(Credit: Wiener Staatsoper) The Wiener Staatsoper has announced a cast change for its September run of Strauss’ “Salome.” The company said that Vida Miknevičiūtė will sing the title role on Sept. 21 and Jennifer Holloway will sing it on Sept. 23 and 25, 2024 replacing Simone Schneider, who was originally scheduled. Miknevičiūtė has performed the opera at the Victorian Opera, Bolshoi {…}
(Photo: Charles Duprat / Opéra National de Paris) Whether you liked it or not, Lydia Steier’s “Salome” was the event of last season. Bleeding bodies, shooting guns, nudity, and rape; it was an R-rated “Salome.” Its provocations echoed both Wilde’s spirit and current discussions of gender, capitalism, and harassment. In this revival, the story is a bit different. The true {…}
Soprano Lise Davidsen is no stranger to Strauss as she has performed the Marschallin “Der Rosenkavalier,” Chrysothemis in “Elektra” and and the title role of “Ariadne auf Naxos.” She has also performed the Four Last Songs. For all these roles she had garnered universal acclaim with OperaWire stating, “She can be comic, tragic, and romantic. She can be physical and {…}
(Photo: Tamara Cerna SofiG) Immediately after the curtain came down on Brno National Theater’s excellent production of Richard Strauss’ “Salome,” OperaWire nipped around to the stage door for an interview appointment with Slovakian soprano Linda Ballová, who had just produced a stunning performance in the titular role. It is unlikely that many opera-goers in Western countries will have heard the {…}
(Photo: Marek Olbryzmek) Richard Strauss’ “Salome” is one of those operas that lives or dies through the performance of one singer. In this case, it is the soprano cast in the title role. If she cannot hold the audience’s attention, either because she is unable to bring the necessary energy and expressivity to her singing or because she does {…}
(Photo: Attila Nagy) Following Linda Ballová’s compelling performance in the title role of “Salome” at the Brno National Theatre, OperaWire thought it would be interesting to interview the Slovakian soprano. After which, we had a short chat to find out more about the person behind the voice. OperaWire: What was the first opera you saw? Linda Ballová: It was “Carmen” {…}
The Curtis Symphony Orchestra and members of the Curtis Opera Theatre will open the 2023–24 season on October 22 at 7 p.m. at Verizon Hall, Kimmel Cultural Campus, with a tribute to composer Richard Strauss entitled ‘Spectacular Strauss.’ Curtis’ young musicians will showcase their talent, led by conductors Yannick Nézet-Séguin and Micah Gleason. Nézet-Séguin holds the position of music director {…}
The Canadian Opera Company has announced that filming is set to begin next week in Toronto on “Seven Veils,” a new feature film from acclaimed filmmaker Atom Egoyan and Rhombus Media. The production will star Amanda Seyfried who will play Jeanine, an earnest theatre director, who has been given the daunting task of remounting her former mentor’s most famous work, {…}
(Credit: Gillian Riesen) Houston Grand Opera has announced a cast change for its production of “Salome.” The company said that Laura Wilde will now sing the title role, replacing Amanda Majeski. Wilde is currently in a production of “Tosca” at Arizona Opera and will reprise the role at the Opera Theatre of St. Louis this summer. She recently made her Met {…}
Jiří Rajniš belongs to the youngest generation of operatic singers from the Czech Republic. From an early age, the baritone was exposed to music from his parents who were also opera singers. He then went on to study in the U.S. and became a member of the Junges Ensemble at the Semperoper Dresden. Over the last few years, he has {…}
The Canadian Opera Company is set to present R. Strauss’ “Salome.” The opera will be performed by Canadian soprano Ambur Braid and will also include Karita Mattila, who once was a great Salome, in the role of Herodias, tenor Michael Schade as King Herod, baritone Michael Kupfer-Radecky in his COC and North American debut as Jochanaan, and, in a role {…}