(Photo: Geoffroy Schied) Martin Kušej’s 2010 production of “Rusalka” at the Bayerische Staatsoper has become a modern classic. It made a star of Kristine Opolais and in one way took the torch from David Pountney’s 1986 production at ENO, which revolutionized our view of Dvořák’s opera. Out went the traditional fairy tale and in came a psychoanalytic exploration of a {…}
The Wiener Konzerthaus has announced its 2026-27 season. Here is a look at the vocal performances. VOCES8 leads a program of music by William Byrd, Virgil Thomson, Caroline Shaw, Morten Lauridsen, William Billings, Bobby McFerrin, Eric Whitacre, Taylor Scott Davis, Samuel Barber, Richard Rodgers, and Billy Strayhorn. Performance Date: Sept. 16, 2026 The Mahler Academy Orchestra will be joined by Fleur Barron and Philipp von Steinaecker in music by Mahler. Performance {…}
The Bayerische Staatsoper has announced its 2026-27 season. Premiere Productions The first production of the season will be Wagner’s “Siegfried” with Benjamin Bruns, Matthias Klink, Nicholas Brownlee, Georg Nigl, Timo Riihonen, Wiebke Lehmkuhl, Simone Schneider, and Miina-Liisa Värelä. Vladimir Jurowski conducts the production by Tobias Kratzer. Performance Dates: Oct. 29, 2026-July 29, 2027 Nadine Sierra and Lisette Oropesa alternate as {…}
(© Semperoper Dresden/Matthias Creutziger) The Semperoper Dresden has announced that it will stream the 2016 double-bill production of Mascagni’s “Cavalleria Rusticana” and Leoncavallo’s “Pagliacci.” The operas star Maria Agresta, Liudmyla Monastyrska, Annalisa Stroppa, Stefania Toczyska, Tansel Akzeybek, Alessio Arduini, Jonas Kaufmann, Ambrogio Maestri and Dimitri Platanias. Christian Thielemann conducts the Staatskapelle Dresden. This Unitel recording is made available in collaboration {…}
(Credits: LA Opera official website / Komische Oper Berlin official website / Oper Wuppertal official website / © Lioba Schöneck) The Komische Oper Berlin will present a production of Jacque Offenbach‘s opera buffa “Orphée aux enfers” in December 2021. American soprano Sydney Mancasola makes her long anticipated debut in the role of Eurydice, while tenor Tansel Akzeybek appears in the {…}
This November, Concerto Köln alongside conductor Kent Nagano will present historically-informed performances of Wagner’s “Das Rheingold.” The performances come as part of their “Wagner Readings” project, which was started in 2017 and began to develop this artistic/scientific approach to the tetralogy, bringing together scholars of multiple disciplines. The first concert will be held on Nov. 18 at the Kölner Philharmonie, {…}
(Credits: LA Opera official website / Jan Windszus Photography / Lena Kern / Mark Janssen / Georg Schlosser / In Art Management official website) The Komische Oper Berlin has announced its 2021-22 season. Here is a look at the operatic and vocal performances. Opera – Premieres Enescu’s rarely performed masterwork “Œdipe” opens the season. The opera features Jens Larsen, Joachim {…}
(Photo Credits: Emma Birski / OnP) Opéra National de Paris has announced its 2021-22 season. Here is the full slate. Operas “The Seven Deaths of Maria Callas” by Marina Abramovic will open the season. The showcase stars Nadezhda Karyazina, Selene Zanetti, Leah Hawkins, Adela Zaharia, Lauren Fagan, Gabriella Reyes, and Hera Hyesang Park. Yoel Gamzou conducts. Performance dates: Sep. 1 {…}
( Credit: Gunnar Geller) The Komische Oper Berlin has announced that it will remain shut down until at least Easter 2021, due to continued concerns over the spread of COVID-19. The opera house has officially stated that the productions of Jean-Philippe Rameau’s “Les Boréades,” George Enescu’ s “Œdipe,” and Jacques Offenbach’s opera “Orphée aux enfers” will be postponed until future {…}
(Credit: Jan Windszus Photography, 3 D Art: Sven Windszus) Komische Oper Berlin has unveiled its 2020-21 season. The first new production of the year will be “Katya Kabanova” will be directed by Jetske Mijnssen and will star Maria Bengtsson, Maria Fiselier, Magnus Vigilius, and Doris Lamprech, among others. Giedre Sleyte conducts. Performance Dates: Sept. 26, 2020 -June 30, 2021 Paul {…}
Komische Oper Berlin has announced its 2019-20 season. This season will celebrate Dionysus, the forefather and protagonist of Greek theatre, with new productions reflecting the entire spectrum of musical theatre. Chief Director Barrie Kosky comments, “. . . [O]nce we believe in the power of theatre and music, believe in their intoxicating, seductive, physical, emotional, and ultimately community-building impacts, once {…}