Who’s afraid of “Roméo et Juliette?” Thomas Jolly, apparently. The director, recognized for his work both on opera and Shakespeare, seems to have missed the emotion and aesthetic power in Gounod’s opera. Thankfully, the musicians have never sounded better. First thing first: My distaste for Jolly’s approach to Gounod’s “Roméo et Juliette” does not deny that Jolly knows much more {…}
The Opéra National de Paris is set to present a new production of Gounod’s “Roméo et Juliette” this June. The production, which opens on June 17 and runs through July 15 at the Opéra Bastille (the first time the opera gets showcased at the theater), will be directed by Thomas Jolly. Carlo Rizzi will conduct two different casts. The first {…}
Last week the Opernhaus Zürich opened a new production of Gounod’s “Roméo et Juliette” led by two accomplished French singers. The cast also included one of today’s rising stars Brent Michael Smith. Smith made his professional role debut as Frère Laurent, a role that critics praised for his “soothing bass voice.” Audiences around the world were also able to see {…}
Opera Naples will present a “Toast to Opera” on Nov. 17, followed by performances of “Roméo et Juliette” on December 4 and 5, 2022. This “toast to the opera,” which will be held at the home of long-time supporters Bronwen Adams and Gerald Goldberg, will allow audiences an opportunity to meet newly appointed executive director, Laura Burns. As for the {…}
The Mälmo Opera has unveiled the live streaming options for its 2022-23 season. Audiences can watch the operas directly off the company’s official website. First up will be “Roméo et Juliette.” The opera stars Kseniia Proshina and Sehoon Moon in the title roles. Patrik Ringborg conducts and Amy Lane directs. Other cast members include Orhan Yildiz, Alexander Roslavets, Mark Stone, {…}
OPERA San Antonio has announced its 2022-23 season featuring two productions. The season opens with Leoncavallo’s “Pagliacci” directed by Garnett Bruce. Francesco Milioto conducts a cast that includes Jonathan Burton, Sara Gartland, Gordon Hawkins, and Ricardo Jose Rivera. Performance Dates: Nov. 3 & 5, 2022 Matthew Ozawa directs Gounod’s “Romeo et Juliette” with Francesco Milioto conducting. Duke Kim and Jacqueline Echols lead the cast that {…}
(Credit: Marine Cessat-Bégler) Adriana González’s life changed in 2019. The lyric soprano competed in the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition as one of 20 singers before heading over to Operalia and taking home first prize in both the opera and zarzuela competitions. Since then, her career has taken off in rapid succession with the soprano appearing in leading {…}
(Credit: Simon Pauly) Mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato and conductor John Nelson will continue their Berlioz series with performances of “Roméo et Juliette” in Strasbourg and Paris. The tour of the work will kick off in Strasboug on June 7 and 8 followed by a performance at the Philharmonie de Paris on June 10, 2022. Nelson will conduct the Orchestre Philharmonique de {…}
The Maggio Musicale Fiorentino has postponed a performance of Gounod’s “Roméo et Juliette.” The company announced that the performance on April 30 has been postponed to May 10, 2022. Ticket holders will be allowed to use their original tickets for the new date or change them for another date. If ticket holders are unable to attend any other date, they {…}
(Credit: Devon Cass) The San Diego Opera has announced a cast change for its upcoming production of “Roméo et Juliette.” The company noted that the role of Juliette will be sung by Nicole Cabell, replacing Kristina Mkhitaryan who withdrew from four of her upcoming engagements due to family reasons. Cabell is a winner of the Cardiff Singer of the World {…}
(Credit: Emil Matveev / Askonas Holt Official Website) San Diego Opera is set to kick off 2022 with a production of Gounod’s “Roméo et Juliette.” The showcase, which opens on March 26 and runs through April 3, 2022 at the San Diego Civic Theater, will star tenor Pene Pati and the Russian soprano Kristina Mkhitaryan (in her company debut) as {…}