Welcome back for this week’s look at the latest CD and DVD releases in the opera world. This week audiences will get to hear a new recording of Wagner’s final work with a famed cast and a full recording of Donzietti’s rarely performed work. L’esule di Roma Opera Rara releases its 27th complete Donizetti revival with the Britten Sinfonia conducted by {…}
Having recently become a Knight and awarded the prestigious, “Ordre des Arts et des Lettres,” baritenor Michael Spyres has quickly arisen as one of modern opera’s central luminaries, sensuously consonant with others like the ineffable Sondra Radvanovsky, the Puccini grande dame Angela Gheorghiu, Roberto Alagna, Susan Graham, Mikhail Kruglov, Allan Clayton, Elīna Garanča, and Javier Camarena to name only a {…}
St. Louis Symphony has announced its 2024-25 season. Here is a rundown of its vocal performances. Stéphane Denève conducts Mozart’s Requiem with Dashon Burton, Kelly O’Connor, Joélle Harvey, and Ben Bliss. The program will also includes Mozart’s Adagio and Fugue in C minor, K. 546 and Detlev Glanert’s Four Preludes and Serious Songs. Performance Date: Nov. 9, 2024 Take 6 {…}
The OPER! Awards announced its 2024 winners on Jan. 29, 2024. The awards were held at the Dutch National Opera, which won the Opera House of the Year accolade. The evening saw Waltraud Meier, who recently retired from the opera stage, receive the Lifetime Honorary Award. The Female Singer of the Year went to Ermonela Jaho, while Michael Spyres won {…}
The winners of the 2023 Opera Awards were announced on Thursday at the Polish National Opera. The Bayerische Staatsoper was awarded the top prize of Opera Company of the Year while the Conductor of the Year went to Antonio Pappano. The winner of Best Female Singer of the Year was Aigul Akhmetshina and Best Male Singer of the Year went {…}
The Gran Teatre del Liceu has announced a cast change for its production of “Carmen.” The company said, “Michael Spyres will take on the role of Don José in the opera ‘Carmen,’ replacing Charles Castronovo, who due to scheduling problems is finally unable to participate in the production.” This season Spyres is set to perform “Der fliegende Holländer” at Staatsoper {…}
The Gramophone Magazine has announced the 2023 award nominations. For the purposes of this article, we will only highlight the opera and vocal nominees. The opera nominees are Meyerbeer’s “Robert Le Diable” with Chœur de l’Opera National de Bordeaux, Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine, and Marc Minkowski (Bru Zane), Puccini’s “Turandot” with the Orchestra e Coro dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia {…}
Photo: © Marco Borrelli Berlioz’s “Les Troyens” is one of those operas that is larger than life. Arguably, two operas in one night. Everything sounds like the realization of romanticism’s epic promise and showcases the musicians’ talents overflowing in the hall. It is hard to not expect a lot from a performance of Berlioz’s opera with a revolutionary and Romantique {…}
(Photo credit: Marco Borrelli & Simon Pauly) The Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg has announced its 2023-24 season starring Joyce DiDonato and Michael Spyres. “Don Giovanni in the Underworld” is presented by the Choir of the Opéra national du Rhin. Performance Dates: September 16-21, 2023 Ernst van Tiel conducts the Strasbourg Philharmonic Choir in “Amadeus Live.” Performance Dates: October 13-14, 2023 {…}
The Bayreuth Festival has announced upcoming productions for 2024 and 2025. The company announced that in 2025 it will present Matthias Davids’ new production of “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg” under Daniele Gatti. Georg Zeppenfeld will sing the title role with Michael Spyres as Walter von Stolzing. Tobias Kratzers directs “Tannhäuser” in 2024 under music director Nathalie Stutzmann, while “Tristan und {…}
The Opéra National du Rhin has announced its 2023-24 season. First up is “Don Giovanni aux Enfers” by Simon Steen-Anderson. The opera is conducted by Basseem Akiki and directed by Simon Steen-Anderson. It stars Sandrine Buendia, Julia Deit-Ferrand, François Rougier, Christophe Gay, and Damien Pass, among others. Performance Dates: Sept. 16 – 21, 2023 Sabine Devielhe stars in “Lakmé,” conducted {…}