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” {…}
The Royal Opera House Muscat has canceled the rest of its 2019-20 season. The company stated, “due to our ongoing commitment to the health and wellbeing of our patrons, all activities for the remainder of the 2019/2020 season are cancelled. This is due to the public health and travel measures which have been put in place to address the threat {…}
(This review will focus on the Jan. 4 performance, though with mentions of the Jan. 3 performance as well.) There is a moment near the end of Davide Livermore’s “Die Zauberflöte” at Muscat’s Royal Opera House of Musical Arts in which Tamino and Pamino must face the trials by fire and water with the magic flute in tow. But Livermore {…}
(Credit: Joan Tomàs) Celso Albelo has canceled his debut at the Royal Opera House Muscat. The tenor canceled his appearance as Rodolfo in “La Bohème” due to a knee injury. As a result, Giorgio Berrugi will replace Albelo. Berrugi is an Italian tenor known throughout Europe who is set to return to the Teatro alla Scala this season and will {…}
(Credit: © KHALID ALBUSAIDI / Provided by Royal Opera House Muscat) He was artistic director all over Italy with such organizations as the Teatro Licirco Di Caligari, the Arena di Verona, the Teatro Lirico di Trieste, and Teatro Comunale Odea di Lumezzane. But now Umberto Fanni is thousands of miles away leading as the General Director of the Royal Opera {…}
(Photo credit: Khalid AlBusaidi / ROHM) This review is for performances on Sept. 11 and 14, 2019. Writing a review after an initial performance of any run is a challenging proposition. You are essentially recording your views on a first impression without really getting a chance to see the full picture. There are many reasons why this is the case, {…}
The Royal Opera House Muscat has announced its 2018-19 featuring 40 new programs and a total of 69 performances. The season will include some of the best conductors and singers in the world leading the world’s finest orchestras, the concentration of orchestral talent appearing at ROHM this season is impressive. Here is a look at the operatic and vocal events {…}
Bellini’s “La Sonnambula” relies heavily on its star soprano for a satisfactory performance. Written to showcase Giuditta Pasta, one of the greatest divas of the time, the title role of Amina is known for its technical challenges which require the soprano to have complete command of long legato lines with great breath control. It also requires attacking trills and fast {…}
The Royal Opera House Muscat has announced its 2017-18 season with a plethora of operas to see. The season opens on Sept. 14 with Verdi’s “Aida” starring Gregory Kunde and Kristin Lewis and conducted by Gianandrea Noseda. Olga Peretyatko and Maxim Mironov then take the stage for Rossini’s “L’Occasione fa il Ladro.” The opera, which open on Oct. 27, 2017, {…}