“Madama Butterfly” is one of the most popular operas in the entire repertoire, which makes it no surprise that the Metropolitan Opera will bring back the work for its 2017-18 season. This year’s run kicks off on Nov. 2, 2017 and will be showcased six times in the fall before returning on Feb. 22 for another six performances. In the {…}
Over the past few years, Frédéric Antoun has made a mark on many of the leading theaters in the world, singing a variety of repertoire with vocal purity and nuance. This week, Metropolitan Opera audiences will finally get a chance to hear this French-Canadian singer as he makes his debut in the role of Raul in Thomas Adès’ “The Exterminating {…}
On Oct. 26, 2017, the Metropolitan Opera will present the American Premiere of Thomas Adès’ “The Exterminating Angel.” The opera is an adaptation of Luis Buñuel’s famed film that showcases a group of people unable to get out of a room. As the days pass, the tension builds but the people find no answers to their odd situation. The opera {…}
This is a review for the Oct. 20 performance. I would like to begin this review at the end, since the final impressions, sensations and overall reaction of the audience is the barometer which measures the overall impact of the performance. In the case of this “Norma,” the final curtain was greeted with a massive explosion of applause in the {…}
Another operatic weekend. Another set of opening performances around North America. The big one on the radar is “Samson et Dalila” at the Dallas Opera, which is set to star Olga Borodina. The opera opens on Friday with another performance set for Sunday. Houston Grand Opera opens its production of “La Traviata” on Saturday. Additionally, the Florentine Opera opens its {…}
Occasionally music history has strange coincidences where a famous composer is unable to finish his final work. This is particularly strange when the final work has something to do with death. Consider Mozart who died writing a requiem. Likewise, Giacomo Puccini succumbed to lung cancer before completing “Turandot.” The last piece he wrote was the funeral march for the slave {…}
Over the last two years the Metropolitan Opera Guild has attempted something that few, if any, other companies have given a look at – podcasts. The increasingly popular form of media has seen tremendous growth over the last few years, becoming the go-to source for information and entertainment for busy morning commuters. Unlike videos or other forms of media, podcasts {…}
The Metropolitan Opera Guild will hold a luncheon to honor superstar soprano Renée Fleming on Dec. 7, 2017. The event will feature a massive list of superstars in attendance, including Martina Arroyo, Jamie Barton, Harry Bicket, Harolyn Blackwell, Stephanie Blythe, Wolfgang Brendel, Joseph Calleja, Kristin Chenoweth, Glenn Close, Philip Cokorinos, James Conlon, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Dwayne Croft, Loretta Di Franco, Rosalind Elias, {…}
It was a tumultuous week on social media with Fake News influencing the interaction between opera stars and their fans. The Metropolitan Opera made sure to celebrate the birthday of iconic composer Giuseppe Verdi. 🎈🎉🎂Happy birthday, Giuseppe Verdi! The Italian composer, born on this day in 1813, is one of the most prolific and influential composers in the operatic canon. What’s {…}
Leona Mitchell had a tremendous opera career. For years, the soprano, born on Oct. 13, 1949, was a leading singer at the Metropolitan Opera, dominating in such operas as “La Bohème,” “Carmen,” “Don Carlo,” “Die Zauberflöte,” and “La Forza del Destino,” among others. Her first-ever “Madama Butterfly” at the Met was proclaimed “a wedding of her beautiful, lyric voice to {…}
As we get deeper and deeper into the fall season, opera lovers are finding themselves with more and more options around the United States. Here is a look at the offerings for this second weekend of the month. First off, let’s kick off with the major openings. On Saturday, Los Angeles Opera opens its production of “Nabucco (the company also {…}