A truly packed house, a cast of operatic luminaries and a program of works chosen and compiled by Maestro Pappano himself; a Gala, fit for a KING, surely? Which is just as well because His Royal Highness King Charles III was in the audience as a truly surprise guest of honor, courtesy of a massive covert security operation that even {…}
The Teatro San Carlo announced its 2024-25 season. The season opens with Dvořák’s “Rusalka” in a new production by Dmitri Tcherniakov. Dan Ettinger conducts a cast that includes Asmik Grigorian, Adam Smith, Ekaterina Gubanova, Anita Rachvelishvili, and Gábor Bretz. Performance Dates: Nov. 20-Dec. 7, 2024 Verdi’s “Don Carlo” will be conducted by Henrik Nánási and will star Piero Pretti, Gabriele Viviani, Ildar {…}
Deutsche Grammophon’s streaming platform Stage + has released new recordings from Anna Netrebko, Elīna Garanča and Nadine Sierra. The platform released a 2019 recording of Verdi’s “Il Trovatore” from the Arena di Verona starring Anna Netrebko, Yusif Eyvazov, Dolora Zajick, and Luca Salsi. Pier Giorgio Morandi conducts the Franco Zeffirelli production. The platform also released a 2021 recording of Verdi’s {…}
Nadine Sierra obtained a great success last season with Bellini’s “La sonnambula,” which by chance was the opening aria of Yende in this concert. But, Pretty Yende made her house debut in Madrid. Both of them are greatly acclaimed around the world and we can say that they are in the top ten list of the best sopranos today. They {…}
Deutsche Grammophon is set to release “Nadine Sierra & Pretty Yende in Concert.” The new album features the two sopranos in a live concert from Paris in 2023. The program includes familiar and timeless works by Leonard Bernstein, Victor Herbert, and Louis Guglielm as well as works by Donizetti, Rossini, Bellini, Delibes, Gounod, and Offenbach. Les Frivolités Parisiennes is conducted {…}
I have more than once commented that OPERA, no matter the tale, should always be about the music; specifically, the singing, above and beyond anything else. It is, after all, what truly defines the art. And in Katie Mitchell’s and Robin Tebbutt’s revival production of Donizetti’s tragic opera, the singing is inarguably superlative. Alas, this is a truly grim tale. {…}
Andrea Bocelli is set to celebrate his 30th anniversary this summer in Tuscany. The superstar tenor will be joined by several personalities from the around the world including opera stars Plácido Domingo, Bryn Terfel, José Carreras, Aida Garifullina, and Nadine Sierra. The program will also include Sofia Vergara, Mateo Bocelli, Virginia Bocelli, Shania Twain, Lang Lang, Russell Crowe, Jon Baptiste, {…}
The Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona has announced its 2024-25 season. Opera Josep Pons conducts Shostakovich’s “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk” with Alexei Botnarciuc, Daniel Kirch, Sara Jakubiak, Ángeles Blancas, and Pavel Černoch. Àlex Ollé conducts. Performance Date: Sept. 25-Oct. 7, 2024 Maria Agresta and Saioa Hernández star in Verdi’s “La Forza del Destino” with Artur Ruciński, Amartuvshin Enkhbat, Brian {…}
The London Symphony Orchestra has announced its 2024-25 season. Here are the vocal performances. Michael Tilson Thomas conducts Mahler’s Symphony No. 2. Performance Dates: Oct. 20 & 23, 2024 André J Thomas conducts the Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir and LSO Community Voices in music by Brandon Boyd, Nolan Williams, Margaret Bonds, Brandon Waddles, André J Thomas, Moses Hogan, Rosephanye Powell, Joe Pace, Carol Cymbala, Kurt Carr, Raymond Wise, and Frances Fonza Smith. Performance {…}
The Teatro Real de Madrid has announced its 2024-25 season. Opera Nicola Luisotti and Andrés Salado conduct Cilea’s “Adriana Lecouvreur” in David McVicar’s production. The production will star Ermonela Jaho, Maria Agresta, Brian Jagde, Matthew Polenzani, Elīna Garanča, Ekaterina Semenchuk, Nicola Alaimo, and Manel Esteve. Performance Dates: Sept. 23-Oct. 11, 2024 Charpentier’s “David et Jonathas” will be performed in concert with Petr Nekoranec, Gwendoline Blondeel, Jean-Christophe {…}
The Opéra de Paris has announced its 2024-25 season. Opera Verdi’s “Falstaff” opens the season with a cast that includes Ambrogio Maestri, Olivia Boen, Marie-Andrée Bouchard-Lesieur, Andrei Kymach, Gregory Bonfatti, Marie-Nicole Lemieux, Iván Ayón-Rivas, and Federica Guida. Michael Schønwandt conducts the production by Dominique Pitoiset. Performance Dates: Sept. 10-30, 2024 Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” will star Eleonora Buratto, Elena Stikhina, Aude {…}