(Credit: Askonas Holt /Gregor Röhrig / Julien Fauguere / Chris Singer) The Bayerische Staatsoper has announced a major change to its 2020-21 season, adding several productions to the slate. New Productions The company will world premiere “7 Deaths of Maria Callas” on Sept. 1, 2020. The opera had previously been slated to have its first performances at the tail-end of {…}
The Oper Köln has announced its 2020-21 season featuring nine new productions and several revivals. Premieres The first new production of the season will be Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte“ with Michael Hampe directing. Christoph Gedschold, Alfred Eschwé, and Rainer Mühlbach alternate at the pit with Julien Behr as Tamino, Antonina Vesenina, and Emily Hindrichs as the Queen of the Night, Kathrin Zukowski {…}
(Credit: Lena Kern/Sonya Garza/Yan Bleney) With the opera world as we know it going silent, opera houses have begun streaming performances from their archives. Companies have released dress rehearsals, archival audio, and in many cases launched streaming services that show off today’s greatest performers. It’s been, in many ways, a group effort to keep opera fans continuously entertained in this {…}
(Credit: Patrick Redmond) OperaVision will present “La Cenerentola” from the Irish National Opera on New Year’s Day 2020. The famed Rossini opera will star Tara Erraught in the title role with Andrew Owens as the Prince Ramiro. Riccardo Novaro, Graeme Danby, David Ostrek, Rachel Croash, and Niamh O’Sullivan will round out the cast. Fergus Sheil conducts a production directed by {…}
The Irish National Opera has announced its 2019-20 season, featuring six productions. Evangelia Rigaki and Melatu Uche Okorie’s installation opera “This Hostel Life” stars Amy Ní Fhearraigh, Rachel Croash, Andrew Gavin, and Robert McAllister. The work is directed by Caitriona McLaughlin. Performance Dates: Sept. 26-28, 2019 Katie Bray, Jorge Navarro Colorado, Emma Morwood, Sinéad O’Kelly, Russell Harcourt, and Raphaela Mangan star in Vivaldi’s “Giselda” with Peter Whelan conducting and Tom Creed {…}
The 18th Oxford Lieder Festival has announced its will focus on the world of storytelling and fairy tales, from Norse legend to the Brothers Grimm. The new season will showcase leading artists including Louise Alder, Ilker Arcayürek, Benjamin Appl, Nikolay Borchev, Katherine Broderick, Stéphane Degout, Tara Erraught, Marcus Farnsworth, Maria Forsström, James Gilchrist, Ben Johnson, Sophie Karthaüser, Stephan Loges, Christoph {…}
The Staatsoper Berlin has announced its 2019-20 season, which will feature 10 new productions in addition to numerous revivals. Production premieres It all starts with Otto Nicolai’s “The Merry Wives of Windsor” with Daniel Barenboim conducting and David Bösch. René Pape will interpret the role of Falstaff with the remaining cast members including Michael Full, Wilhelm Schwinghammer, Pavol Breslik, Linard {…}
The Mozarteum Foundation Salzburg hosts Mozart Week annually on or around Mozart’s birthday (Jan. 27) in celebration of the composer’s contributions to the world of music. The lineup for Mozart Week 2020, which will be held Jan. 23 – Feb. 2, has been announced. For the purposes of this article, we will highlight vocal performances and anything else opera-related. The {…}
Two important recordings will be released this week, including one world premiere and another continuing an acclaimed Mozart opera. Here is a look! The Cradle Will Rock Bridge Records will release the world premiere recording of Marc Blitzstein’s opera. The new recording features the composer’s original 1937 orchestrations and was recorded live at Opera Saratoga in July 2017. The recording {…}
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! While it might not be a nation that is “dominant” in the opera world like such traditional powers as Italy, France, and Germany, Ireland does have a rich history of operatic divas and divos. There are a few singers in the modern opera world that are making big waves at the biggest countries in the world. {…}
This review is for the performance on Dec. 22, 2017. We’re going to change things up a bit for this review. I don’t enjoy writing in the first person for this kind of article, but “Hansel and Gretel” is an extremely personal experience for me. It was the first opera I ever saw in my life at the age of {…}
