(Photo: Miklos Szabo) It is well known that the premiere night of “The Barber of Seville” was a resounding failure. A series of onstage mishaps, boos from the audience, and even a black cat crossing the stage forced Gioachino Rossini to flee the theater to avoid, in his own words, “being killed by the audience for their unbridled passion.” Yet {…}
(Photos: Marco Borrelli) The Opéra de Monte-Carlo ushered in the new year with two standout productions as part of the “Mozart in Monaco” festival, organized by the resident Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo. The festival’s first offering was a semi-staged “Don Giovanni,” presented by the Wiener Staatsoper on January 19th. Cecilia Bartoli, director of the Opéra de Monte-Carlo, continued her fruitful {…}
The Royal Danish Opera has announced a cast change for its Sept. 1, 2023 performance of Verdi’s “Aida.” The company said that Judit Kutasi will sing the role of Amneris replacing Nora Sourouzian. Kutasi also took to social media and said, “Jumping in tonight as Amneris at the Royal Danish Opera in their production of Aida! Didn’t think will be {…}
(Credit: Christian Jungwirth) Marie Jacquot has been appointed Music Director of the Royal Theater in Copenhagen, also known as the Royal Danish Opera. Her five-year tenure is set to kick off 2024. The 31-year-old conductor will succeed Alexander Vedernikov, who served as director until 2020 when he passed away due to complications related to COVID-19. The French music director was {…}
(Credit: Royal Danish opera official website) Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has announced a plan for a total reopening of the country, under the condition of full vaccination of all citizens over the age of 50. “With a few exceptions, Danish society should be open when everyone over the age of 50 has been vaccinated,” said Frederiksen on March 22. {…}
Aerialist noun : one who performs feats in the air or above the ground, especially on the trapeze. Does singing “Der Hölle Rache,” the famous Queen of the Night aria, upside down while suspended by yards of silk count as a “feat?” If not, it should because that’s exactly what soprano Rainelle Krause does. Whether in the air or on the {…}
The Royal Danish Opera has announced that it will limit the number of audience members due to the coronavirus. In a statement the company announced that it is taking the safety and health of its staff and audience very seriously. As a result, the theater said that it will follow “guidelines from Danish authorities in order to minimize the risk {…}
“Il Trovatore” fits awkwardly in Verdi’s extraordinarily fruitful “middle period.” Wedged between the musical and dramatic innovations of “Rigoletto” and “La Traviata,” it seems to be a conservative throwback to an Italian idiom established by Rossini and his early successors. It is a “numbers” opera with a melodramatic plot (based on Antonio Garcia Gutiérrez’s “El trovador”) that beggars belief. {…}
This weekend, a number of productions continue runs all over the world with many of the biggest stars singing. Check out what companies have to offer. Austria At the Vienna State Opera, Carlos Álvarez and Dorothea Röschmann continue their run of “Le Nozze di Figaro” on Friday while on Sunday audiences get another chance at “Chowanschtschina” with Ferruccio Furlanetto. On Saturday, {…}