(Phot0: Bregenz Festival / Daniel Ammann) Leoš Janáček’s “The Excursions of Mr. Brouček” has long been overshadowed by “Jenůfa,” “Káťa Kabanová,” “The Cunning Little Vixen” and “The Makropulos Affair.” This curious, episodic satire has never fully secured its place in the repertoire, perhaps because it occupies an awkward territory between affectionate comedy, political allegory and biting social critique. Yet it {…}
(Photo credit: Dale Hodgetts) The Three Choirs Festival releases the highlights of its Worcester 2027 season. The Festival runs July 24-31, 2027. Britten’s “War Requiem” is performed by soloists soprano Elizabeth Watts, tenor Peter Hoare, and baritone David Stout, with the Festival Chorus and Philharmonia Orchestra. Performance Date: July 24, 2027 The Three Cathedral Choirs present Handel’s “Four Coronation Anthems.” {…}
The Dutch National Opera has announced its 2025-26 season. Leoncavallo’s “Pagliacci” and Mascagni’s “Cavalleria rusticana” will be conducted by Andrea Battistoni. Leoncavallo’s work will star Corinne Winters, Riccardo Massi, Roman Burdenko, and Hubert Zapiór while Mascagni’s will star Raehann Bryce-Davis, SeokJong Baek, Enkelejda Shkoza, Roman Burdenko, and Maria Warenberg. Performance Dates: Sept. 5 – 23, 2026 Shostakovich’s “Cherry Town” will {…}
(Photo: Camilla Greenwell) Pinching twitching nerves, Czech master Janáček’s angst-ridden “The Makropulos Case” warns of extra life. Lead role Emilia Marty’s present incarnation joins a palimpsest: Eugenia Montez, Ellian MacGregor, Ekaterina Myshkin, Else Müller and the titular Elina Makropulos. A magical elixir has sustained her for three centuries. Strife drives the aria-void work. Through strings unhinged, alarming accidentals and duplicitous {…}
The Royal Opera House has announced its cinema season for the 2025-26 season. Here are the opera offerings: The cinema season opens with Puccini’s “Tosca” starring Anna Netrebko, Freddie de Tommaso, and Gerald Finley. Jakub Hrůša conducts the new production by Oliver Mears. Cinema Date: Oct. 1 & 5, 2025 Antonello Manacorda conducts Verdi’s “La Traviata” and will star Ermonela {…}
Photo: Winslow Townson The first time my partner watched Shostakovich’s “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk,” he couldn’t believe that the composer ever thought a Stalinist regime would be pleased with the opera. The “in-your-face” power of the work made him—a (handsome) man whose political convictions ponder between socialism and cowboyism—find endearing that ‘Shosta’ could not see his censoring coming. Even today, {…}
Photo: Tristram Kenton Expectations were high for Deborah Warner’s new production of Alban Berg’s “Wozzeck” at the Royal Opera House. Warner’s acclaimed treatment of “Peter Grimes” saw her in similar territory—indeed, the debt owed to Berg’s score by Britten is considerable—in a pair of twentieth-century operas about alienated outsiders, disturbed by the very society that despises them. Both pieces are {…}
(Credit: The Greek National Opera official website) The Greek National Opera has announced that it will stream Alban Berg’s opera “Wozzeck” on Mezzo Live HD. The Greek National Opera premiered “Wozzeck” for the first time in its history in January 2020, before the COVID-19 lockdowns. The cast for the opera included soprano Nadine Lehner in the role of Marie, tenor {…}
In all the weeks we have done this feature, I would argue that few have been as exciting as the one previewed here. Not only will audiences get to watch live opera, some live recitals, and unique past performances, but they also get to engage with some very new opera experiences. We trust that you will be equally excited about {…}
(Credit: Alasdair Muir) Glyndebourne has unveiled the next set of operas that will stream as part of its online “Open House Series.” The company revealed that it will be streaming a production of Verdi’s “Falstaff” as directed by Richard Jones. The production, which was conducted by Vladimir Jurowski, stars Christopher Purves in the iconic title role alongside Alasdair Elliott, Paolo {…}
It’s Valentine’s Day weekend and there is arguably no art form that captures the essence of love moreso than opera. With that in mind, we looked around and picked operas that probably won’t cater to ideal feelings of love, but are powerful in their own rights and would probably make for unbelievable nights at the opera. Frida – Anchorage Opera, {…}