Festival International Opéra Baroque & Romantique de Beaune Unveils 2023 Season

The Festival International Opéra Baroque & Romantique in Beaune has announced its 2023 season. First up is “Hail, Bright Cecilia,” which features the Gabrieli Consort and Players under Paul McCreesh. Singers include Zoe Brookshaw, Mhairi Lawson, Lauren Lodge-Campbell, Tim Mead, Jeremy Budd, Matthew Long, Bob Davies, and Ashley Riches. Performance Dates: July 7, 2023 Next up is the oratorio “Theodora” {…}

Wiener Staatsoper Announces Cast Change for Opening Performance of ‘L’Incoronazione di Poppea’ 

(Credit: © Raffay Zsófia) The Wiener Staatsoper has announced a cast change for the opening night performance of Monteverdi’s “L’Incoronazione di Poppea.” The company noted that Szilvia Vörös will sing the role of Ottavia on Oct. 6, 2021, substituting Christina Bock. Vörös is an ensemble member of the Wiener Staatsoper who has performed numerous roles with the company and is set {…}

Opera Critic & Historian Fred Plotkin to Host Virtual Talk: ‘A Gay Romp Through Four Centuries of Opera’

(Photo credit: Frances Marshall) What’s opera about? Passion? Drama? Politics? Sex? All the above, of course, and it’s been that way since 1597, even in the face of censorship. Yet, the prohibitions around taboo topics such as politics and sex caused composers and librettists to get creative when including such material in their operas. Opera critic, author, and historian par {…}