Decca Classics has announced a new album by Norwegian artists Lise Davidsen and pianist Leif Ove Andsnes. The new album will feature music by Edvard Grieg including his song cycle, which is at the center of the album. In a statement, Davidsen said, “Everyone in Norway knows this music. I am very aware of the conventions of how it “should” {…}
(Credit: Peter Knutson) The Palau de la Música Catalana has announced that soprano Malin Byström will replace Lise Davidsen for a concert on Dec. 3, 2021. Per the statement, Davidsen had to cancel her participation in the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra tour with conductor Edward Gardner for reasons beyond the control of the Palau de la Música Catalana. The program for {…}
(Credit: Richard Termine) The Metropolitan Opera opened its revival of Wagner’s masterpiece “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg” on Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021 to a half-full hall. I don’t usually bring up audience attendance because it is beside the point in terms of artistic merit and the integrity of performances. But given that we live in a “post-pandemic” world, there is no {…}
(Credit: James Hole) The Festival Castell de Peralada has announced the postponement of Lise Davidsen’s recital. The festival announced that Davidsen will not be able to perform on July 31 due to Span’s new COVID-19 protocols which force the soprano to quarantine for five days. Davidsen is currently performing at the Bayreuth Festival in Germany and therefore will not be {…}
The Bayreuth Festival has announced the cast and director of the new production of “Ring des Nibelungen” slated for 2022. Pietari Inkinen is set to conduct the new production by Valentin Schwarz with stage design by Andrea Cozzi and costumes by Andy Besuch. “Das Rheingold” will star Daniel Kirch, Christa Mayer, and Olafur Sigurdarson while “Die Walkure” Klaus Florian Vogt, Georg {…}
This week audiences will get a chance to experience new releases from two of the biggest stars in opera, Jonas Kaufmann and Lise Davidsen. There will also be releases from up-and-coming star Stephen Lancaster and the choral group The Crossing. Here is a look at what you can look forward to. Fidelio The Dresdner Philharmonie and its Principal conductor Marek {…}
The Bayerische Staatsoper has announced that baritone Christian Gerhaher will not be singing the role of Wolfram von Eschenbach for the performance of Wagner’s “Tannhäuser” on July 11, 2021. As a result, Sir Simon Keenlyside will take over the role. The company also announced that Elena Pankratova will replace Daniela Sindram in the role of Venus. Keenlyside recently performed at {…}
The Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino has announced its 2021-22 season which will include nine operas. First up will be Sven-Eric Bechtolf’s production of “Così fan tutte,” which will be conducted by Zubin Mehta. The opera will star Valentina Nafornita, Vasilisa Berzhanskaya, Matthew Swensen, Mattia Olivieri, Benedetta Torre, and Thomas Hampson. Performance Dates: August 30– Sept. 4, 2021 Next up {…}
The Boston Symphony Orchestra has announced its 2021-22 season. For the purposes of this article, we will only focus on operatic or vocal performances. The Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Chamber Players will perform alongside soprano Sophia Burgos, baritone John Brancy, and pianist Alessio Bax in a concert featuring music by Dvorák, Bartók, and Gandolfi. Performance Date: Jan. 23, 2022 Conductor Jakub Hrusa {…}
(Credits: Dario Acosta / Andrew Eccles/Decca / Javier del Real / Dario Acosta / Ray Burmiston) The Berlin Philharmonic has announced its 2021-22 season, spotlighting some of the world’s greatest performers. For the purpose of this article, we will focus on vocal works. Here is the full slate: The Bundesjugendchor presents works by Brahms, Schumann, di Laso, Harvey, Rihm, and {…}
(Credits: Julian Hargreaves / Gregor Hohenberg / Sony Classical / Jürgen Frank / Alexey Kostromin / Sony / Gregor Hohenberg) The famed Austrian venue Musikverein Wien has announced its 2021-22 season, featuring concerts and recitals with some of the greatest performers in the world. Here is the full slate. Baritone Christian Gerhaher performs works by Schönberg and Berlioz alongside seven {…}