First performed in 1846, “La Damnation de Faust” remains one of Hector Berlioz’s most audacious and elusive works: neither fully opera nor oratorio, but a hybrid “dramatic legend” that defies conventional staging and genre. Drawing on Goehte’s “Faust” while filtering the story through Berlioz’s intensely Romantic imagination, the piece moves with feverish speed from pastoral lyricism to infernal spectacle, {…}
(Photo: Monika Rittershaus) Paul Hindemith’s “Cardillac” remains one of the most insightful operatic examinations of artistic obsession ever written. Premiered in 1926 amidst the cultural turbulence of the Weimar Republic, this psychological thriller follows a Parisian goldsmith so consumed by his creations that he murders to reclaim them, unable to tolerate his masterpieces in anyone else’s possession. Beyond its surface {…}
“Andrea Chénier” is the greatest masterpiece of Umberto Giordano, one of the most prominent exponents of Verismo. The plot is based on historical events: poet and scholar André Chénier, who had sympathized with revolutionary ideas, was guillotined in 1794 during the Reign of Terror following the French Revolution of 1789. The libretto features a love story between Chénier and Maddalena {…}
(Photo: ) Giuseppe Verdi’s “I vespri siciliani” recounts the story of a historical revolution: the uprising of the Sicilian people against their French rulers in 1282, leading to the liberation of the island from their occupation. The political narrative is intertwined with the personal lives of the main characters. Duchess Elena, whose brother was killed by the French, seeks vengeance {…}
The Opernhaus Zürich has announced its 2021-22 season. Here is the full slate. Operas – Premieres Richard Strauss‘ “Salome” will star Elena Stikhina, Kostas Smoriginas, Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke, Michaela Schuster, Mauro Peter, and Siena Licht Miller. Simone Young conducts the production by Andreas Homoki. Performance dates: Sep. 12 – Oct. 17, 2021 Verdi‘s “Il Trovatore” will spotlight Quinn Kelsey, Marina Rebeka, {…}