This week audiences can two Handel operas performed by some of the greatest baroque specialists. There is also a new recoding of Bizet’s “Carmen” featuring one of great interpreters of her generation. Rodelinda Handel’s 1725 hit opera is released with The English Concert and artistic director Harry Bicket. Lucy Crowe and Iestyn Davies are the devoted partners Rodelinda and Bertarido, {…}
(Photo Credits: In Art Management / © Jiyang Chen / Gillian Riesen / © Raphael Brand / LA Opera official website / © Jean-Baptiste Millot) La Monnaie De Munt has announced its new 2021-22 season, consisting of 12 operas and seven recitals. Here is the full slate. Operas Kris Defoort and Peter van Kraaij’s opera “The time of our singing” {…}
(Credit: Wiener Staatsoper official website / Marisol Montalvo official website / © Christel Loetzsch / © Sandrine Expilly) France Musique will stream two vocal performances on Jan. 19 & 20, 2021 at 8:00 p.m. CET. First up, on Jan. 19, audiences will get a chance to hear a concert of soprano Sandrine Piau at L’Auditorium du Louvre featuring works by {…}
The Festival Aix-En-Provence has announced its 2021 season. The French festival will showcase Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde” conducted by Sir Simon Rattle and directed by Simon Stone. The production will star Stuart Skelton, Nina Stemme, Jamie Barton, Franz-Josef Selig, and Josef Wagner. Premiere Date: July 2, 2021 Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro” will be conducted by Thomas Hengelbrock and directed by {…}
This week audiences will get to hear the debut album of one of today’s greatest divas and two new pieces in world premiere recordings. Anima Rara Ermonela Jaho releases her debut recital disc “Anima Rara.” Recorded in Valencia in November 2019 with the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana and Andrea Battistoni, this recording brings together music championed by the Italian {…}
(Credits: Sandrine Expilly / Bertie Watson) The Gramophone has announced its 2020 Awards. The top Opera recording went to the Erato’s release of Handel’s “Agrippina”, featuring Joyce DiDonato, Elsa Benoit, Luca Pisaroni, Franco Fagioli, Jakub Józef Orliński, Andrea Mastroni, Carlo Vistoli, Biagio Pizzuti, and Marie-Nicole Lemieux. Maxim Emelyanychev conducted the Il Pomo d’Oro orchestra. Sandrine Piau received the Recital prize {…}
Credit: Gregor Hohenberg/Sony Gramophone has announced the recordings that have advanced to the final round of the Gramophone Classical Music Awards 2020. For the purpose of this article, we will focus on vocal, choral, and opera categories. The first contestant in the opera category is the Barber’s “Vanessa,” performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Glyndebourne Chorus, under the musical {…}
The L’Instant Lyrique in France has announced its 2020-21 season featuring many leading singers from around the world. The season opens with Nicolas Courjal in a recital with pianist Antoine Palloc. Performance Date: Sept. 21, 2020 Clémentine Margaine sings a recital with Sarah Margaine. Performance Date: Oct. 12, 2020 Baroque specialist Sandrine Piau sings alongside Susan Manoff. Performance Date: Nov. 3, {…}
(Credit: Sony Classical/Baden-Baden/Tatiana Vlasova) The Konzerthaus Dortmund in Germany has unveiled its 2020-21 season. For the purposes of this article, our focus will be on vocal or operatic performances. The season opens with Haydn’s “Die Schöpfung” with soloists Robin Johannsen, David Fischer, and Florian Boesch. The Collegium Vocale Gent and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra is led by Philippe Herreweghe. Performance Date: {…}
The Dutch National Opera has announced its 2020-21 season featuring new productions and a number of world premieres. Boito’s “Mefistofele” opens the season with a new production by Tatjana Gürbaca. Marco Armiliato conducts the production with Christian Van Horn in the title role, Charles Castronovo, Olga Busuioc, and Guanqun Yu. Performance Dates: Sept. 5-24, 2020 Paula Murrihy, Sandrine Piau, Tuomas {…}
(Credit: Sasha Vasiljev / Mathias Bothor, Deutsche Grammophon) The Festival Aix-en-Provence has just announced the program for 2020 season, which will include a total of six works. The season will open with Berg’s opera “Wozzeck,” starring Christian Gerhaher, Anja Kampe, Daniel Brenna, Peter Hoare, Brindley Sherratt, Evan LeRoy Johnson, J’Nai Bridges, Alexander Kiechle, Tomasz Kumięga, and Graham Clark. Sir Simon {…}