(Credit: Royal Opera House) How one experiences Barrie Kosky’s “Carmen,” which is currently being presented at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, really depends on your relationship to the work itself. Those who have never seen the opera might actually find themselves riveted by Kosky’s conception and execution. Those who hate it might find this a breath of fresh air. {…}
(Credit: Bill Cooper / Royal Opera House) The Royal Opera House will live stream the July 2, 2019 performance of Bizet’s “Carmen” via the company’s Facebook and YouTube pages. The showcase is part of BP Big Screens, which allows audiences in the UK the opportunity to experience culture for free. The performance on July 2 will feature Aigul Akhmetshina in {…}
May 1, 1786. That is the day that, for many, the greatest opera of all-time had its very first performance. “Le Nozze di Figaro” has held the stage ever since, performed by all the great interpreters all over the world. The work has also developed a healthy discography over the ages both on audio and visual media, making it impossible {…}
The 14th annual OPERA NEWS Awards were held on April 7, 2019, with a star-studded gala that honored five major figures of the opera world. The evening began with a cocktail hour before guests and honorees were brought to the main hall of the Plaza Hall to get the ceremony underway. OPERA NEWS editor F. Paul Driscoll kicked off the proceedings by {…}
The Zurich Opera has announced its 2019-20 season which will feature a whopping 11 opera premieres and 17 opera revivals. Premieres “The Makropulos Case” will be the first offering of the season with Evelyn Herlitzius starring as Emilia Marty. Other cast members will include Sam Furness, Kevin Conners, Deniz Uzun, Scott Hendricks, and Spencer Lang, among others. Dmitri Tcherniakov will direct while {…}
This week we highlight two opera recordings that will be released around the world. The first comes from a beloved gem and the other is an important sacred work. Here is a look at this week’s new releases. Janacek – Das Schlaue Fuchslein From Oper Frankfurt, Oehms classics releases the fairy opera that incorporates Moravian folk tunes as it recounts the life {…}
The Opéra de Montréal has announced its 2019-20 season featuring five staged operas and an opera in concert version. The season will open with Tchaïkovsky’s “Eugene Onegin” with real-life couple Etienne Dupuis and Nicole Car as Onegin and Tatiana. They will be accompanied by tenor Owen McCausland, mezzo Carolyn Sproule, bass Denis Sedov, mezzo Christiane Bélanger, with a guest appearance {…}
The Metropolitan Opera has announced its 2019-20 season with five new productions, a New Year’s Eve gala, and a recital. Here is a look at what to expect. New Productions The season opens with Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess” in a new production by James Robinson. The production stars Eric Owens and Kevin Short sharing the title role of Porgy and {…}
On February 10, 2019, celebrated tenor Andrea Bocelli returned to the Metropolitan Opera for the first performance of his concert, titled “Three Centuries of Love.” This encompassing program featured selections from composers such as Massenet, Verdi, Rossini, Donizetti, Delibes, Gounod, and Puccini; joining Bocelli were sopranos Nadine Sierra and Aida Garifullina, along with mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard. This sold-out concert had {…}
On Monday, Feb. 11, 2019, TimeIn Children’s Arts Initiative hosted “Vissi d’Amore” at Gavin Brown’s enterprise in New York City, which featured performances by bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni, soprano Jennifer Rowley, and tenor Brian Jagde, who is advisory board member of TimeIn. The event was a rather relaxed and casual affair. The entrance of Gavin Brown’s enterprise featured a prominent art {…}
Watching how baritone Thomas Hampson and bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni worked together in their recent “No Tenors Allowed!” recital at Jordan Hall as part of the Celebrity Series of Boston, one thing became quite obvious – a great recital might be a singing-actor’s best possible forum for expression. For some context, I saw Pisaroni in the Met’s recent production of “Don {…}
