Joseph Calleja has withdrawn from his upcoming performances of “Parsifal” at the Bayreuth Festival. In a statement, Calleja said, “Due to a persistent throat infection, I was advised by my doctor to withdraw from the current production of Parsifal here in Bayreuth. Goes without saying that this was a very hard decision to take, and I am so sorry for {…}
(Photo: Mark Allan) Last time Opera North visited London’s Southbank Centre it was for an award-winning semi-staged Ring cycle, conducted by then music director Richard Farnes. They even made a gripping and hugely instructive recording for YouTube that shows the entire tetralogy from a camera placed right in front of the conductor. He returns to the Royal Festival Hall with {…}
(Credit: Vincent Pontet / ONP) The week Rafael Nadal lifted his trophy for an unprecedented 14th victory at the Roland Garros tennis tournament in Paris, the opera public attending Richard Wagner’s “Parsifal” at the Opéra National de Paris at the Bastille saw tenor Simon O’Neill triumphantly raise a supersized Holy Grail chalice with a shape that had an uncanny resemblance {…}
The Bayerische Staatsoper has announced a cast change for its April 14 performance of “Parsifal” The company noted that due to illness Simon O‘Neill would not be performing the title role. As a result, Stuart Skelton will take over. Skelton is one of today’s most revered Wagnerian singers of his generation. He has performed the title role of Parsifal around {…}
(Credit: Dario Acosta) The Opéra National de Paris has announced a cast change for its upcoming production of “Parsifal.” The company noted that Iain Paterson has withdrawn from the production and as a result, the role of Amfortas will be performed by Brian Mulligan. This season Mulligan is set to appear at the Staatsoper Stuttgart in a production of “Die {…}
The Deutsche Oper Berlin has announced a cast change for its upcoming production of “Parsifal.” The company noted that the role of Klingsor will sing by Joachim Gotz on March 27, April 2, and 6, 2022 while the role of Amfortas will be sung by Noel Bouley on March 27 and April 2, 2022. The April 6, 2022 performance will {…}
(Credit: Georg Zeppenfeld) The Wiener Staatsoper has announced that bass René Pape will not be appearing in the role of Gurnemanz in the run of Wagner’s “Parsifal.” As a result, German bass Georg Zeppenfeld will take over the role. Zeppenfeld joins a cast that includes Wolfgang Koch, Anja Kampe, Nikolay Sidorenko, Artyom Wasnetsov, Carlos Osuna, Erik Van Heyningen, Patricia Nolz, {…}
The Bayreuth Festival has announced the cast and director of the new production of “Ring des Nibelungen” slated for 2022. Pietari Inkinen is set to conduct the new production by Valentin Schwarz with stage design by Andrea Cozzi and costumes by Andy Besuch. “Das Rheingold” will star Daniel Kirch, Christa Mayer, and Olafur Sigurdarson while “Die Walkure” Klaus Florian Vogt, Georg {…}
Credit: © Patrice Nin Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia has announced that mezzo-soprano Sophie Koch will perform Chausson’s “Poème de l’amour et de la mer,” Op. 19 in the concert. Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 10 will be performed in the rest of the concert. Roberto González-Monjas will conduct. Sophie Koch recently performed the role of Kundry in {…}
Every Friday, Polina Lyapustina delivers a short essay on some of the most essential topics in the industry with the intent of establishing a dialogue about the opera world and its future. This week, many of you, I guess, got a chance to watch then new production of “Parsifal” staged by Kirill Serebrennikov at the Wiener Staatsoper. I also got a chance {…}
(Credit: Fabien Bergerat) Members of L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande have been hit by a COVID-19 outbreak during rehearsals of “Parsifal” at the Grand Théâtre de Genève. Per reports, several musicians and conductor Jonathan Gott were all hit by the virus. In a press release, the Foundation of the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande voted unanimously to cancel all musical activity {…}