(Photo: Agnese Zeltiņa | Files.fm.) I’m not generally given to elaborating on opera plots; preferring for the audience to discover them for themselves, even where the outline of the tale is fairly well known. Alas, I feel somewhat compelled to at least superficially proffer some brief abridgement of “Salome,” if only to illustrate and accentuate the bizarre, outlandish and frequently {…}
(Photo: Agnese Zeltina Latvian National Opera) Latvian National Opera’s new production of Offenbach’s “Les Contes d’Hoffmann” was no simple reflection on the poet’s failed love affairs, in which the Muse/Nicklausse attempts to convince Hoffmann to forsake love’s attraction in favor of poetry. Rather, the director, Aik Karapetian, had an intriguing and very different reading in mind that turned it into {…}
(Photo credit: Agnese Zeltiņa) Donizetti’s “The Elixir of Love” (L’elisir d’amore) is frequently appreciated for its vibrant comedy and charming music. However, this opera offers a depth that goes beyond surface-level amusement, engaging themes of love, illusion, and societal structures in nuanced ways. Traditional productions often miss the deeper layers of the opera, focusing instead on its comedic aspects. In {…}
(Photo: Kristaps Kains, Latvian National Opera) Latvia National Opera’s production of Verdi’s “Don Carlo” was musically and visually excellent, but the director Claus Guth’s underlying concept was not, at least initially, easy to grasp, despite his clearly written program notes. His underlying idea is that it is Carlo’s energy, values and behavior set against a despotic society, in which faceless {…}
The Latvian National Opera has announced the first part of its 2021-22 season. The season opens with Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” starring Sonora Vaice and Dana Bramane as Cio-Cio San, Raimonds Bramanis and Andris Ludvigs as Pinkerton, Ilona Bagele and Laura Grecka as Suzuki, and Jānis Apeinis and Armands Siliņš as Sharpless. Mārtiņš Ozoliņš and Normunds Vaicis conduct. Performance Dates: Sept. 17 & 19, {…}
The Latvian National Opera has announced its 2020-21 season. Premiere Liene Kinča, Rodrigo Garulo, and Samsons Izjumovs star in Puccini’s “Tosca” with Mārtiņš Ozoliņš conducting the new production by Dmitry Bertman. Performance Date: Oct. 4-15, 2020 Stephen Lawless directs a new production of Verdi’s “Simon Boccanegra” with Evija Martinsone, Tatiana Trenogina, Raimonds Bramanis, Mihails Čuļpajevs, Krišjānis Norvelis, Romāns Poļisadovs, Jānis Apeinis, and Rinalds {…}
Bass-baritone Egils Siliņš has taken over as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Latvian National Opera and Ballet. The company announced that the bass-baritone will take over on Nov. 5, 2019. Siliņš is one of the world’s most in demand bass baritones who has performed for over 30 years in numerous Wagnerian roles. A graduate from the Latvian Academy {…}
The Latvian opera director Andrejs Žagars has died after a long illness. Born on Oct. 16, 1958, Žagars began working in theater and then eventually transitioned to film He went on to act in numerous feature films before opening up several cafes in Riga. In 1996, the Latvian entrepreneur was then appointed to the post of director of the Latvian {…}