(Prima Classics) Few operas have so inextricably been linked with the name of Maria Callas as “Norma.” The first perhaps in a line of 20th century Neoclassicists, she dusted off every inch of (pseudo-)Romantic mannerism and histrionics, restituting to the playbills an uncompromisingly sympathetic interpretation of tragic grandeur, as if sprung from the pen of Jean Racine himself. Callas’s following {…}
The Teatro San Carlo has announced a cast change for its opening night of Verdi’s “La Traviata.” The company said, “We inform our audience that, due to a sudden illness of Lisette Oropesa, the role of Violetta Valéry, for the première of ‘La Traviata,’ on stage on July 14, 2024, will be performed by Marina Rebeka.” Oropesa took to social {…}
The Teatro alla Scala has announced its 2024-25 Season. Opera The season opens with Verdi’s “La Forza del Destino” starring Anna Netrebko, Jonas Kaufmann, Ludovic Tézier, Vasilisa Berzhanskaya, Alexander Vinogradov, and Marco Filippo Romano. Riccardo Chailly conducts the new production by Leo Muscato. The opera will also star Elena Stikhina, Amartuvshin Enkhbat, Luciano Ganci, and Simon Li in the second {…}
The Teatro alla Scala is set to present Verdi’s Requiem on May 23, 2024 with an all-star cast. The concert will be performed at the Basilica di San Marco, Milan on the historical occasion of the 150th anniversary of the first performance. The famed work will star Marina Rebeka in her return to the stage alongside Freddie De Tommaso, Aigul Akhmetshina, {…}
The Teatro Municipale di Piacenza has announced a cast change for its production of “I Due Foscari.” The company said that Marigona Qerkezi will sing the role of Lucrezia Contarini replacing Marina Rebeka, who was originally announced. For her part, Qerkezi said, “Delighted to announce that I will be giving life to my beloved ‘Lucrezia Contarini’ in Verdi’s “I due {…}
Ibermusica has announced its 2024-25 season. Here is a look at the vocal performances. Josep Vicent conducts Orff’s “Carmina Burana” and Ravel’s “Daphnis et Chloe” suite. The concert showcases the ADDA Simfònica Alicante and Orfeón Donostiarra. Performance Date: Dec. 2, 2024 The Bach Collegium Japan and Masaaki Suzuki perform an all-Mozart program that includes the requiem. Performance Date: Jan. 22, {…}
The Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona has announced its 2024-25 season. Opera Josep Pons conducts Shostakovich’s “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk” with Alexei Botnarciuc, Daniel Kirch, Sara Jakubiak, Ángeles Blancas, and Pavel Černoch. Àlex Ollé conducts. Performance Date: Sept. 25-Oct. 7, 2024 Maria Agresta and Saioa Hernández star in Verdi’s “La Forza del Destino” with Artur Ruciński, Amartuvshin Enkhbat, Brian {…}
The London Symphony Orchestra has announced its 2024-25 season. Here are the vocal performances. Michael Tilson Thomas conducts Mahler’s Symphony No. 2. Performance Dates: Oct. 20 & 23, 2024 André J Thomas conducts the Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir and LSO Community Voices in music by Brandon Boyd, Nolan Williams, Margaret Bonds, Brandon Waddles, André J Thomas, Moses Hogan, Rosephanye Powell, Joe Pace, Carol Cymbala, Kurt Carr, Raymond Wise, and Frances Fonza Smith. Performance {…}
The Teatro alla Scala has previewed its 2024-25 season. According to il giorno, the opening night production on Dec. 7, will be Verdi’s “La Forza del Destino” with Anna Netrebko and Jonas Kaufmann. The cast will also include Ludovic Tezier and Leo Muscato will direct the production. Riccardo Chailly will conduct. The company will also showcase “Norma” for the first {…}
Barcelona’s BCN Classics announces its 2024-25 season. Here is a look at the vocal performances. Josep Vicent conducts Orff’s Carmina Burana with the Orfeón Donostiarra, Sabrina Gárdez, Rafael Quirant, and Milan Perišić. Performance Date: Dec. 4, 2024 Masaaki Suzuki conducts the Mozart Requiem with the Bach Collegium Japan and soloists Carolyn Sampson, Marianne Beate Kielland, Shimon Yoshida, and Dominik Wörner. {…}
“Essence” is Marina Rebeka’s fifth solo recital on her very own label, “Prima Classic.” Although it was recorded all the way back in 2021, the album was released only last November; its program therefore does not reflect the soprano’s current engagements nor does it acknowledge her accomplishments in the French repertory. Instead, it presents like a best-of compilation, with arias {…}
