(Credit: W. Hoesl) Lise Davidsen as the headliner in Tchaikovsky’s “Pique Dame” at the Munich Opera Festival is an apt addition. It is a production full of theatrical effects created by Benedict Andrews with full-screen projections of Lisa in various enticing poses, including cars serving as platforms for singers and chorus-women, a bleacher-filled chorus partially masked, and G-string quasi-strippers. There {…}
The Dutch National Opera is set to open its 2024-25 season with Verdi’s “Rigoletto.” The famed Verdi opera will be revived in Damiano Michieletto’s production, which opened in 2017. When the production opened critics were mixed and said, “the production is overanalytical and is ultimately sabotaged by its own cleverness.” In 2021, the staging was shown in Venice at the {…}
The Teatro Trieste di Verdi has announced its 2024-25 season. Opera The season opens with Verdi’s “La Traviata“ featuring Maria Grazia Schiavo, Francesca Sassu, Antonio Poli, Klodjan Kaçani, Roberto Frontali, and Federico Longhi. Arnaud Bernard directs and Enrico Calesso conducts. Performance Dates: Nov. 8-Dec. 19, 2024 Mozart’s “Die Entführung aus dem Serail” is set to be conducted by Beatrice Venezi {…}
The National Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Gianandrea Noseda are set to conclude the 2023–2024 with Verdi’s “Otello.” On June 7 and 9, the conductor will lead a cast that includes Arsen Soghomonyan in the title role, Erika Grimaldi as Desdemona, and Roman Burdenko as Iago. They will be joined by Jennifer Johnson Cano as Emilia, Francesco Marsiglia as Cassio, Aaron {…}
The Staatsoper Unter den Linden has announced its 2024-25 season. Premieres Luca Salsi and Anna Netrebko team up for Verdi’s “Nabucco.” Ivan Magrì, Marina Prudenskaya, and René Pape join them. Anastasia Bartoli also performs. Bertrand de Billy conducts the new production by Emma Dante. Performance Dates: Oct. 2-26, 2024 Gounod’s “Roméo et Juliette” receives a new production featuring multiple casts. {…}
The Teatro alla Scala is set to stream Mario Martone’s production of “Cavalleria Rusticana” and “Pagliacci.” The operas will be streamed on April 26 on La Scala TV at 7:45 CEST in HD and will be on demand through May 3, 2024. Mascagni’s work will star Elīna Garanča, Francesca Di Sauro, Brian Jagde, Roman Burdenko, and Elena Zilio while Leoncavallo’s {…}
The Dutch National Opera has announced its 2024-25 season. Opera René Barbera, Roman Burdenko, Aigul Khismatullina, Alexander Köpeczi, and Maya Gour Star in a revival of Verdi’s “Rigoletto.” Yi-Chen Lin conducts. Performance Dates: Sept. 2-29, 2024 Britten’s “Peter Grimes” will get a new production by Barbora Horáková. Lorenzo Viotti conducts a cast that includes Issachah Savage, Johanni van Oostrum, and {…}
The Opéra de Paris has announced its 2024-25 season. Opera Verdi’s “Falstaff” opens the season with a cast that includes Ambrogio Maestri, Olivia Boen, Marie-Andrée Bouchard-Lesieur, Andrei Kymach, Gregory Bonfatti, Marie-Nicole Lemieux, Iván Ayón-Rivas, and Federica Guida. Michael Schønwandt conducts the production by Dominique Pitoiset. Performance Dates: Sept. 10-30, 2024 Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” will star Eleonora Buratto, Elena Stikhina, Aude {…}
The Teatro alla Scala is set to stream “L’amore dei tre re” on its LaScalatv platform. The stream will take place on Nov. 11 and will star Evgeny Stavinsky, Roman Burdenko, Giorgio Berrugi, Giorgio Misseri, Andrea Tanzillo, Chiara Isotton, and Fan Zhou. Pinchas Steinberg conducts the new production by Àlex Ollé / La Fura dels Baus. “L’amore dei tre re,” features {…}
Arte is streaming a recording of Puccini’s “Tosca” from the Arena di Verona. The recording stars Sonya Yoncheva as Floria Tosca and Vittorio Gridolo as Cavaradossi. Roman Burdenko stars as the Barone Scarpia with Carlo Bosi as Spoleta and Giulio Mastrototaro as Il sagrestano. Francesco Ivan Ciampa conducts the productions by Hugo de Ana while Tiziano Mancini directs for the screen. The {…}
This week audiences cannot miss debut albums, a world premiere recording, and two acclaim DVD releases A Phoenix Rising Navona Records releases tenor Brian Smith Walters’ first album. The CD is a cross-section of chansons and Lieder spanning five centuries, and Walters navigates them with stunning bravado. Audiences will hear selections from Purcell, Copland, Schubert, Saint Saens, Tchaikovsky, Barber, Wagner, {…}