(Photo: Studio B12) The advertising poster for the Cremona Monteverdi Festival’s production of “L’Orfeo” included the picture “Happy Hours” by Jean Lecointre. It depicts a woman with continuous streams of tears pouring from her eyes into a glass of wine, or does it? Could it be the reverse situation? Maybe the streams are moving in the opposite direction from the {…}
(Photo: Stefan Brion) The Renaissance in Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries largely excluded music. As a movement inspired by classical examples, it had no ancient musical forms to revive since no classical music had survived in any form. Claudio Monteverdi is often regarded as the father of the musical Renaissance. Over fifty years, he structured the madrigal form, {…}
Killer Queen Opera Co. will present “La Favola d’Orfeo” on June 29 and 30, 2024. The production adapts the famed Monteverdi opera to a not-so-distant dystopia with Ancient Greece seen through the surreal world of Orfeo’s dreams. “Our production of Monteverdi’s ‘La Favola d’Orfeo’ is an immersive performance exploring the toll of grief and the process of understanding and accepting loss through {…}
(Photo: Monika Rittershouse) Opernhaus Zürich presents a new production of Claudio Monteverdi’s “L’Orfeo.” Premiered in 1607, “L’Orfeo” is not the first opera ever composed, but it is hailed as the first great opera. It stands out as the first to use music as a dramatic tool, employing diverse musical colors to express various emotional states. Its monumental success paved the {…}
The Salzburg Whitsun Festival has announced its 2023 festival and it will feature a very heavy emphasis on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. “As a musician and singer, I firmly believe in the power of music and the human voice. Therefore, the Orpheus myth is naturally one of the ancient stories that fascinates me most. It heartens me when {…}
The Festival D’Aix-En-Provence has announced its 2022 slate featuring a varied repertoire and international stars. The festival will begin on July 4 and is set to run through July 23, 2022. Here is a look at the upcoming season: Mahler’s “Resurrection” will be conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen in a production by Romeo Castellucci. Golda Schultz and Marianne Crebassa star. Performance {…}
(Photo: Zani-Casadio) In the space of three days, Ravenna’s Teatro Tradizione Dante Alighieri performed two operas, both of which involved trips into the afterlife. The first, “Il Viaggio di G.Mastorna” was a contemporary opera by Matteo D’Amico in which the hero Mastorna is killed in an airplane crash and condemned to journey through a modern-day purgatory in search of peace. {…}
The Juilliard Opera is set to present a production of Luigi Rossi’s “L’Orfeo” starting on Nov. 10, 2021. The production, which will be directed by Mary Birnbaum, will represent the New York staged premiere of the baroque opera. Richard Pittsinger will appear in the title role while as Euridice, audiences will hear Julie Roset with Nicoletta Berry as Giunone. Other {…}
(Credits: LA Opera official website / Jan Windszus Photography / Lena Kern / Mark Janssen / Georg Schlosser / In Art Management official website) The Komische Oper Berlin has announced its 2021-22 season. Here is a look at the operatic and vocal performances. Opera – Premieres Enescu’s rarely performed masterwork “Œdipe” opens the season. The opera features Jens Larsen, Joachim {…}
(Credits: © Dario Acosta / © Gregor Hohenberg / Sony Classical / © Gregor Hohenberg / Sony Music Entertainment / © Tatiana Vlasova / © Dario Acosta) The Wiener Konzerthaus has announced its 2021-22 season featuring a variety of concerts from some of the world’s greatest performers. For the purpose of this article, we will only focus on the vocal {…}
(Credits: © McQueen / Deutsche Oper am Rhein official website / © Jean-Baptiste Millot / Jiyang Chen) Opéra National du Rhin in Strasbourg, France has announced its 2021-22 season. Here is the full slate. Operas Hans Abrahamsen’s “The Snow Queen” will spotlight Lauren Snouffer, Rachael Wilson, Helena Rasker, David Leigh, Michael Smallwood, Owen Willetts, Floriane Derthe, and Moritz Kallenberg. Robert {…}