(© Christophe Abramowitz) A recording of the celebratory performance marking the reopening of Notre-Dame on Dec. 7, 2024, is now available for streaming on Platoon. A highlight of the ceremony was the performance of the hymn, “Amazing Grace” by soprano Pretty Yende, accompanied by the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel. Also included on the {…}
Welcome back for this week’s look at the latest CD and DVD releases in the opera world. Check the latest solo releases, including a digital concert from a leading countertenor and a world premiere recording of a modern-day requiem. Warsaw Sessions Award-winning Iranian-Canadian countertenor Cameron Shahbazi releases his latest digital concert project, Warsaw Sessions, created in collaboration with pianist Sophia {…}
(Photo: Brescia e Amisano / Teatro alla Scala) When Gaetano Donizetti arrived in Paris in October 1838, he was already one of the great figures of bel canto. Yet what he sought in the French capital was professional stability and institutional recognition–something Italy had not always granted him. Within a few months he had conquered, along with the French language itself, {…}
The Opéra Grand Avignon has announced its 2025-26 season. Opera Débora Waldman conducts a production of Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” by Frédéric Roels. The opera will star Armando Noguera, Gabrielle Philiponet, Lianghua Gong, Mischa Schelomianski, Anaïk Morel, Tomislav Lavoie, Aimery Lefèvre, and Eduarda Melo. Performance Dates: Oct. 10-14, 2025 Mauro Borgioni, Marie Théoleyre, Floriane Hasler, Anna Rheinold, Furio Zanasi, and Salvo Vitale {…}
Les Talens Lyriques releases its 2025-26 season. Lully’s “Proserpine” opens the 2025 season. Marie Lys, Véronique Gens, Olivier Gourdy, Jean-Sébastien Bou, Ambroisine Bré, Laurent Kilsby, Apolline Raï-Westphal, Nick Pritchard, Olivier Cesarini, and David Witczak make up the cast. They are joined by Chœur de Chambre de Namur led by Thibaut Lenaerts, and Les Talens Lyriques under the direction of Christophe {…}
Julie Fuchs has announced her new festival “Nos jours heureux.” The new festival will be held from August 21 to 24, 2025, and will be dedicated to tango and classical music. Here is a look at the vocal performances. The opening night gala will showcase Julie Fuchs, Monroe Rigby, and Francois Lambret.The program will include music by Bizet, Offenbach, Mozart, {…}
(Photo credit: Brescia and Amisano) “I should reproach myself even more if I were to allow myself to be credited with the initiative for the new genre of Italian opera … it is to my librettist Calzabigi that the main credit goes …” Gluck, letter of 1775 Let us speak directly of the opera at hand, recently brought to the {…}
(Photo credit: Brescia and Amisano) One of the most common phenomena of the 18th century was the pilgrimage of European composers to Italy, seeking to immerse themselves in the “alla italiana” compositional technique and then return to their homelands to apply this revolutionary formula. Such was the case of Florian Leopold Gassmann (1729–1774), who left his native Bohemia to settle {…}
The Theater an der Wien’s 2025-26 season. Rossini’s “L’occasione fa il ladro” opens the season in a production by Marcos Darbyshire. The cast includes Inna Demenkova, Alberto Robert, Roberto Lorenzi, Petra Radulovic, Ilyà Dovnar, and Lazar Parežanin. Pedro Beriso conducts. Performance Dates: Sept. 23-Oct. 14, 2025 Johann Strauss’ “Die Fledermaus” will star Thomas Blondelle, Hulkar Sabirova, Alina Wunderlin, Leon Košavić, Krešimir Stražanac, David Fischer, Jana {…}
The Orchestre de la Suisse Romande has announced the 2025-26 season which will be the final one for Music Director Jonathan Nott. Here is a look at the vocal performance for the season. Ton Koopman conducts Julia Lezhneva and the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne. They perform music by Mozart. Performance Date: Nov. 6, 2025 Jonathan Nott conducts Himari in {…}
(Photo by Manon Leprevost) On Dec. 7, a concert will be held to commemorate the reopening of Notre Dame. The showcase commences at 9 p.m. local time and will feature numerous classical music stars, including several opera superstars. Among them are Pretty Yende, Nadine Sierra, Benjamin Bernheim, and Julie Fuchs, all regulars of the Opéra National de Paris. Also on {…}