Sasha Cooke has joined the Metropolitan Opera’s revival of “Rodelinda.” Cooke will replace Jamie Barton in the role of Eduige. Barton recently withdrew from the production as she will sing the company’s new staging of “Don Carlos,” replacing Elina Garanca. Cooke made her Met debut in 2007 in a production of “Iphigénie en Tauride” and is set to take on {…}
(Credit: Ken Howard: Metropolitan Opera) The Metropolitan Opera has announced that performances will be held as scheduled on Jan. 29, 2022. The company noted that both its performances of Verdi’s “Rigoletto” and Puccini’s “Tosca” will go ahead as planned despite the winter storm in the New York City area. New York City is currently being battered by a winter storm {…}
On Jan. 23, 2022, soprano Sonya Yoncheva returned to the stage of the Metropolitan Opera for a special recital of French and Italian art songs, joined by pianist Malcolm Martineau. French Finesse Opening the program were four selections from Henri Duparc. The first, “L’invitation au voyage,” quickly set a tender yet urgent atmosphere through the running accompaniment, over which Yoncheva {…}
The Met Opera’s Live in HD series for the 2021-22 season continues on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022 with a transmission of “Rigoletto.” The broadcast, which kicks off at 12:55 p.m. Eastern time, is conducted by Daniele Rustioni and stars Rosa Feola, Quinn Kelsey, Piotr Beczala, Andrea Mastroni, and Varduhi Abrahamyan. Of the new production, OperaWire’s review noted that Feola and Beczala were {…}
Superstar soprano Sonya Yoncheva is set to make her Metropolitan Opera solo recital debut on Jan. 23, 2022. The showcase, which kicks off at 7:30 p.m. will feature the Bulgarian soprano alongside pianist Malcolm Martineau as they take on a wide array of French and Italian repertory. The first half of the program will feature French selections such as Duparc’s {…}
The Metropolitan Opera has announced a cast change for its March production of Strauss’ “Ariadne auf Naxos.” The company noted that Wolfgang Brendel, who retired from staged opera eight years ago, will jump in for Thomas Allen as the Major-Domo in the production. Brendel made his debut at the Met in 1975 as Count Almaviva in “Le Nozze di Figaro” and {…}
The Metropolitan Opera has announced a cast change for its spring run of “Rigoletto.” The company noted that Erin Morley will sing the role of Gilda on May 28 through June 11 replacing the originally announced Kristina Mkhitaryan, who has withdrawn from the production. The opera will mark Morley’s return to the Met following her acclaimed turn as “Eurydice” in {…}
(Credit: Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera) Despite the monumental challenges of navigating the quagmire of pandemic era restrictions and precautions, the Metropolitan Opera offered a triumphal revival of McVicar’s opulent production of Puccini’s beloved masterpiece Tosca. Remarkably, there were no replacements for this performance, a real treat during this time where illness and travel restrictions plague the classical stage. This was a {…}
(Credit: Ken Howard) On January 8, 2022, the Metropolitan Opera presented the season premiere for Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro.” The matinee performance saw the audience gather for an afternoon of musical comedy. While not a full house, there was a respectable turnout amid concerns over the Omicron variant which has seen closures and cancellations worldwide. As people found their {…}
PBS has announced the schedule for Season 16 of Great Performances at the Met. The season will begin on Feb. 6 with Stephen Wadsworth’s production of Mussorgsky’s “Boris Godunov” and will be followed by Matthew Aucoin’s new adaptation of “Eurydice” (March 6). “Fire Shut Up in My Bones” will be presented on April 1, followed by Laurent Pelly’s staging of {…}
(Credit: Chris Lee) The Metropolitan Opera is set to revive Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro.” The production by Richard Eyre will be shown six times starting Jan. 8 through 28, 2022. Maestro Daniele Rustioni will lead the production with a cast that includes Golda Schultz in her Met role debut as Countess Almaviva and Adam Plachetka as Count Almaviva. When {…}