On Dec. 15, 2019, The Metropolitan Opera raised the curtain on this season’s run of Mozart’s “The Magic Flute.” Julie Taymor’s family-friendly production continues to be a visual and musical delight that, while abridged, makes for a strong concentration of the work. Under the baton of Lothar Koenigs, Sunday’s cast of artists was comprised of a fine mix of new {…}
Phoenicia International Festival of the Voice will soon bring great vocal talent to the Catskills, kicking off this Friday with “10 Year Gala, Decade of Opera Favorites.” The Gala will showcase sopranos Nancy Allen Lundy and Michelle Jennings, tenors Anthony Laciura and Barry Banks, bass-baritone Kyle Albertson, bass Morris Robinson, and Robert McClaughlin-Tuvan in performances of beloved arias from “Madama Butterfly,” “Carmen,” “La Bohème,” {…}
Phoenicia International Festival of the Voice will soon celebrate its 10th anniversary season with “musical gems that honor African American culture and talent,” according to the press release. The Festival will kick off with “10 Year Gala, Decade of Opera Favorites,” featuring sopranos Nancy Allen Lundy and Michelle Jennings, tenors Anthony Laciura and Barry Banks, bass-baritone Kyle Albertson, bass Morris {…}
The Cincinnati Opera has announced its 100th anniversary season which will feature five operas. Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” will open the season with Aaron Blake, Rodion Pogossov, and Isabel Leonard headlining the cast. Renato Balsadonna conducts. Performance Dates: June 18 & 20, 2020 The season continues with the world premiere of “Fierce,” an opera by librettist Sheila Williams and composer {…}
The Atlanta Opera has announced its 2019-20 season. According to the press release, for its 40th anniversary season, The Atlanta Opera will present operas which fall under the overarching theme of “dangerous liaisons,” where the “protagonists share a propensity for self-destructive relationships that threaten to bring about their downfall.” Additionally, during this season four internationally acclaimed artists will return home to {…}
The Dallas Opera has announced its 2019-20 season and it features some of the most diverse programming of any season announcement to date. The proceedings kick off with Mozart’s “The Magic Flute.” The classic opera will feature Paolo Fanale, Andrea Carroll, Markus Werba, Olga Pudova, and Morris Robinson, among others. Emmanuel Villaume conducts the score in a production originally directed {…}
On December 19, 2018, The Metropolitan Opera premiered this season’s run of Mozart’s musical drama “The Magic Flute.” This production by Julie Taymor is notable for its English translation, abridged running time, and opulent presentation; these features concentrated the drama and allegorical meaning which would unfold in the hands of the company’s cast of artists. Squaring the Circle Taymor’s production {…}
It’s the holiday season and that means that the Metropolitan Opera is putting on Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” in its English iteration. This season’s revival will feature a number of veterans in this production, as well as some new faces. Erin Morley will headline as Pamina. She debuted at the Met in 2008 and has amassed 87 performances to date {…}
I once saw an evening of Kathakali theater, a kind of folk opera of southern India. I would probably not have understood much of what was going on in “The Killing of Dushasana” had I not read the program booklet beforehand. Even so, after the first scene my regular biases for dialectic drama vanished and I was hooked, overwhelmed by {…}
The Tanglewood Festival has announced its 2019 season. As with other programs of this sort, we will limit ourselves to the vocal and operatic selections on display. For the full program, click here. Verdi’s Requiem will get a performance with Kristine Opolais, Oksana Volkova, Jonathan Tetelman, and Ryan Speedo Green. Andris Nelsons will conduct the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Performance Date: {…}
The Cincinnati Opera has announced its 99th season featuring five productions including a world premiere and numerous top stars for the opera world. The season will also include numerous a number of concerts and programs. Here is a look at what to expect. Productions The season opens with Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro” in a production by Stephen Lawless. Soprano Susanna Phillips will {…}