German soprano Anett Fritsch has withdrawn from singing the role of Micaëla in The Royal Opera’s “Carmen” due to pregnancy. As a result the role will be sung on Feb. 6, 10, 14, 20, 23 and March 3 and 6 by Russian soprano Kristina Mkhitaryan, who will make her Royal Opera debut in the role. She recently sung the role {…}
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, {…}
Right after “La Bohème” kicks off its run at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte” will take over the headlines with 13 performances starting on Sept. 12, 2017, and ending on Oct. 14, 2017. Here are essential facts to prepare you for the classic gem before you check it out in London. 1. The opera will feature {…}
As is the case with a number of major opera houses around the world, the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden is presenting Puccini’s “La Bohème.” And is often the case with all of these major companies, there are so many performances of this beloved opera, 25 in total spread across the fall and summer, that it can be tough to {…}
“La Forza del Destino” has had a misfortunate history over the past few years. The Royal Opera House’s 2004 production was met with boos and the Metropolitan Opera canceled its scheduled new production due to financial issues. Well, it seems like the opera may finally get a revival at one of these houses. According to a recent article in the Telegraph.uk the {…}
Diana Damrau’s “Lucia di Lammermoor” will be released on DVD. The 2016 Royal Opera House production by Katie Mitchell, which was met with mixed reception, is scheduled for release in October according to Amazon. The opera also stars Charles Castronovo as Edgardo, Ludovic Tezier as Enrico and Kwangchul Youn as Raimondo. Daniel Oren conducts this production. When the production first opened critics noted, {…}
Nadine Sierra has withdrawn from the Royal Opera House’s new production of “La bohème.” As a result, Simona Mihai and Joyce El-Khoury will replace her. First Romanian-born British soprano Simona Mihai will sing in performances scheduled between Sept. 11 and Oct. 3 excluding the Sept. 23 performance. Then Lebanese-Canadian soprano El-Khoury will take over Sept. 23 and Oct. 6, 7, and 10. As originally scheduled Mihai will sing the role of Mimì {…}
The Royal Opera continues it BP Big Screens series on July 14, 2017 with “Turandot.” The live stream will be shown on the Royal Opera’s website and on YouTube and will be available for a further 30 days after the live stream. The opera will also be broadcast free to 14 screens around the country, from Newcastle to Brighton, with pre-screening {…}
Conductor Rafael Kubelík, born on June 29, 1914, is not often one of the names often associated with the operatic greats. And he never quite got the opportunity to build that legacy due to a number of mitigating circumstances with two of the great opera companies in the world. Here is a look at his career at those major companies. {…}
When Jonas Kaufmann takes the stage on Wed. June 21, 2017, for his first ever “Otello” in Verdi’s masterwork, he will follow in a long line of major tenors that have dominated the opera at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. The opera first premiered with the ROH on Oct. 17, 1955, in a production starring Ramon Vinay in his {…}
Ever wonder why Jonas Kaufmann chose to sing his first ever “Otello” at the Royal Opera House? The tenor recently made that revelation on the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden’s website. “The Royal Opera House has always been a place where I’ve felt very at home and the acoustic is good – it’s not too big but still has a glory,” the {…}