(Credit: Javier del Real) (This review is for the performance on July 4, 2020) After 90 days of closure, the Teatro Real de Madrid reopened on July 1 with a semi-staged production of “La Traviata.” With the theater at half capacity due to the social distancing protocols instituted, the atmosphere on opening night was enthusiastic and hopeful. The Teatro Real {…}
“Manon Lescaut” opened at the San Francisco Opera in a revival of Olivier Tambosi and Frank Philipp Schlossmann’s production. It was a reminder of many of the opera’s riches: lush musical textures with various orchestral harmonies; the rich exploration of human drama; and the insolence of fate. When Puccini set out to compose his opera on Manon, people chided him {…}
Editor’s Note: This piece has been edited as statements have come out regarding the situation. Following accusations of sexual harassment, numerous opera personalities have come in defense of Plácido Domingo. In the wake of accusations by nine women, opera stars have taken to Twitter, Instagram, and news outlets to defend their colleague. Among them is Bulgarian superstar soprano Sonya Yoncheva {…}
(Credit: Julien Benhamou / ONP) Verdi’s “La Forza del Destino” is undeniably one of the most complex to stage. Not only is it a tremendous challenge for each of the major singers cast in the work, but it presents unique obstacles for any director who opts to take it on. The opera, despite being by one the greatest opera composers {…}
On the evening of April 26, 2019, guests excitedly filed into the Metropolitan Opera’s grand auditorium, eager to experience Verdi’s masterpiece “Rigoletto.” Returning to the stage for its second run of performances this season with a new principal cast, Michael Mayer’s production sets the tragic opera in Las Vegas in the 1960s. With the audience seated and Maestro Nicola Luisotti standing ready {…}
On February 12, 2019, the Metropolitan Opera opened this season’s run of Giuseppe Verdi’s “Rigoletto.” Michael Mayer’s production transports this tragedy to 1960s Las Vegas, a setting which merges together the glamor of high society with its seedy underbelly, just as many of the characters exhibit traits of both nobility as well as depravity. Despite the connections one can rightfully {…}
The word “Bohemian” – much like the popular terms “retro,” “Goth,” or “vintage” – is yet another label that has offered countless inferences over a plethora of different times. The “Bohème” clique of Puccini, undercut by the whimsy and exuberance of Italian verismo, would contrast with a play rendition of its source, Henri Murger’s “Scènes de la Vie de Bohème.” {…}
“Pagliacci” and “Cavalleria Rusticana” is one of the signature double bills in opera that show offs the many qualities of a leading tenor. Both parts are known for their demanding vocal challenges and in many cases are sung by two different tenors. However, in the Metropolitan Opera’s current revival of David McVicar’s production, Roberto Alagna triumphed in two of his best {…}