(Credit: Vincent Pontet/Opera de Paris) This review is from the opening night on the 4th of June 2021 For months the Opéra de Paris was doing it all it could to reopen. But the pandemic would not allow it. The result was that many productions were forced on digital platforms, including its recent “Faust” showcase. But alas, after 15 months {…}
The Metropolitan Opera has announced its next three weeks of nightly streams. The first week will center on Father’s Day, and the following week will celebrate Pride Month, highlighting great performances by artists from the LGBTQ+ community. The final week will be focused on American composers. Additionally, the 1997 telecast of Britten’s “Billy Budd,” featuring Philip Langridge, Dwayne Croft, and {…}
The Opéra de Paris has announced that it will present a special “Gala Lyrique” on June 16, 2021 at the Palais Garnier. The showcase will feature Maria Agresta, Michael Fabiano, Ludovic Tézier, Luca Pisaroni, and the Orchestre de l’Opéra National de Paris, all under the musical direction of Mark Wigglesworth in his company debut. The concert will open with the {…}
The Teatro San Carlo has announced its 2021-22 season featuring 14 operas, 35 concert, and 4 ballets. Here is a look at the operas and the vocal performances. The season opens with Verdi’s “Otello“ with Jonas Kaufmann singing the title role. Michele Mariotti conducts the new production by Mario Martone. Kaufmann will alternate the title role with Yusif Eyvazov and {…}
The Teatro Real de Madrid has announced its 2021-22 season which will feature repertoire from 17th century all the way to the 21 century. Here is a look at the new season. The new season opens with Rossini’s “La Cenerentola“ in a production by Stefan Herheim. Riccardo Frizza conducts the opera which is set to star Karine Deshayes and Aigul {…}
The Washington National Opera has announced its 2021–2022 season featuring four world premiere commissions celebrating the Kennedy Center’s 50th Anniversary and several debuts from acclaimed and rising opera stars. The season opens with “Come Home: A Celebration of Return,” a concert performance of opera excerpts highlighting liberty and artistic idealism, themes embraced by John F. Kennedy and featuring a musical tribute {…}
Opus Arte, the label which records the performances of The Royal Opera House, has released the second recording of Sir David McVicar’s production of “Faust” (the first DVD was released in 2010 from the premiere of this production in 2004). The production, from 2018, features a luxury cast of singers in what is probably the best production of “Faust” in {…}
(Photo Credits: In Art Management / © Jiyang Chen / Gillian Riesen / © Raphael Brand / LA Opera official website / © Jean-Baptiste Millot) La Monnaie De Munt has announced its new 2021-22 season, consisting of 12 operas and seven recitals. Here is the full slate. Operas Kris Defoort and Peter van Kraaij’s opera “The time of our singing” {…}
The Glyndebourne Open House series is set to return this May with four streamed operas on its official website and YouTube channel. “Last year’s Open House broadcasts were hugely popular so we’re delighted to be offering more free online operas, and hope that people will once again take the opportunity to create their own Festival experience at home,” said Stephen {…}
The Metropolitan Opera has announced its next two weeks of streams, which include a plethora of famed opera stars, modern operas, and classic productions. The company will also showcase the streaming premiere of the 1984 telecast of Verdi’s “Simon Boccanegra,” starring Sherrill Milnes, Anna Tomowa-Sintow, and Vasile Moldoveanu and the 2000 telecast of Beethoven’s “Fidelio,” with Karita Mattila, Ben Heppner, {…}
Full disclaimer – this week’s recommendations, with the exception of two works that you can watch right now, all take place between Friday and Sunday (with an emphasis on Friday when half of the recommendations are set to take place). So yes, in many ways this is more of a weekend edition of streams. In any case, here are the {…}