Jan. 13, 2022, saw the second performance in the Metropolitan Opera’s run of Puccini’s “La Boheme.” As the perennially-beautiful Zeffirelli production continues to delight, the evening’s cast, led by Maestro Carlo Rizzi, succeeded in bringing their passion and vitality to bear before the audience. Outstanding Leads Fresh from his work with the Berlin Staatsoper, Charles Castronovo was in fine form {…}
(Credit: © Peter Mayr) The Wiener Staatsoper has announced the upcoming premiere of Mozart’s “Don Giovanni,” which due to the nationwide lockdown in Austria, will be performed without live audiences. The cast for the opera includes Hanna-Elisabeth Müller as Donna Anna, Kate Lindsey as Donna Elvira, Philippe Sly as Leporello, Stanislas de Barbeyrac in the role of Don Ottavio, Ain {…}
(Photo Credits: © Wiener Staatsoper / Michael Pöhn / Bayerische Staatsoper official website / Chen Reiss official website) The Wiener Staatsoper has announced the next slate of operas that will be presented on its streaming platform over the next week. The week opens with three operas by Leoš Janáček. First up is Leoš Janáček’s operatic masterwork “Káťa Kabanová” with Angela {…}
(Credit: Rosa Frank) The Wiener Staatsoper has announced that soprano Vera-Lotte Boecker will sing the role of Micaëla for the premiere of Bizet’s “Carmen,” replacing Olga Kulchynska. Boecker is the second cast change in the production after Piotr Beczała took over the role of Don José replacing Charles Castronovo. Last month there was a COVID-19 outbreak at the opera house {…}
(Credits: David Agassi / Johannes Ifkovits / Deniz Saylan / Sony Classical / Wiener Staatsoper official website) Wiener Staatsoper has announced the next slate of operas that it will be presenting on its streaming platform over the next week. First up is Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” with Mariusz Kwiecien, Erwin Schrott, Marina Rebeka, Juliane Banse, and Benjamin Bruns. Ádám Fischer conducts {…}
(Credit: Piotr Beczała official website) The Wiener Staatsoper has announced a cast change for the premiere of Calixto Bieito’s production of Bizet’s “Carmen.” The company announced that Piotr Beczała will replace Charles Castronovo in the role of Don José. Castronovo was recently hospitalized due to COVID-19 and is currently recovering. Therefore, he will not be able to make all scheduled rehearsals. {…}
(Credits: © Dario Acosta / Charles Castronovo official website / Deutsche Oper am Rhein official website / Kristian Schuller/Decca) The Salzburg Festival has announced its 2021 edition, featuring 8 operas and numerous concert performances. Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” will feature Mika Kares as Il Commendatore, Nadezhda Pavlova as Donna Anna, Michael Spyres in the role of Don Ottavio, Federica Lombardi as {…}
(Credit: © Marco Borggreve) The Wiener Staatsoper has announced that bass Tareq Nazmi will take over the role of Bottom in the upcoming run of Benjamin Britten’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Nazmi will replace bass Matthew Rose. Nazmi will join a cast that includes Lawrence Zazzo in the role of Oberon, Erin Morley as Tytania, Josh Lovell in the role {…}
On Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2019, the Vienna State Opera will live stream Benjamin Britten’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The performance will be led by conductor Simone Young and will star Lawrence Zazzo, Erin Morley, Théo Touvet, Peter Kellner, Szilvia Vörös, Josh Lovell, Rafael Fingerlos, Rachel Frenkel, Valentina Naforniţa, Peter Rose, and Benjamin Hulett. The stream kicks off at 7 p.m. {…}
Musikverein Wien has announced its 2019-20 season. For the purposes of this article, we will focus on vocal performances. Martin Haselböck will lead the Orchester Wiener Akademie in a performance of various works by Franz Schubert as well as Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 4 in D Minor. Baritone Thomas Hampson will be featured. Performance Date: Oct. 13, 2019 Bass Günther Groissböck and {…}
Gioachino Rossini was not just an enormously successful composer and gourmand extraordinaire, but also a highly astute businessman. When he eventually went to the celestial grande bouffe in 1868, he left an estate worth millions of francs. According to Sosthènes de la Rochefoucauld, Rossini composed “Il Viaggio a Reims” as “un homage complètement désintéressé,” which was 19th century French Court-speak for {…}