(Courtesy of Hilbert Artist Management) Markus Werba is set to replace Mariusz Kwiecień in Donizetti’s “Don Pasquale” at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. The company announced that after Kwiecień was forced to cancel the new production for personal reasons, Werba will take on the baritone role. Werba is a recognized baritone who made his Royal Opera debut in 2008 as Harlequin {…}
Gerald Barry’s first opera “The Intelligence Park” with a libretto by Vincent Deane return to London at the Linbury Theatre ahead of “Alice’s Adventures Under Ground” on the main stage later in the Season. “The Intelligence Park” was first commissioned by the ICA and was first performed in 1990 at the Almeida Festival. The work introduced a completely new operatic {…}
The Royal Opera House has announced two major cast changes for the 2019-20 season. The company announced that Mariusz Kwiecień has withdrawn from a new production of Donizetti’s “Don Pasquale“ in October due to personal reasons. This is the latest in a series of cancellations for the baritone, who recently canceled performances of “Eugene Onegin” in Japan as well presentations of {…}
Juan Diego Flórez is set to return to the Royal Opera in the title role of Massenet’s “Werther.” The opera production by Benoît Jacquot will be revived for the third time since its debut in 2004 production. Flórez will sing the role following acclaimed performances at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna and Opernhaus Zurich. He will be joined by mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard {…}
The Royal Opera House has announced a few cast amendments and additions for its upcoming 2019-20 season. Lars Woldt has withdrawn from “Don Giovanni” due to poor health. The Commendatore will instead by sung by British bass Brindley Sherratt on Sept. 13, 16, 19, & 28 and Oct. 3, and Greek bass Petros Magoulas on Sept. 22 & 25 and {…}
(Photo: Royal Opera House/Tristram Kenton) A map unfolds to become mammoth-sized over the stage in Laurent Pelly’s 2007 production of “La Fille du Régiment:” a zany and cartoonish exposition of this far-fetched comic tale that stretches paper-thin our talent for suspending disbelief. Mounting the set in an unspecified era with almost incidental visual references to furniture, furnishings and fashions of the {…}
OperaVision will present a live stream of “Le Nozze di Figaro” from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden on July 9, 2019. The stream kicks off at 8 p.m. local time. That’s around 3 p.m. EDT and 12 p.m. PST for the start time. The live stream will be available for one month on the platform. The Mozart masterpiece will {…}
(Credit: Royal Opera House) How one experiences Barrie Kosky’s “Carmen,” which is currently being presented at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, really depends on your relationship to the work itself. Those who have never seen the opera might actually find themselves riveted by Kosky’s conception and execution. Those who hate it might find this a breath of fresh air. {…}
(Credit: James Bellorini Photography) Over 1,000 students appeared in the largest staging of Bizet’s “Carmen” in the United Kingdom. The showcase, which took place on June 26, 2019, brought together 35 schools nationwide at the Copper Box Arena in London’s Olympic Park. The performance was staged and directed by the English Pocket Opera and featured four professional singers and a {…}
(Credit: Bill Cooper / Royal Opera House) The Royal Opera House will live stream the July 2, 2019 performance of Bizet’s “Carmen” via the company’s Facebook and YouTube pages. The showcase is part of BP Big Screens, which allows audiences in the UK the opportunity to experience culture for free. The performance on July 2 will feature Aigul Akhmetshina in {…}
(Credit: Catherine Ashmore / Royal Opera House) At the tender age of 12, Jonathan Kent’s 2004 production of Tosca is among the fledglings of the Royal Opera roster. Visually simplistic and at times homogeneous, it eschews the archetypical velvet red and gleaming gold numerous incarnations of the opera take in favor of a dusky navy that enrobes the Sant’Andrea church, {…}