(Credit: Susanne Hassler-Smith) “Luisa Miller” by Giuseppe Verdi is a tragic tale of love destroyed by social hierarchy and political intrigue. The young peasant Luisa Miller is in love with Rodolfo, who is in fact the son of the powerful nobleman Count Walter, though he has been living in disguise. Their relationship is opposed by Rodolfo’s father, who intends him {…}
The Arena di Verona has announced its 2026 season. The season will open with a new production of Verdi’s “La Traviata.” Michele Spotti and Francesco Ivan Ciampa conduct the new production starring Martina Russomanno, Gilda Fiume and Rosa Feola. The casts also include Yusif Eyvazov, Galeano Salas, Francesco Meli, René Barbera, Adam Smith, Amartuvshin Enkhbat, Mihai Damian, Youngjun Park, Ludovic {…}
The Bayerische Staatsoper has announced its 2025-26 season. Premieres Maurizio Benini conducts Verdi’s “Rigoletto” in a new production by Barbara Wysocka. Bekhzod Davronov, Igor Golovatenko, Ludovic Tézier, Serena Sáenz, Nadine Sierra, Riccardo Fassi, and Elmina Hasan star. Performance Dates: March 7-24, 2026 & July 28 & 31, 2026 Lotte de Beer directs a new production of Gounod’s “Faust” with Jonathan {…}
(Credit: Sébastien Mathé) Vincenzo Bellini’s last opera, “I Puritani,” premiered in 1835 at the Theatre d’Italie in Paris, in the same year he untimely died at 35. The story is set in England in the 17th century, during the civil war between Cromwell’s republicans (the Puritans of the title) and the Stuarts’ royalists. While the music sets this work as {…}
(Photo: After having opened the season with his production of “Adriana Lecouvreur,” David McVicar returned to Teatro Real for his new production of “Maria Stuarda,” co-produced with Teatre del Liceu, Donizetti Opera Festival-Bergamo and Finland National Opera. McVicar is one of the greatest directors of this generation and his productions are shown at major opera houses around the world. He {…}
Photo: The Teatro dell’Opera di Roma presents a new production of Vincenzo Bellini’s “La sonnambula,” crafted by Jean-Philippe Clarac and Olivier Deloeuil, boasting a stellar cast. Set in a picturesque Swiss village, the narrative revolves around Amina, a modest young woman on the brink of matrimony to a wealthy landowner. However, her world is turned upside down when she is {…}
(Photo © Wiener Staatsoper / Michael Pöhn) “La Cenerentola” premiered in 1817, shortly after Rossini’s success with “Il Barbiere di Siviglia.” History tells us that it was composed in just three weeks, with only minimal self-plagiarism: the overture was borrowed from “La Gazetta,” and the protagonist’s final rondo from the tenor’s final aria in “Il Barbiere.” The story is a {…}
The Gran Teatre del Liceu has announced cast changes for Rossini’s “La Cenerentola.” The company said that bass-baritone Carlos Chausson has canceled his participation as Don Magnífico, while Roberto Tagliavini has also canceled the role of Alidoro due to personal reasons. As a result, Paolo Bordogna will replace Chausson, moving to the first cast. Meanwhile, Pablo Ruiz will replace Bordogna {…}
(Photo: ©SF Marco Borrelli) It is believed that there are no bad orchestras, just bad conductors. Following this rationale, Marco Armiliato conducting my high school orchestra in David Gefffen Hall would be greeted with rave reviews. It is not that he wrung water out of stones—this miracle belongs exclusively to Moses’s staff. But, he did lead Salzburg’s Mozarteum Orchestra to {…}
If you’re not fully conversant with the tale that is the centerpiece of one of Giuseppe Verdi’s most celebrated and performed works, “Il Trovatore,” then I highly recommend a little further reading and research before attempting to digest this opera. It may well help to alleviate some of the confusion in following the plot. There’s little one can do, however, {…}
The Gewandhausorchester Leipzig has announced its 2023-24 season. Here is a look at the vocal performances for the season. Andris Nelsons conducts a concert that includes Hanna-Elisabeth Muller and Kirill Gerstein. Thomas Ades and Sibelius are featured on the program. Performance Dates: Sept. 14 & 15, 2023 Andris Nelsons conducts a Mendelssohn program with soloists Elsa Benoit, Werner Gura, and {…}