Rai 5 is set to stream Nicola Antonio Manfroce’s rarely performed “Ecuba” on August 3. The performance comes from the 2019 Festival Valle d’Itria in Martina Franca and was helmed by legendary director Pier Luigi Pizzi. The production features rising star Lidia Fridman in the title role, Norman Reinhardt, Mert Süngü, Roberta Mantegna, Martina Gresia, and Lorenzo Izzo. Sesto Quatrini {…}
The Macerata Opera Festival is scheduled to open its concert performances of “Il Trovatore” on July 25. The performances of Verdi’s masterpiece at the historical Sferisterio arena in Italian will star Roberta Mantegna, Veronica Simeoni, Luciano Ganci and Massimo Cavalletti. The performances will be conducted by Vincenzo Milletari. This will mark the second production of the summer season, which began {…}
The Teatro Regio di Parma has extended its Verdi streaming Festival adding new works. It all starts with “I Vespri Siciliani“ in a production starring Leo Nucci, Fabio Armiliato, Giacomo Prestia, and Daniela Dessi. Massimo Zanetti conducts the 2010 production. Streaming Dates: April 20-21, 2020 It follows with Verdi’s “Giovanna d’Arco” starring Vittoria Yeo, Luciano Ganci, Vittorio Vitelli, and Gabreille {…}
The Teatro Massimo di Palermo, Italy has released the first star-studded opera gala from home. The gala, entitled “Gala: Artisti uniti in tempi di isolamento,” aligned a number of international stars including Enea Scala, Nicola Alaimo, Arturo Chacón Cruz, Ruth Iniesta, Roberta Mantegna, and Ian Bostridge, among many others. The performance features music by Bellini, Puccini, Lara, Lehar, Verdi, and {…}
The Oper Leipzig has announced its 2020-21 season featuring four new productions, a Wagner festival, and the Ring Cycle. Here is a look at the productions for the season. Premieres Ulf Schirmer conducts Katharina Wagner’s new production of Wagner’s “Lohengrin.” The cast includes Michael Weinius in the title role, Jennifer Holloway as Elsa, Kathrin Göring as Ortrud and Simon Neal {…}
(Photo: Yasuko Kageyama) Opera Roma rolled out the red carpet for the opening evening of its 2019-20 season, with a rare performance of Verdi’s grand opera “Les Vêpres Siciliennes” in its original French version. Overshadowed by his three preceding middle period operas, “Rigoletto,” “Il Trovatore” and “La Traviata,” and by the mature works which followed, it has struggled to gain {…}
(Credit: Moritz Schell Fotografie/Catherine Ashmore/Yasuko Kageyama / TOR) Three rarely performed works highlight the international weekend with three other repertory staples. There are also two new productions opening with one company premiere. Here is a look at what we recommend. Halka – Theater an der Wien, Austria Łukasz Borowicz conducts a new production of Moniuszko’s masterpiece. Mariusz Treliński directs the {…}
The Macerata Opera Festival has announced its 2020 program. This season the festival will showcase three popular operas with renown casts starting on July 17 through August 9, 2020. The festival opens with Puccini’s “Tosca” conducted by Francesco Lanzillotta and directed by Valentina Carrasco. The production will star Rebeka Lokar in the title role, Piero Pretti as Cavaradossi, and Roberto {…}
The Teatro Massimo di Palermo has announced the 2020 season, which will feature a number of new productions, stars, and concert performances. Opera The season opens with Wagner’s “Parsifal” conducted by Omer Meir Wellber and directed by Graham Vick. The work stars Daniel Kirch in the title role, Eva Maria Westbroek, Evgeny Nikitin, John Relyea, and Thomas Gazheli. Performance Dates: Jan. {…}
This week two new DVDs are set for release. There is also an intriguing choral CD that will include some world premiere recordings. Check it out! Il Barbiere di Siviglia Naxos is set to release a new production from the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Paris with Florian Sempey in the title role, Michele Angelini as the Count, Catherine Trottmann as Rosina, {…}
The Teatro Verdi Trieste has announced its 2019-20 season featuring a number of new productions. The season opens with Puccini’s “Turandot” starring Mlada Khudoley, Marcelo Puente, Desirée Rancatore, and Andrea Comelli. Nikša Bareza conducts the production by legendary soprano Katia Ricciarelli. Performance Dates: Nov. 29-Dec. 8, 2019 Fabrizio Maria Carminati conducts Katia Ricciarelli’s production of Verdi’s “Aida.” The opera will star Anna Litvinova, Gianluca Terranova, Anastasia Boldyreva, and Andrea Borghini. {…}