On Sunday, May 27, 2018, Los Angeles Opera presented Giuseppe Verdi’s “Rigoletto” with a new cast of singers that was equal to those who sang the premiere. For this unusual situation, I found it necessary to return to the City of Angels for another look. Having attended a matinee performance, I write about it as our car speeds eastward away {…}
PBS will showcase Puccini’s “La Bohème” from the Metropolitan Opera as part of its Great Performances Series on Sunday, May 20, 2018. The broadcast will kick off at 12 p.m. EDT and will showcase soprano Sonya Yoncheva as the tragic Mimì. This was the second of Yoncheva’s big season, during which she appeared on three Live in HD broadcasts. Her {…}
Tenor Michael Fabiano, born on May 8, 1984, has fashioned a major career for himself in the modern opera world. To this point, he has established a foothold at all the major opera houses around the globe, including the Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera House, Teatro Real, Paris Opera, San Francisco Opera, and Canadian Opera Company, among others. The tenor was {…}
The Teatro Real has announced its 2018-19 season, featuring a number of repertory staples and rarities. The season will also include a number of superstars and modern classics. Here is a look at all the vocal highlights in the season. Productions The season opens with Gounod’s “Faust” with two different casts. Piotr Beczala and Ismael Jordi star in the title {…}
Opera Vision will start streaming Verdi’s “Il Corsaro” from the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía in Valencia starting on April 8, 2018. The early Verdi opera will showcase Michael Fabiano alongside Kristina Mkhitaryan, Oksana Dyka, Vito Priante, and Evgeny Stavinsky. Fabio Biondi is conducting the opera and the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana. The stream kicks off at 8 {…}
This review is for the performance on April 1, 2018. Many of Verdi’s early operas are strange concoctions. As you sit there listening to these works, you find yourself often carried away by the hints of the genius to come. The knowledge of what he will become creates the anticipation that he will show up in his full greatness in {…}
This weekend will be filled with a number of stars singing some of their most acclaimed roles. But what will make this weekend even more special is that it will feature a world premiere, a rarely performed Verdi gem, and a rarely performed baroque piece. Here is a look. Rusalka – Prague National Opera, Czech Republic Kerri-Lynn Wilson makes a {…}
The Royal Opera has announced its 2018-19 season, which is set to include five new productions, classic revivals, and operas that span the entire breadth of the repertory. New Productions The Royal Opera will begin its season with a cycle of works for families over the next few Seasons, beginning with a new production of Humperdinck’s “Hansel and Gretel” by director/designer {…}
The Royal Opera House has announced its 2018-19 season, which will continue its Live in Cinemas series. This season, there will be 11 productions, including six ballets and five operas. We will cover the operatic performances only. The first of these is Wagner’s “Die Walküre,” which will hit the big screen on Oct. 28, 2018. Let by conductor Antonio Pappano, {…}
Going into its 114th year, the Ravinia Festival brings together artists from all over the world to perform in the longest-running music festival in America. Here are some of the highlights of Ravinia Festival’s 2018 season: Soprano Jeanine De Bique: BGH Classics Series The program will include selections from Mozart, Strauss, and Wolf. De Bique will also perform a number {…}
The Staatsoper Unter den Linden Berlin has announced its 2018-19 Season, featuring numerous new productions and revivals featuring some of today’s most popular artists and conductors. Here is a look at what to expect next season. New Productions (in alphabetical order by title) Sonya Yoncheva headlines a new production of Cherubini’s “Medea” with Andrea Breth directing. Daniel Barenboim conducts the star-studded cast, {…}