On May 28, the Metropolitan Opera will revive a production of Verdi’s “Rigoletto” will a new cast that will include Mariinsky Theatre singer Yulia Matochkina. The performances at the Metropolitan Opera will mark the mezzo’s debut and will also come after the mezzo performed at the Mariinsky Theatre, a state-funded theater in Russia that President Vladimir Putin has supported throughout {…}
The Metropolitan Opera has announced cast changes for its production of “Hamlet.” The company noted that due to COVID-19, Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen and Christopher Lowrey have canceled their performances on May 18 and 21. As a result, Daniel Moody will sing the role of Rosencrantz and Eric Jurenas will sing the role of Guildenstern. Moody has performed at the Cincinnati Opera, {…}
(Credit: Karen Almond / Met Opera) Back in 2017, The Guardian meditated on why, despite being one of the world’s greatest plays, “Hamlet” had no great corresponding operatic adaptation. The article notes that despite there being about 40 actual operatic adaptations, none have stood the test of time or held the stage. Perhaps the lone work with staying power is {…}
PBS’s Great Performances at the Met will continue on June 17 with a presentation of Verdi’s “Rigoletto.” The opera, which was directed by Bartlett Sher, stars Quinn Kelsey, Piotr Beczala and Rosa Feola. Conductor Daniele Rustioni leads the cast and mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard hosts the program. Of an early performance in the run, OperaWire’s review noted that Feola “brought beautiful {…}
(Credit: Karen Almond / Met Opera) The Metropolitan Opera will premiere Brett Dean and Matthew Jocelyn’s “Hamlet” on May 13, 2022. The opera, which will be directed by Neil Armfield, will star tenor Allan Clayton, soprano Brenda Rae, mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly, baritone Rod Gilfry, bass-baritone John Relyea, countertenor Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen, countertenor Christopher Loerey, and baritones Jacques Imbrailo, David Butt Philip {…}
Metropolitan Opera star Evgeny Nikitin is set to star in the Mariinsky Theatre’s “Prince Igor” on Victory Day. The bass, who has been performing in Russia throughout the past month, will take on the lead role on the Russian holiday, which commemorates the defeat of the Nazis in 1945. However, unlike in past years, this year Russia invaded Ukraine and {…}
(Credit: Metropolitan Opera / Marty Sohl) I could commence this review by going into the political implications and problematic circumstances surrounding this production, but another writer has already done an excellent job spotlighting all that. Instead, I am going to jump into the performance itself, the second in this run of the famed Puccini work and Franco Zeffirelli’s iconic and, {…}
(Credit; Ken Howard / Metropolitan Opera) Following Saturday night’s opening performance of “Turandot” at the Metropolitan Opera, soprano Liudmyla Monastryska came out to take her final curtain call wrapped in the Ukrainian flag. Monastyrska, a Ukrainian soprano, was returning to the Metropolitan Opera for the first time since 2017 when she appeared in a production of “Nabucco.” The soprano made {…}
(Photo By: Jonathan Tichler/Metropolitan Opera) The Metropolitan Opera has announced its 2022 Summer Recital Series. This is the 13th year that the Met Opera presents the Summer Recital Series. The series will open at the Central Park Summerstage in a concert starring Brittany Renee, Ben Bliss, and Justin Austin. Bryan Wagorn performs at the painio. The program then heads to {…}
The Metropolitan Opera is teaming up with the Polish National Opera to bring together major Ukrainian musicians to form the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra. The ensemble will be comprised of refugees, Ukrainian members of European orchestras, and musicians in Kyiv, Lviv, Kharviv, Odesa, and from around Ukraine. The ensemble will take on a European and American tour between July 28 – {…}
(Credit: Jonathan Tichler / Met Opera) The Metropolitan Opera has announced a cast change for its final performance of “Elektra.” The company noted that Rebecca Nash will sing the title role in tonight’s performance, replacing Nina Stemme, and Wendy Bryn Harmer will sing Chrysothemis, replacing Lise Davidsen. Nash made her Met debut and role debut last week during the performance {…}