitled “Shakuntala” comes from Jake Heggie’s song cycle “Camille Claudel: Into the Fire,” which is part of the album. The album, which will be released on Sept. 7, 2018, captures DiDonato’s {…}
Renowned mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato has announced a new album sure to delight not only listeners of opera, but listeners of jazz and tango as well. Her new album, titled “Songplay,” will bring together musicians from numerous genres, hand-picked by DiDonato in a band led by pianist and arranger Craig Terry. Among them are bassist Chuck Isreals, drummer Jimmy Madison, Lautaro {…}
Joyce DiDonato has announced the release the film “The Florence Foster Jenkins Story.” The mezzo-soprano, who portrayed Jenkins in the documentary, announced that to celebrate the 150th birthday of Florence Foster Jenkins, the film would be available on July 19, 2018 on Amazon Prime UK and Amazon Prime USA. The documentary, directed by Ralf Pleger fuses documentary, fiction, and music film genres to take {…}
For the past five years, Parisian concertgoers have been able to celebrate Bastille Day, with a concert at the feet of the Eiffel Tower in the Champ-de-Mars. This year will be no different with Aida Garifullina and Joyce DiDonato set to star in the sixth edition of the event. But they will not be alone in the celebration. Alongside the {…}
Two important recordings will be released this week, including one world premiere and another continuing an acclaimed Mozart opera. Here is a look! The Cradle Will Rock Bridge Records will release the world premiere recording of Marc Blitzstein’s opera. The new recording features the composer’s original 1937 orchestrations and was recorded live at Opera Saratoga in July 2017. The recording {…}
Joyce DiDonato has announced that she will retire the role of “Cendrillon” in Massenet’s opera. The mezzo announced in an Instagram post that after 21 years with Cinderella she would be saying goodbye to the character. Massenet’s opera is the second Cinderella role she has performed at the Met and one of the two versions of character she has performed {…}
The Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia has announced its 2018-19 season featuring an array of diverse repertoire. For this season announcement, we will only focus on the vocal performances. Orchestra Concerts The season opens with Bernstein’s “West Side Story” with Nadine Sierra and Alek Shrader in the lead roles with Antonio Pappano conducting. Jessica Vosk, Mark Stone, and Aigul Akhmetshina {…}
“Cendrillon” is a fairy tale that features a young girl whose dreams come true thanks to a faithful Fairy Godmother. At the Met, Alice Coote and Joyce DiDonato are headlining the opera about hope that has captivated children for years. On Thursday, April 26, 2018, the two mezzo-sopranos were playing the role of the Fairy Godmother for the children of {…}