Over the course of two uninterrupted hours, Strauss’ “Salome” must develop from a clueless ingénue to a passionate seductress that eventually ends up a murderous, lustful lunatic. It is the dream role for any actress, but also one that demands a grade-A star to dispatch all of its nuance and intense passions. Patricia Racette was not supposed to be the {…}
Maurisz Kwiecien and Peter Mattei will replace Dmitri Hvorostovsky in the Metropolitan Opera’s revival production of Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin.” On Thursday the Russian baritone announced his withdrawal from all opera performances for the foreseeable future. He stated, “It is with great sadness that I must withdraw from opera performances for the foreseeable future. I have been experiencing balance issues associated {…}
Audiences worldwide will get a chance to witness Kaija Saariaho’s “L’Amour de Loin” on Saturday as part of the Metropolitan Opera’s hugely popular Live in HD series. The performance is the third in this season’s series. The famed company kicked off its series with Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde” and followed it up with Mozart’s “Don Giovanni.” “L’Amour de Loin” is {…}
The weekend is upon us and opera fans around the United States are likely looking at how to approach the forthcoming days ahead. Because of the holiday season, there are not many options out there as most companies have taken the month off to recoup and prep for January, when most make a return with a big showcase. That said, {…}
Dmitri Hvorostovsky has announced that he will withdraw from all upcoming opera productions. The Russian baritone said in a statement via Facebook “It is with great sadness that I must withdraw from opera performances for the foreseeable future. I have been experiencing balance issues associated with my illness, making it extremely difficult for me to perform in staged productions.” However, he {…}
Jamie Barton will host the Metropolitan Opera’s Facebook live series on Dec. 7. The American Mezzo Soprano will answer questions provided by fans through Facebook and Twitter about her upcoming role in Verdi’s “Nabucco.” Barton will sing the role of Fenena alongside Placido Domingo and Liudmyla Monastryka before changing gears for a new production of Dvorak’s “Rusalka.” The Metropolitan Opera {…}
The Metropolitan Opera opened Strauss’ “Salome” on Monday Dec. 5 in Jurgen Flimm’s modern take. The current revival stars Patricia Racette in her first German role at the Met and Zeljko Lucic as John the Baptist. Nancy Fabiola Herrera and Gerhard Siegel also star with Johannes Debus in the pit. So what did audiences think of the revival? Here are {…}
This week Patricia Racette makes her anticipated Metropolitan Opera Role debut as Salome in Richard Strauss’ opera. The title role is known to be one of the most challenging roles in the soprano repertoire and it is no surprise that Racette is taking it on. The American soprano first sang the role last season at the Pittsburgh Opera where she {…}
On Dec. 5 the Metropolitan Opera will continue its Facebook Live series with Piotr Beczala at 2:30pm. The Polish tenor will answer questions about his current role, Rodolfo, in Puccini’s “La Boheme.” Questions will come from audiences and fans through Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. This segment will have a unique twist with Beczala taking audiences on a tour through the {…}