The Royal Opera House Muscat has canceled performances in solidarity with Palestine. The company said, “The Royal Opera House Muscat announces the cancellation of the Omani Women’s Day event and the suspension of all other performances until further notice, in solidarity with the People of Palestine.” The company was set to open a production of “The Barber of Seville” at {…}
The Royal Opera House Muscat has unveiled its 2023-24 season. Here is the rundown of the classical vocal performances on offer. First up is “The Barber of Seville” with the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI and the Intermezzo Choir under the musical direction of Antonino Fogliani. The opera stars Antonino Siragusa as Conte d’Almaviva, Carlo Lepore as Dr. Bartolo, Nicola {…}
The Royal Opera Muscat in Oman has announced its 2022-23 season. Here is a look at the operatic productions. The season opens with Verdi’s “La Traviata” starring Plácido Domingo. Marta Domingo directs the production which will also star Nino Machaidze and Vittorio Grigolo. The opera will be performed by the Orchestra and Chorus of Teatro Carlo Felice of Genova conducted by {…}
The Royal Opera House Muscat has canceled its upcoming production of “The Merry Widow.” The operetta, which was set to be performed on Feb. 17, 18, and 19, was to be conducted by Marco Arturo Marelli with the Orchestra and Chorus from the Volksoper Wien. As a result, ticket holders will be notified of available refund options for the event. {…}
On Jan. 28, Rai 5 will present Verdi’s “Rigoletto” from the Royal Opera HouseMuscat. The broadcast will showcase Franco Zeffirelli’s final production, which premiered on Jan. 20 and starred Ambrogio Maestri in the title role. The cast also included Dmitry Korchak, Giuliana Gianfaldoni, Yulia Mazurova, and Riccardo Zanellato. Jan-Latham-Koenig conducted the Arena di Verona Orchestra. Of the new production, OperaWire {…}
On Jan. 22, the Royal Opera House Muscat presented its final performance of “Rigoletto.” On this evening, the opening cast returned in Franco Zeffirelli’s final production. The result was a performance filled with excellent singing that sometimes lacked drama and felt disconnected from the glorious production. A Return to Old Times Ambrogio Maestri led the cast singing the title role. {…}
To celebrate its 10th anniversary, the Royal Opera House Muscat recently opened its 2022 season with a historical production of “Rigoletto.” The version of the Verdi opera marks the final production that legendary director Franco Zeffirelli created for the opera stage before his death in 2019. It’s also a historical occasion because it marks the first time that audiences in {…}
The Royal Opera House Muscat has announced its new protocols for the safety against COVID-19. As a response to the rising number of Covid cases in Oman, the company’s Supreme Committee researched and decided on new guidelines for the safety of the performers, staff, and audience members. Now, performances will be held at 50 percent capacity to ensure social distance. {…}
(Credit: Gemma Escribano) Soprano Marina Monzó will perform the role of Die Königin der Nacht in the upcoming production of Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte” at the Bayerische Staatsoper, replacing the originally scheduled Sabine Devieilhe. Monzó joins a cast that includes Pavol Breslik as Tamino, Olga Kulchynska as Pamina, and Günther Groissböck as Sarastro. The cast also includes Eliza Boom, Daria Proszek, {…}
The Royal Opera House Muscat has announced its tenth anniversary season. The season opens with Verdi’s “Rigoletto” in production by Franco Zeffirelli. The new production is the final piece of work that Zeiffirelli left behind. The production will star Leo Nucci in the title role, Dmitry Korchak (Duke of Mantua), Giuliana Gianfaldoni (Gilda) and Ricardo Zanellato (Sparafucile). The orchestra and {…}
When the world of opera speaks of its development into the future, that evolution usually centers on conversations taking place in traditional opera settings, including Europe and North America. But the Middle East has not often been a major focal point of that conversation. Paolo Petrocelli, author of “The Evolution of Opera Theatre in the Middle East and North Africa” {…}
