(Photo credit: Matthias Creutziger) Soprano and Saxon Chamber Singer Barbara Hoene died at the age of 80. She passed away during the night of Jan. 11 and 12. Hoene was born on Feb. 4, 1944 in Cottbus. She began her career in 1966 as a soloist at the Landestheater Dessau and was engaged in the soloist ensemble of the Saxon {…}
The Semperoper Dresden has announced its 2024-25 season. Premieres Arrigo Boito’s “Mefistofele” is conducted by Andrea Battistoni and directed by Eva-Maria Höckmayr. The production will star Krzysztof Bączyk, Bekhzod Davronov, Marjukka Tepponen, and Martina Gedeck. Performance Dates: Sept. 28-Oct. 24, 2024 Richard Strauss’s “Intermezzo” will be conducted by Patrick Hahn and directed by Axel Ranisch. The cast will include Maria {…}
(Photo: Semperoper/Ludwig Olah) The almost 800-year-old conflict on the Iberian Peninsular between the Spanish and the Moorish invaders gave rise to many stories of heroism, love and bloodshed. While some were based on fact, others were simply romantic embellishments or complete fabrications. One such tale of questionable authenticity concerns Rahel, the Jewish mistress of the King of Castile, Alfonso VIII. {…}
(Credit: Ludwig Olah) Medici.TV is set to present Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde” from the Semperoper Dresden. The opera will be streamed on Feb. 17, 2024, and will star tenor Klaus Florian Vogt and soprano Camilla Nylund. Audiences will also get to experience the work of Georg Zeppenfeld, Martin Gantner, Tanja Ariane Baumgartner, Sebastian Wartig, Attilio Glaser, and Lawson Anderson. Alexander Bülow directed the production, which {…}
Semperoper Dresden has announced that it will be expanding its accessibility options for its audiences by introducing opera performances with audio descriptions as well as haptic tours. The audio descriptions are written by non-sighted and sighted authors that will describe events as well as stage design and costumes. The services are free of charge but only valid with a ticket {…}
For the first time since 2019, the Semperoper Dresden is set to bring back Verdi’s “Nabucco.” The revival of David Bösch’s production will star ensemble member Markus Marquardt in the title role. He will be joined by Ewa Plonka in her Dresden debut as Abigaile. Other cast members include Christa Mayer and Pavol Breslik as Fenena and Ismaele, respectively. Rounding {…}
The Semperoper Dresden has announced a cast change for its production of Bellini’s “La Sonnambula.” The company said that Marco Ciaponi will sing the role of Elvino on May 1 replacing Maxim Mironov. Ciaponi Marco has performed at the Wiener Staatsoper and Deutsche Oper am Rhein as well as at the Opéra Grand Avignon, Opéra de Limoges, Opéra de Metz, {…}
The Semperoper Dresden has announced its 2023-24 season. Here is a look at the operatic productions of the season. Premieres Puccini’s “Turandot” is set to star Elisabeth Teige, Aleksei Kulagin, Yonghoon Lee, and Elbenita Kajtazi. Ivan Repušić conducts the new production by Marie-Eve Signeyrole. Performance Dates: Oct. 7-Nov. 25, 2023 Mary Plazas, Katerina von Bennigsen, Peter Tantsits, and Andrew Nolen {…}
The Semperoper Dresden announced that Christian Thielemann has had to cancel “Richard Strauss Days” due to health issues. The company said that for the revival of “Der Rosenkavalier” on March 25 and April 3, 2023, Cornelius Meister will conduct. Meanwhile, “Arabella” on March 30 and April 5 and 7, 2023 will be taken on by conductor David Afkham. Finally, the {…}
(© Semperoper Dresden/Matthias Creutziger) The Semperoper Dresden has deactivated its Twitter account. The company said in a statement, “dear Twitter users, the Semperoper & the Semperoper Ballett have decided for various reasons to no longer use this channel. We thank everyone who has followed us on here.” It added that for all news, users can “still find information and news {…}
The Semperoper Dresden is set to premiere Rolando Villazón’s production of “La Sonnambula” on March 19, 2023. The opera, which will be conducted by Evelino Pidò, will star Emily Pogorelc, Maxim Mironov, Rosalia Cid, Georg Zeppenfeld, and Nicole Chirka. “In the current production, Villazón reveals the resentments lurking behind picturesque facades in a self-contained rustic rural village community, whose entrenched {…}