The Metropolitan Opera has announced its 2017-18 season and with it there are two Met premieres and two notable revivals. “Luisa Miller” will have its first run in over a decade. Rossini’s “Semiramide” will also be performed for the first time since 1993 while Msssenet’s “Cendrillon” bows at the house for the first time ever. With some of these operas {…}
It’s Valentine’s Day, a momentous occasion to celebrate love and romance. Romance is at the heart of opera with the art forms pull coming from our connection with beautiful love affairs. Most everyone melts at Rodolfo and Mimì’s blooming love in “La Bohème” or Alfredo and Violetta’s in “La Traviata.” We admire the sacrifice of Roméo and Juliette or even {…}
On Jan. 29 ORF and Arte presented Wagner’s “Lohengrin” starring Anna Netrebko and Piotr Beczala. The opera was one of the highlights from last season as it featured the role debuts of both stars. It also showcased an all star supporting cast that included Evelyn Herlitzius and was conducted by Christian Thielemann. However, the opera was only broadcast in France {…}
Ben Heppner was one of the most beloved dramatic tenors of his time and one that was admired for his technique. While he retired from the opera world and dedicated himself to radio, the tenor left so many memorable moments on stage. This season he celebrated his 25th anniversary at the Metropolitan Opera with a special gala alongside Deborah Voigt {…}
The wait is over – Jonas Kaufmann will finally make his long-awaited return on Wednesday, Jan 18 in Wagner’s “Lohengrin” in Paris. The tenor has been sidelined since October after announcing that side effects from medication had caused a haematoma. After that he committed to remaining on vocal rest until his haematoma “completely subsided.” This forced him to cancel numerous {…}
On Jan. 29, Wagner’s “Lohengrin” will be broadcast on ORF III. The broadcast company announced that the opera will be shown at 8:15 local time on HD. The broadcast is a recording of “Lohengrin” from Semperoper Dresden last May. The production marked the triple role debuts of Anna Netrebko as Elsa von Brabant, Piotr Beczała as Lohengrin, and Tomasz Konieczny {…}
Jonas Kaufmann has announced his return to the stage after months on vocal rest. In an interview with Corriere della Sera in Italy the German tenor stated, “It was really tough. I love to sing and never before have I been forced to [take] such a long break. It was not easy, but what else could I do? I tried {…}
Opera fans are getting an early Christmas present from tenor Jonas Kaufmann. The German tenor sent out a message with a picture of him smiling. The message stated, “Dear Friends, once again I’d like to express my heartfelt thanks for your support, your empathy and loyalty during those difficult times I had to face during the last months. As you can {…}
Latvian director Alvis Hermanis has backed out of a production of Lohengrin in Bayreuth. According to MV Online, the director’s political views were not necessarily at the core of his decision to renounce the production. Last year he quit a production in Hamburg, citing a disdain for Germany’s open border policies toward refugees. He published a statement in three languages {…}
On Wednesday, Dec. 7, the legendary Teatro all Scala opens its 2016-17 season with Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly.” The opera stars rising star Maria Jose Siri, Bryan Hymel and Carlos Alvarez and is led by music director Riccardo Chailly. The opening continues La Scala’s tradition of inaugurating the season on Dec. 7 and continues Chailly’s Puccini cycle, which he began back {…}
