Metropolitan Opera 2017-18 Review – Cendrillon: Laurent Pelly, Joyce DiDonato & Company Deliver Exquisite Evening of Massenet Fairy Tale

Jules Massenet is one of the great composers that can’t be called an auteur in the traditional sense. When you go to any performance of music by virtually any composer, you can pretty much guarantee that said composer’s voice will come through consistently even if the means or style deviates ever so slightly. Verdi remains Verdi whether you are listening to {…}

Apr 23, 2018

Metropolitan Opera 2017-18 Live in HD Preview: Joyce DiDonato to Light Cinemas For 8th Time in ‘Cendrillon’

This Saturday, audiences around the world will get a chance to see Massenet’s “Cendrillon” in cinemas as part of the company’s famed Live in HD broadcast. The showcase kicks off at 12:25 p.m. EDT and will star Joyce DiDonato as Cendrillon, Kathleen Kim as La Fée, Alice Coote as the Prince, Stephanie Blythe as Madame de la Haltière, and Laurent {…}

Apr 9, 2018

Metropolitan Opera 2017-18 Preview: ‘Cendrillon’ To Become 9th Massenet Met Premiere; Here Are the Others

The Metropolitan Opera is slated for its latest premiere this week when it showcases Massenet’s “Cendrillon.” The opera, which is based on the tale of Cinderella will star Joyce DiDonato and is set to run between April 12 and May 11. The opera will also feature Alice Coote, Stephanie Blythe, Kathleen Kim, Laurent Naouri, all under the musical direction of {…}

Apr 8, 2018

Joyce DiDonato & Daniela Barcellona Win The Olivier Award

Joyce DiDonato and Daniela Barcellona have won the Olivier Awards. The mezzo sopranos won the award for Best Achievement in Opera for their starring roles in “Semiramide” at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden during a ceremony on Sunday. “Semiramide” also won Best New Opera Production. Barcellona accepted both awards thanking director David Alden, Rossini, and Sir Antonio Pappano. DiDonato {…}

Mar 31, 2018

Olivier Awards Announces Its Broadcast & Ceremony Plans

The Olivier Awards are set to air on Sunday, April 8, 2018. Those outside of the UK can tune in on the Facebook page of the Olivier Awards or through the radio coverage on Sirius XM. The ceremony will be returning to the Royal Albert Hall, where it will be hosted by Catherine Tate. Highlights of the evening will include {…}

Mar 23, 2018

Joyce DiDonato, Diana Damrau, Piotr Beczala Star in Grand Teatre del Liceu 2018-19 Season

Barcelona’s Grand Teatre del Liceu has announced its 2018-19 season, presenting a number of exciting, fully-staged or concert-style productions, as well as a number of recital performances. A full list of all works in the 2018-19 season can be found on Gran Teatre del Liseu’s website. The Ring Without Words Josep Pons will be conducting Lorin Maazel’s 90-minute arrangement of {…}

Mar 22, 2018

Joyce DiDonato, Juan Diego Flórez, & Jonas Kaufmann To Be Featured At Theatre Des Champs-Élysées 2018-19 Season

The Théâtre Champes-Élysées has announced its 2018-19 season. Let’s break it down Staged Productions Jérémie Rhorer conducts a new production of Verdi’s “La Traviata” with Deborah Warner directing. Vannina Santoni stars in the title role alongside Saimir Pirgu and Laurent Naouri. Performance Dates: Nov. 28-Dec. 9, 2018 Katie Mitchell directs Strauss’ “Ariadne Auf Naxos” with Camila Nylund and Roberto Sacca. Kate Lindsey and Olga Pudova round out {…}

Mar 8, 2018

Joyce DiDonato & Daniela Barcellona Nominated For The Olivier Awards

The Olivier Awards have announced their nominations, which include a number of opera’s greatest. The awards, which are essentially the Tony Awards’ equivalent in London have two opera categories which recognize the achievements of productions and individuals. This year, for Best Opera production, the Royal Opera House received two nominations for “Semiramide” and ‘The Exterminating Angel” while Trafalgar Studios 2 {…}

Mar 4, 2018

Joyce DiDonato, Lawrence Brownlee & Pretty Yende To Be Featured On ‘Hopes and Dreams: The Lullaby Project’

Joyce DiDonato, Lawrence Brownlee, and Pretty Yende will join an array of superstars for a new project “Hopes and Dreams: The Lullaby Project” for Decca Gold. The new CD which was inspired by the Lullaby Project, a program of Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute which pairs pregnant women, new mothers, and family members with professional artists to write and sing personal lullabies {…}

Feb 27, 2018

Editorial: Searching For A Greater Meaning in Lawrence Brownlee’s “Cycles of My Being”

Is art merely a form of entertainment or can it serve a greater purpose? Many people believe the latter is true although it’s possible that they are deluding themselves in order to partake in something they enjoy. It’s a question that can be debated forever. It came to mind for me this past week when I attended Lawrence Brownlee’s “Cycles {…}

Feb 22, 2018

Barbican 2017-18 Review – Dead Man Walking: Joyce DiDonato Shines In Jake Heggie’s Haunting Disarray Of An Opera

Jake Heggie’s 2000 opera “Dead Man Walking” – based on the memoirs of Sister Helen Prejean and inspired by the film of the same name – hardly conforms to operatic standards. An intersection of “Porgy and Bess”-like motifs, rock opera recitatives, and the echoes of New Orleans jazz, it treats the opera template with a moderate respect: scant arias and {…}