It’s that time of year during which we look back at the past 365-ish days and the big moments that defined them. Every year, the opera world has its share of rising and breakout stars as well as opera singers who solidify or take their careers in new directions. Others make important debuts or create roles that audiences would have {…}
The Grammy Awards have announced the 2018 nominees selecting a diverse group of operas and performers. In the category of Best Opera Recording the John Adams’ “Doctor Atomic ” recording starring Aubrey Allicock, Julia Bullock, Gerald Finley & Brindley Sherratt and produced by Friedemann Engelbrecht was nominated alongside Mason Bates and Martin Campbell’s “The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs.” The recording {…}
The Tanglewood Festival has announced its 2019 season. As with other programs of this sort, we will limit ourselves to the vocal and operatic selections on display. For the full program, click here. Verdi’s Requiem will get a performance with Kristine Opolais, Oksana Volkova, Jonathan Tetelman, and Ryan Speedo Green. Andris Nelsons will conduct the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Performance Date: {…}
Renée Fleming is set to make her London Musical debut. After her critically acclaimed production of “Carousel,” Fleming will headline a London production of “The Light in the Piazza,” set to begin performances at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall on June 14, 2019. Fleming will play Margaret Johnson alongside Dove Cameron as Margaret’s daughter Clara. The full cast will be announced {…}
I’ve been listening to Renée Fleming and thinking about the recently deceased Montserrat Caballé. To my ears, Fleming is the only active soprano whose voice can match the ravishing beauty of the Spanish diva’s. Neither singer is beyond criticism, but if voices were tactile, these are the kinds that would be behind thick glass in museums. Fleming, though, is unique {…}
The Lyric Opera of Chicago has announced the participation of several singers in the Renée Fleming 25th Anniversary Concert & Gala. The gala, which is set to honor and celebrate Fleming’s extraordinary commitment to Chicago and her unparalleled contributions to the art form, will see Sondra Radvanovsky, Susan Graham, Lawrence Brownlee, Quinn Kelsey, Željko Lučić, Eric Owens, and Christian Van Horn {…}
On Sept. 14, 2018, Paul Weitz’s latest film “Bel Canto” will be released in movie theaters nationwide. The film, adapted from the 2001 Anne Patchett novel of the same name, drew inspiration from the Japanese Embassy Hostage Crisis of 1996-97 and has become popular throughout the years. In 2015, the novel was turned into an opera, which was commissioned by {…}
MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD! “Opera Meets Film” is a feature dedicated to exploring the way that opera has been employed in cinema. We will select a section or a film in its entirety, highlighting the impact that utilizing the operatic form or sections from an opera can alter our perception of a film that we are viewing. This week’s installment features {…}
Renée Fleming is set to perform at former Senator John McCain’s memorial service. During the senator’s service, the soprano will perform the will sing the Irish standard “Danny Boy,” per the former senator’s request. According to her manager Dannielle Thomas, Fleming stated that she was very honored to perform the song. The memorial service for the late senator is scheduled to be {…}
The trailer to Paul Weitz’s “Bel Canto” has been released. The new film, based on the Ann Patchett’s novel, which was also turned into an opera, is inspired by the events of the Japanese embassy hostage crisis (also called the Lima hostage crisis) of 1996-1997 in Lima, Peru. The film stars Julianne Moore, Ken Watanabe, Sebastian Koch, Christopher Lambert, Ryo {…}
The Metropolitan Opera’s annual Summer HD Festival is set to return for its tenth time this summer. The series, which will begin on August 25, 2018, through Sept. 3, 2018, will present 10 recent performances from the company’s acclaimed Live in HD series of movie theater transmissions. The series will also present the Marx Brothers’ classic film, “A Night at the Opera,” which will {…}