It’s a big weekend in North America with four major companies opening their doors for the first time in 2019-20. As such, we have a plethora of major works to recommend, including two new operas that are sure to fulfill the interest of those who want something a bit different from the familiar path. Here are our top five*** opera {…}
(Credit: Marty Sohl / Metropolitan Opera) In the current social climate of today, Laurent Pelly’s vision for “Manon,” which premiered at the Met Opera back in 2012, remains as relevant as ever. And with top notch performers in the leading roles, the performance on Sept. 24, 2019, allowed this vision to rise to the top. The Male Gaze Back in {…}
The Metropolitan Opera is set to open “Manon” on Sept. 24, 2019. The work has been featured over 270 times in its history and remains a major staple of the standard repertory The main draw in the opera is the title role, one of the most challenging in all of opera, requiring not only a vocal master, but a strong {…}
(Photo by Merri Cyr) The Richard Tucker Foundation has announced that tenor Stephen Costello will join this year’s gala on Oct. 27, 2019 at Carnegie Hall. Costello was the 2009 Richard Tucker Award recipient and also received a Career Grant in 2007 and the Sarah Tucker Study Grant in 2006. He will join a cast that includes 2019 honoree Lisette {…}
The weekend is here and there are five star-studded operas that we think you cannot miss. Here is a look at our recommendations. Adriana Lecouvreur – Salzburg Festival, Austria Anna Netrebko brings her signature role in Cilea’s masterpiece to Salzburg for the first time with Anita Rachvelishvili. When the two divas performed the opera at the Metropolitan Opera, OperaWire noted {…}
(Credit: Teatro alla Scala/Bayerische Staatsoper) For this weekend’s top choices we take you to Brazil, Finland, Germany, and Italy where you can potentially experience works by Gounod, Verdi, Smetana, and Puccini. If you get a chance to see these performance, don’t think twice about it. Faust – Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Atalla Ayan takes on the title {…}
The Richard Tucker Foundation has announced the lineup for the 2019 gala celebrating winner Lisette Oropesa. This year the lineup will include past Tucker winners Jamie Barton, Michael Fabiano, Ailyn Pérez, and Christian Van Horn. The gala will also include Bryan Hymel, Angel Blue, Lucas Meachem, Artur Rucinski, and a rare U.S. appearance for Ermonela Jaho. James Gaffigan will conduct {…}
(Credit: © Marco Brescia & Rudy Amisano | Teatro alla Scala) Seeing an early or unfamiliar work by a major composer can be illuminating—hearing the development of a great talent in a lesser known opera can be as thrilling as a fine performance of a well loved standard. Or it can simply lay bare the piece’s weaknesses for all to {…}
Credit: Opera de Pairs/Teatro alla Scala/Wiener Staatsoper/Opera Royal de Wallonie It’s a weekend filled with broadcasts, premieres and new productions that are not be missed. Tosca – Wiener Staatsoper, Austria Piotr Beczala receives his Kammersänger honor after the performance of Puccini’s masterpiece. He is joined by Nina Stemme and Carlos Álvarez. The starry cast is joined by Marc Armiliato in the {…}
It is definitely Lisette Oropesa’s year. Just weeks after being announced as the winner for the 2019 Richard Tucker Award, Oropesa has officially been revealed as the recipient of the 2019 Beverly Sills Artist Award The prize, which was established in 2016, comes with a $50,000 cash award which is given to extraordinary singers with rising Met careers. Oropesa is {…}
This weekend has a ton of incredible productions to behold. The New York Opera Festival is in full swing as some of the major companies from around the country start to close their doors for the summer. The Rape of Lucretia – New Camerata Opera The Britten piece gets a unique new production directed by Bea Goodwin that will also {…}