(Photo: Jean-Louis Fernandez) As a rule of thumb, you know that if you have to rely on the director’s program notes to make sense of what is happening on stage, then the production is likely to disappoint. Of course, even in such circumstances it is sometimes possible to develop an intuitive understanding, even where the explicit meaning remains elusive, which {…}
The English National Opera has announced its 2022-23 season featuring eight productions and seven operas. Leo Hussain conducts Puccini’s “Tosca” in a new production by Christof Loy. The cast will include Sinéad Campbell-Wallace, Adam Smith, and Noel Bouley. Performance Dates: Sept. 30–Nov. 4 2022 Gilbert & Sullivan’s “The Yeomen of the Guard” will include Anthony Gregory, Neal Davies, Alexandra Oomens, Heather {…}
This week audiences will get two full opera recordings and two recital albums. Here is a look at this week’s new releases. Thaïs Unitel and C Major will release Massenet’s opera from January 2021. The production was directed by Peter Konwitschny and conducted by Leo Hussain. Nicole Chevalier and Josef Wagner lead the cast. L’Orfeo Leonardo García Alarcón leads the {…}
(Credits: LA Opera official website / Jan Windszus Photography / Lena Kern / Mark Janssen / Georg Schlosser / In Art Management official website) The Komische Oper Berlin has announced its 2021-22 season. Here is a look at the operatic and vocal performances. Opera – Premieres Enescu’s rarely performed masterwork “Œdipe” opens the season. The opera features Jens Larsen, Joachim {…}
(Image Source: Riccardo Fassi Official Website) The Royal Opera House has announced a major cast change for its upcoming production of “Don Giovanni.” Baritone Christopher Maltman has withdrawn from the performances on July 16 and 18, 2021 due to ongoing quarantine regulations that conflict with his scheduled performances in Rome and Salzburg. In his stead, audiences will hear bass Riccardo {…}
The Theater Basel has announced its 2021-22 season. For the purpose of this article, we will focus on opera productions only. Here is a look: Mozart‘s singspiel “Die Zauberflöte” will open the season. The opera stars Kai Kluge and Alex Banfield in the role of Tamino, Kali Hardwick as Pamina, Rainelle Krause as Die Königin der Nacht, and Patrick Zielke {…}
(Photo Credits: Emma Birski / OnP) Opéra National de Paris has announced its 2021-22 season. Here is the full slate. Operas “The Seven Deaths of Maria Callas” by Marina Abramovic will open the season. The showcase stars Nadezhda Karyazina, Selene Zanetti, Leah Hawkins, Adela Zaharia, Lauren Fagan, Gabriella Reyes, and Hera Hyesang Park. Yoel Gamzou conducts. Performance dates: Sep. 1 {…}
Full disclaimer – this week’s recommendations, with the exception of two works that you can watch right now, all take place between Friday and Sunday (with an emphasis on Friday when half of the recommendations are set to take place). So yes, in many ways this is more of a weekend edition of streams. In any case, here are the {…}
(Credits: © Bernd Uhlig / © Werner Kmetitsch) The Theater an der Wien has announced a series of broadcasts after high uncertainty over a date of possible reopening due to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis in Austria. First up is a production of Prokofiev’s “The Fiery Angel.” The opera showcases Aušrinė Stundytė, Bo Skovhus, Natascha Petrinsky, Elena Zaremba, Nikolai Schukoff, Alexey {…}
(Credit: Monika Rittershaus) OperaVision has announced streams for the first month of 2021. The first opera to be streamed starting on Jan. 3, 2021 will be Barrie Kosky’s production of Handel’s operatic masterpiece “Semele” from the Komische Oper Berlin. The opera features Eric Jurenas as Athamas, Prince of Bœotia; Allan Clayton in the role of Jupiter, King of the Gods; {…}
The Theater Basel in Switzerland has announced its 2020-21 season. For this article, we will only highlight the opera productions. Premieres The first production of the season will be “Im Flow der Apokalypse.” The production will showcase students of universities for music and design as they transform art for 13 days in a small stage walk-in installation. Premiere Date: Oct. {…}