(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, {…}
(Credit: Karen Almond) Bel Canto is having a bit of a resurgence at the Metropolitan Opera this year, with the company, after years of giving one or no offering per season, currently showcasing two works from the composers of this era. What is clear from both experiences is that the audience is responding in ways that the Met has not {…}
The Metropolitan Opera has announced that Sandra Oh has joined the cast of “La Fille du Régiment.” The company said that Oh is coming off her acclaimed performances in Shakespeare in the Park’s “Twelfth Night” and will make her Met debut as the Duchess of Krakenthorp in Laurent Pelly’s production. Oh is a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award–winning {…}
(© Agathe Poupeney) The Opéra National de Paris will continue its program of transmitting two pre-recorded opera performances across the world. This year’s two operatic selections include “La Fille du Régiment” and “Turandot.” The former, featuring the Laurent Pelly production, got its first screening at Guatemala City in the gardens of the Alliance Française de Guatemala. That showcase took place {…}
The Metropolitan Opera has announced its 2025-26 season. New Productions The season opens on a Sunday with Mason Bates and Gene Scheer’s “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay” in its Met Opera premiere. Bartlett Sher directs and Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts a cast starring Lauren Snouffer, Sun-Ly Pierce, Miles Mykkanen, Patrick Carfizzi, Craig Colclough, and Andrzej Filoncyzk. Performance Dates: Sept. {…}
The Bayerische Staatsoper is set to present a new production of Donizetti’s “La Fille du Régiment.” The new production will be directed by Damiano Michieletto, who is returning to the Bayerische Staatsoper after his acclaimed “Aida.” The show centers on the search for one’s own identity and Michieletto explains, “The story moves between two levels – nature and the city. Nature {…}
(Photo: Elisa Haberer / Opéra national de Paris) I sensed two ghosts on the stage of Opéra Bastille last night. Don’t worry—they were as nice as ghosts can be. In fact, they were so congenial that they enhanced the operatic experience, turning what would have been a merely jolly evening into a thought-provoking one. The problem is, no matter how {…}
Opera Colorado is set to present “La Fille du Regiment” from Nov. 9 through 17, 2024. The Bel Canto opera will star Katrina Galka as Marie in her Colorado debut and Andrew Stenson as Tonio. The cast will also include Peter Strummer as Sergeant Sulpice, Catherine Cook as Marquise of Birkenfeld, and Monét X Change in the cameo role of {…}
The Opéra de Monte-Carlo has announced a cast change for its production of Donizetti’s “La Fille du Regiment” on March 30. The company said, “We regret to inform you that Javier Camarena, unwell, will be replaced by Julien Dran.” Dran is a tenor who has performed at the Théâtre de La Monnaie, Limoges Opera, Festival Aix d’Provence, Massy Opera, Paris {…}
Buenos Aires’ Compañía de Ópera del DAMus (Departamento de Artes Musicales y Sonoras) of the Universidad Nacional de las Artes will present “La Fille du Régiment” starting on Nov. 26, 2023. Running through Dec. 3, 2023, the showcase will be presented at the Teatro Hasta Trilce on Nov. 26 and Dec. 3, and then at the Centro de Difusión y {…}
(Photo: Padraig Grant) The second of Wexford Festival’s pocket operas, Opera Beag, was a presentation of Donizetti’s opéra-comique “La Fille du régiment.” Operating on a low-budget and using only piano accompaniment, director Heather Hadrill was under no illusions of the difficulties involved. In her program notes, she stated “The challenge of pocket operas is to give as full a sense {…}