The Gran Teatre del Liceu has announced its 2021-22 season featuring new productions, concerts, and a special 175th-anniversary gala. Here is a look at the new season. Opera The first opera of the season is set to be Strauss’ “Ariadne auf Naxos” starring Iréne Theorin and Johanni van Oostrum sharing the title role. They will be accompanied by Samantha Hankey, {…}
“Norma” has probably been the only Bellini work that has always been present in the operatic repertoire since it premiered at the Teatro alla Scala in 1831. After its failure on opening night it turned out to be a real success following its second performance and quickly went on to be performed throughout Europe and North America. It became the {…}
(Credits: © Marco Borrelli / OnP / © Alexey Kostromin / OnP / © Jiyan Chen) The Berlin Philharmonic Online Festival’s “The Golden Twenties” will be held from February 13 until February 27, 2021. For the purpose of this article, we will focus only on the vocal works. First up is Igor Stravinsky’s “Oedipus Rex.” The showcase will star Ekaterina {…}
(Credits: Opera Australia / Dario Acosta / © Sergey Misenko / Lourdes Balduque / Chris Gloag) Italian television channel Rai5 has announced broadcasts for the week of Jan. 25 – Jan. 29, 2021. The broadcasts will be dedicated to opera stagings by Davide Livermore. First up will be a production of Rossini’s “Il barbiere di Siviglia” with Chiara Amarù, Edgardo {…}
The Maggio Musicale Fiorentino has announced that the upcoming performances of “La Damnation de Faust” have been canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The performances, which were expected to take place on Jan. 11, 13, and 16, 2021, were set to be conducted by James Levine. It would have marked his return to the podium following a 2017 report {…}
(Credits: © Dario Acosta / Charles Castronovo official website / Deutsche Oper am Rhein official website / Kristian Schuller/Decca) The Salzburg Festival has announced its 2021 edition, featuring 8 operas and numerous concert performances. Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” will feature Mika Kares as Il Commendatore, Nadezhda Pavlova as Donna Anna, Michael Spyres in the role of Don Ottavio, Federica Lombardi as {…}
This week audiences can experience dueling tenors, two Christmas albums, two baroque albums, two choral albums, and a pianist interpreting operatic favorites. Here is what you can stream this week. Amici e Rivali Michael Spyres and Lawrence Brownlee celebrate the art of the trailblazing star singers of Rossini’s time in a new album for Erato. The recording showcases arias, duets, {…}
On Nov. 13, 2020, renowned tenors Lawrence Brownlee and Michael Spyres are set to release their new album “Amici e Rivali” on Erato. The selections draw from seven of Rossini’s operas, with an approach that not only celebrates his music but pays homage to the artists of the composer’s time who interpreted these works, such as Andrea Nozzi, Giovanni David, {…}
(Credits: Todd Rosenberg / © Marco Borrelli / OnP / Sarah Bousasse) L’Opéra Comique in Paris has announced its 2021 season. Here is the full slate. Jean-Joseph Cassanéa de Mondonville’s “Titon et l’Aurore” will feature Reinoud Van Mechelen, Gwendoline Blondeel, Julie Roset, Emmanuelle de Negri, Marc Mauillon, and Renato Dolcini. William Christie will conduct the production by Basil Twist. The performances {…}
With opera companies returning in full force digitally, this week’s selections will highlight a mix of repertory staples with some unique and experimental new works. Before we kick off our list, don’t forget to check out important discussions taking place regarding issues of race and equality in opera with such programs as Karen Slack’s “KikiKonversations,” Kenneth Overton’s “Black Opera Live,” and Mark {…}
Teatro Nuovo has announced the release of Bel Canto in Thirty Minutes, premiering Sept. 15 at 7:30 p.m. on YouTube Live. The new video production is set to feature the first-ever complete recording of Nicola Vaccai’s “Practical Method of Italian Singing,” a delicious collection of miniature arias that has been a cornerstone of Bel Canto training for nearly two centuries. {…}