The Houston Symphony has announced its 2019-20 season with a number of great artists and conductors featured in a variety of repertoire. For this season announcement, we will focus on the vocal performances and operatic repertoire. Jean-Yves Thibaudet and Andrés Orozco-Estrada team up for a concert, which will include a suite from “Porgy and Bess” by Gershwin, as well as the {…}
On January 31, the Metropolitan Opera will revive Mozart’s “Don Giovanni.” The opera will run for seven performances between January and February before returning for another five in April. Here are some fun facts about the upcoming production. The first cast will showcase four prominent Met Opera debuts. Soprano Aida Garifullina will make her hotly anticipated house debut, taking on {…}
On Nov. 11, 2018, the Oratorio Society of New York will celebrate Polish Independence. The concert, led by Kent Tritle, will be part of “100 for 100,” a worldwide musical commemoration of the Polish centenary in conjunction with the Polish Cultural Institute New York, and PWM Edition. The concert will feature Szymanowski’s Stabat Mater and Górecki’s Euntes Ibant et Flebant. {…}
The Cincinnati Opera has announced its 99th season featuring five productions including a world premiere and numerous top stars for the opera world. The season will also include numerous a number of concerts and programs. Here is a look at what to expect. Productions The season opens with Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro” in a production by Stephen Lawless. Soprano Susanna Phillips will {…}
Some reading this review — perhaps many — have never been to the Tanglewood Music Festival in Lenox, Massachusetts. Much more than the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Tanglewood is a magical place; so many thrilling, historical performances and moments have taken place here. And I’ve been lucky to attend many of those performances, such as Seiji Ozawa’s {…}
Tenor Jonathan Tetelman will replace Piotr Beczala in “La Bohème” at Tanglewood. Beczala was supposed to take on his signature role alongside soprano Kristine Opolais but opted for performing in “Lohengrin” at the Bayreuth Festival when Roberto Alagna stepped down from the production. Tetelman sang his first performances of Rodolfo in the Puccini masterpiece at the Fujian Grand Theatre in {…}
The Oratorio Society of New York has announced its 2018-19 Carnegie Hall season. The organization, led by Kent Tritle, will kick off its season with a performance dedicated to the Centennial of the Armistice and of Polish Independence. The concert will feature Szymanowski’s “Stabat Mater” as well as Gorecki’s “Euntes Ibant et Flebant” and the “Dona nobis pacem” by Vaughan {…}
It is easy to see why Marc Blitzstein’s “Regina” is rarely performed. It’s a demanding work that tackles issues of greed, race relations and other seedy elements of humanity head-on while fusing many musical styles that make it hard to characterize. Because there are so many elements to this opera that includes 10 major characters, it is difficult to mount {…}
PBS will showcase Puccini’s “La Bohème” from the Metropolitan Opera as part of its Great Performances Series on Sunday, May 20, 2018. The broadcast will kick off at 12 p.m. EDT and will showcase soprano Sonya Yoncheva as the tragic Mimì. This was the second of Yoncheva’s big season, during which she appeared on three Live in HD broadcasts. Her {…}
PBS will showcase “L’Elisir D’Amore” from the Metropolitan Opera as part of its Great Performances Series on Sunday, April 29, 2018. The broadcast will kick off at 12 p.m. EDT and will showcase soprano Pretty Yende, tenor Matthew Polenzani, baritone Davide Luciano, and bass Ildebrando D’Arcangelo. The showcase, from February’s Live in HD series, was hosted Susanna Phillips and conducted {…}
Puccini’s “La Bohème” made a return to the Metropolitan Opera on Friday, February 16, 2018, with a cast that is slated for an HD performance a week from today. On the evidence of this opening night performance, that transmission the world over should be quite special. Zeffirelli’s production needs no introduction (though if you want some commentary, check out these {…}