The world is divided into men and women. And only the unification of these two sides, through mutual understanding and respect can bridge the gap and bring about a new world full of equality. Sounds familiar right? It was what François Girard saw prior to 2013, and his vision remains ever true to this day. Perhaps even more prevalent. It {…}
René Pape, opera’s most iconic bass had an eventful 2017 and is kicking off the New Year in tremendous style. For those who want a recap – the bass sang in 14 productions throughout the year, mostly in Wagner operas and then ended 2017 by releasing a rubber duck in his image, the famed “Papeduck.” And now he’s back for {…}
The Wigmore Hall’s 2018-19 Season has been announced with a number of recitals from some of the world’s greatest singers. The season will include a plethora of performances, including chamber music, song, piano, early music, contemporary music, and jazz. For this article, we will concentrate only on the singers. Mezzo-soprano Dame Sarah Connolly and Soprano Marlis Petersen will be featured as residents {…}
The 2018-19 Paris Opera will celebrate a double anniversary including the signing, in 1669, of the letters patent authorizing Perrin to establish an Academy of Opera – rapidly named the Royal Academy of Music and that of the inauguration of the Opéra Bastille in 1989. The season will feature a number of new productions, classic revivals, and world premieres. It {…}
The International Opera Award nominations have bee announced. The organization, which seeks to recognize the best of the industry recognizes 18 categories. This year the nominees for Female Singer are Malin Byström, Carmen Giannattasio, Barbara Hannigan, who recently won the Grammy, Hui He, Ermonela Jaho and Eva-Maria Westbroek. In the Male Singer category, Piotr Beczała is nominated alongside Günther Groissböck, Peter Mattei, Eric Owens, {…}
It’s a weird week in the opera world with major artists showcasing pictures of strange new productions and even rubber ducks. Check it out. The Metropolitan Opera is gearing up for its upcoming production of “The Exterminating Angel” and had an interesting preview to showcase. As the dinner party in Thomas Adès’s The Exterminating Angel progresses, things take a decidedly {…}
Caffe Taci has a reputation for being a venue where opera singers can perform in a relaxed, familial environment. Here they can sharpen their skills or simply let loose as customers enjoy food and drinks from Papillon Bistro & Bar just downstairs. On Oct. 14, patrons filled the restaurant to see renowned bass René Pape, who had promised the announcement of {…}
Last week we got “Norma,” and this week, the Metropolitan Opera’s famed Live in HD series continues with a broadcast performance of “Die Zauberflöte” on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017. The broadcast, which kicks off 12:55 p.m. Eastern time, will feature maestro James Levine in his first of several broadcasts this season. This will be the maestro’s 48th performance of the {…}
The 2017-18 season continues with a number of starry productions coming to the forefront. Check out what you can see this weekend. Austria The Vienna State Opera presents “La Traviata” with Olga Peretyatko-Mariotti and “La Bohème” with Jinxu Xiahou, Hrachuhí Bassenz, Gabriel Bermúdez and Aida Garifullina. “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” and “Die Zauberflöte” headline the Volksoper, which also features a performance of “Gypsy.” {…}
René Pape is considered one of the greatest, if not the greatest, living bass of his generation. He has performed with all the leading opera companies and has sung numerous leading roles. But there is a composer that he has become associated with, in particular, Wagner. In celebration of Pape’s birthday on Sept. 4, 1964, OperaWire looks at some of {…}
After showcasing a wide range of repertoire that will be showcased this fall in the United States, it’s time to look at the European theaters. With hundreds of houses around the world opening at the same time, it was challenging to put together this list. But after looking through several theaters, OperaWire has curated the must-see operas for this fall {…}