Fairytales have not been kind to stepmothers. Usually depicted as jealous, manipulative and vicious, with a predilection for maltreating, disinheriting and murdering their stepchildren, stepmothers are probably on par with another favorite hate figure of the genre, the wicked witch. A typical example is found in “The Juniper Tree,” taken from Grimms’ Fairytales, published in 1812. This stepmother is not {…}
(Photo Credit: Scott Suchman) Throughout this new series, we will be looking at the history of American opera beginning in the 2000s to the present through a revisit of certain iconic works of the decade and OperaWire’s coverage of them throughout the 21st century. In this first part, we will look at the development of American opera during the 2000s, {…}
(Photo Credit: NYU Skirball) “Tao of Glass,” starring actor and director Phelim McDermott with music by Philip Glass, premiered at NYU’s Skirball Theater this past week. I had the pleasure of attending the show on Friday, March 31st, 2023. Though the performance suffered from a technical malfunction—which I will address later in my article because it affected the performance—it is {…}
(Credit: By Pasquale Salerno) Moore Opera Center in Houston, Texas will showcase Philip Glass’ “La Belle et la Bête” starting on Oct. 20, 2022. This represents the Texas premiere of the full-orchestra version of the work, which gives Jean Cocteau’s iconic film an operatic interpretation. In the opera, Glass replaces the original dialogue with his own music with the singers {…}
Opera Maine is set to present Philip Glass’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” on June 29 and July 1, 2022. The cast includes Marcel Sokalski as William, Joseph Tancredi as Roderick Usher, Gabrielle Clutter as Madeline Usher, Miguel Pedroza as Servant, and Joseph Sacchi as Physician. The opera will be conducted by Jackson McKinnon and directed by Richard {…}
The award of the Fundación BBVA Fronteras del Conocimiento in Music and Opera has been given to Philip Glass. The award which is celebrating its 14th edition recognized the composer for his contributions to music and opera in the 20th and 21st centuries. The jury noted that Glass has a distinctive and innovative style and has worked alongside different cultural {…}
Philip Glass celebrated his 85th birthday last week on January 31, and Lisbon’s Centro Cultural de Bélem joined a handful of worldwide performances honoring the great American maverick composer with a dazzling world-class production of his early opera “Orphée,” composed in 1991 and part of Glass’ groundbreaking trilogy of operas based on films by French poet and filmmaker Jean Cocteau. {…}
(Credits: Opéra Nice Côte d’Azur official website) L’Opéra Nice Côte d’Azur has announced its 2021-22 season. Here is a look at the operatic and vocal performances. Opera “Réunion de Famille” features music and arias from “Akhnaten,” “La Dame blanche,” “Macbeth,” and “Le Voyage dans la lune,” and spotlights the Choeur de l’Opéra Nice Côte d’Azur. Daniele Callegari conducts. Performance date: {…}
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 {…}
Malmö Opera has announced that all performances of “Circus Days and Nights” will be live-streamed. The new opera by Philip Glass and circus company Cirkus Cirkör will have its world premiere on May 29, 2021. The work is based on a series of poems by American poet Robert Lax and will feature a fusion of circus and opera performers. Sopranos Elin {…}
(Image Source: Philipglass.com) The annual Philip Glass Days and Nights Festival is set to launch its 10th anniversary edition, which will be streamed virtually around the world. The yearly festival will feature a wide range of performances of works by the iconic composer. While the company has not made official plans for what it will be presenting, it has announced {…}