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 {…}
Every year the Richard Tucker Foundation awards a promising young American opera singer with the annual Richard Tucker Award. The award comes with a star-studded gala that showcases the victorious artist alongside some of the greatest singers in the world, many of which are also previous winners. This year Nadine Sierra was given the award and headlined the gala at {…}
“To see the elephants. The lights. The action. I was sold. I didn’t understand why I had to go to school because I knew what I wanted right away. I thought it was the most amazing magical night ever.” That was mezzo-soprano Tara Erraught’s description of her first ever experience at the Arena di Verona as a 13-year-old. The Dundalk, {…}
Will Bartlett Sher’s production of Offenbach’s “Les Contes d’Hoffmann” become one of the Metropolitan Opera’s more beloved productions now that eight seasons have passed since it debuted? It is hard to say considering that the final work of Hoffmann remains a mystery that was completed after his death. To recap, the Cologne-born Offenbach died before he completed the score for {…}
The big event of the week was the opening of the Metropolitan Opera’s 2017-18 season. As might be expected, a lot of the big stars had a lot to showcase on social media, many of them prepping for the opening of their respective productions. In addition to her big week at the Met, playing Adalgisa at opening night of “Norma,” {…}
The start of the Met seasons is always an exciting time. A new production of a major classic to kick off the year, followed, usually, by a slew of other classic productions. Usually, we also get a new star making a prominent debut, as is the case with mezzo-soprano Tara Erraught, who is coming to the Met as Nicklausse in {…}