Anna Netrebko, Jonas Kaufmann, Diana Damrau, Michael Volle, Ludovic Tézier, Pretty Yende, Rolando Villazón, Federica Lombardi, Nicole Car, Freddie De Tommaso & Juan Diego Flórez Headline Wiener Staatsoper’s 2025-26 Season

The Wiener Staatsoper has announced its 2025-26 season. Here is a look at the operas and recitals for the new season. Premieres Smetana’s “The Bartered Bride” will get a new production by Dirk Schmeding. The cast will be headed by Franz Xaver Schlecht, Margaret Plummer, Slávka Zámečníková, Ivo Stanchev, Monika Bohinec, Pavol Breslik, Michael Laurenz, Peter Kellner, Matthäus Schmidlechner, Ilia Staple, and Alex Ilvakhin. Tomáš Hanus conducts. A second cast will {…}

Jul 19, 2024

Asmik Grigorian, Jonathan Tetelman, Sabine Devieilhe, & Leandro Shira Patchornik Lead New CD/DVD Releases

Welcome back for this week’s look at the latest CD and DVD releases in the opera world. This week audiences will get to relive two acclaimed performances from the 2023 Salzburg Festival as well as two world premiere recordings. Giuseppe Verdi: Macbeth C Major Entertainment releases Salzburg’s production of Verdi’s masterpiece which was recorded in August 2023. The production by {…}

Apr 20, 2024

Asmik Grigorian, Freddie De Tommaso, Elsa Dreisig, & Attilio Glaser Lead Theater an Der Wien’s 2024-25 Season

The Theater an der Wien has announced its 2024-25 season. Monteverdi’s “Combattimenti” will star Ferran Albrich, Johanna Rosa Falkinger, Luciana Mancini, Ambra Biaggi, and Ilyà Dovnar. David Bergmüller conducts the production by Olivier Fredj. Performance Dates: Sept. 27-Oct. 18, 2024 David Bates conducts Mozart’s “Idomeneo” in a new production by Stefan Herheim. The cast includes Attilio Glaser, Emily Sierra, Jeanine De Bique, Elena Tsallagova, Ya-Chung Huang, and Levente {…}

Mar 30, 2024

Salzburg Easter Festival’s ‘La Gioconda’ to Receive Radio Broadcast

(Credit: Bernd Uhlig) The Salzburg Easter Festival will broadcast a recording of Ponchielli’s “La Gioconda” on Oe1. The recording from opening night on March 23, will be broadcast on April 6, 2024, at 7:30 pm. The recording will feature Anna Netrebko in the title role of La Gioconda, Jonas Kaufmann as Enzo Grimaldo, Tareq Nazmi as Alvise Badoero, Eve-Maud Hubeaux as {…}

Sep 21, 2023

Philharmonia Orchestra Announces Cast Change for Verdi Requiem

(Credit: Mark Allan) The Philharmonia Orchestra has announced a cast change for its performance of Verdi’s Requiem on Sept. 21 at the Royal Festival Hall. The orchestra said, “This performance was originally advertised with Natalya Romaniw as the soprano soloist. We’re delighted that she is expecting a baby later in the autumn. For reasons relating to her pregnancy, she has {…}

Aug 9, 2023

Salzburg Festival 2023 Review: Macbeth

Photo credit: SF Bernd Uhlig In one of his literary excursions, the great Portuguese author Eça de Queiroz reviewed the premiere of Verdi’s “Macbeth” in Lisbon. He did not see the original Italian version of the opera, but the revised French one and quite likely with the same cast as in Paris. Eça insisted that Verdi was the greatest living {…}

Jul 26, 2023

Salzburg Festival to Broadcast ‘Macbeth’

(c: sf bernd uhlig) The Salzburg Festival will broadcast Verdi’s “Macbeth.” The production, directed by Krzysztof Warlikowski and conducted by Philippe Jordan, will be showcased on ORF 2, Arte, Arte Concert, and BR Klassik on July 29 in a time-delayed broadcast. The cast will include Vladislav Sulimsky in the title role, Tareq Nazmi as Banco, Asmik Grigorian as Lady Macbeth, and Jontahn {…}

Mar 27, 2023

Diana Damrau, Andrè Schuen, Camilla Nylund & Philippe Jordan Lead Musikverein Wien’s 2023-24 Season

The Musikverein Wien has announced its 2023-24 season. Here is a look at the vocal performances of the season. Günther Groissböck and Malcolm Martineau perform a recital of music by Bruckner, Schumann and Wolf. Performance Date: Sept. 16, 2023 Marie Jacquot will conduct the Wiener Symphoniker in a program that includes Olivier Messiaen’s Un sourire, Lili Boulanger’s D’un soir triste, {…}

Mar 11, 2022

Berlin Philharmonic Announces More Cast Changes for Verdi Requiem

The Berlin Philharmonic has announced more cast changes for its upcoming Verdi Requiem concerts. The company noted that due to illness, Elena Stikhina and René Pape also have had to cancel their participation in the performances under the direction of Daniel Barenboim. As a result, Susanne Bernhard will sing the soprano role and Tareq Nazmi to take over the bass {…}

Dec 10, 2021

Jonas Kaufmann, Elīna Garanča, Luca Salsi, Lisette Oropesa, Elena Stikhina, Asmik Grigorian Lead Salzburg Festival’s 2022 Season

(Credit: Anne Zeuner) The Salzburg Festival has announced its 2022 season, featuring eight operas, concerts, and international opera stars. For the purpose of this article we will focus on the vocal works only. Operas The season opens with Romeo Castellucci’s production of Béla Bartók’s “Bluebeard’s Castle.” The opera stars Mika Kares and Aušrinė Stundytė in the lead roles, alongside soprano {…}

Jun 28, 2021

Camilla Nylund, Barbara Hannigan, Mojca Erdmann & Matthias Goerne Lead Munich Philharmonic’s 2021-22 Season

(Credits: Staatsoper Berlin official website / © Raphael Brand / Felix Broede / Marie Staggat) The Munich Philharmonic has announced its 2021-22 season. For the purpose of this article, we will focus on the vocal performances only. Soprano Julia Lezhneva and contralto Sara Mingardo perform works by Bach, Mozart, and Vivaldi alongside conductor Andrea Marcon and the Philharmonischer Chor München. {…}