Opera Australia will return to Melbourne’s Regent Theatre with a production of “La Traviata.” The opera will be presented from May 8-16 in Sarah Giles’ production, a co-production by Opera Queensland, State Opera South Australia and West Australian Opera. The production star Stacey Alleaume and Maria Laura Iacobellis as Violetta alongside Filipe Manu and Oreste Cosimo as Alfredo and baritones {…}
(Photo: Roberto Ricci) I first heard Vasilisa Berzhanskaya as Rosina in a 2022 Florence production of “Il barbiere di Siviglia.” For the first time, I wasn’t sure if it was the standard version with a mezzo Rosina, or the less frequently performed soprano version. While the timbre was distinctly mezzo, the dazzling coloratura was more soprano than mezzo. Fast forward {…}
(Photo: Andrea Butti / OperaLombardia) Although “I Puritani” is an Italian opera through and through, it was conceived in Paris, at the height of the grand opéra tradition. Bellini studied Meyerbeer and Halévy in great detail, noting in his personal papers certain orchestral “effects” he wished to emulate and others he intended to avoid. As a result, the score, especially {…}
(Credit: Maggio Musicale Fiorentino) The Maggio Musicale Fiorentino has announced its 2025 season. Stefano Ranzani conducts a production of Verdi’s “Rigoletto” by Davide Livermore. Celso Albelo, Daniel Luis de Vicente, Leon Kim, Olga Peretyatko, Alessio Cacciamani, and Eleonora Filipponi star. Performance Dates: Feb. 16-23, 2025 Michele Spotti conducts Bellini’s “Norma” in a production by Moshe Leisier and Patrice Caurier. Jessica Pratt, {…}
The Opéra Royal de Wallonie in Liège has announced its 2024-25 season. Opera The season opens with Verdi’s “La Traviata” with Giampaolo Bisanti conducting a production by Thaddeus Strassberger. Irina Lungu, Dmitry Korchak, and Simone Piazzola star. Performance Dates: Sept. 13-24, 2024 Leoš Janáček’s “Kát’a Kabanová” will star Anush Hovhannisyan, Anton Rositskiy, Nino Surguladze, Sergei Skorokhodov, Jana Kurucová, Dmitry Cheblykov, {…}
The Opéra Orchestre national Montpellier Occitanie has announced its 2022-23 season. Opera Ainārs Rubiķis conducts Verdi’s “Aida” in a production by Annabel Arden. The opera stars Sunyoung Seo, Ketevan Kemoklidze, Amadi Lagha, Leon Kim, and Jacques Greg-Belobo. Performance Dates: Sept. 30-Oct. 4, 2022 Noëlle Gény leads “Bach et le sacré.” Performance Date: Oct. 16, 2022 Noëlle Gény conducts “Musiques sacrées” Performance Date: Dec. 11, 2022 {…}
