(Credit: Javier del Real) He came, he saw, and he conquered. All in one day. Mexican tenor Javier Camarena was only involved with the Teatro Real de Madrid’s “L’Elisir d’Amore” on Nov. 9. It is a role that he had not taken on in seven years, but there was no doubt from the moment he opened his mouth, that this {…}
There were high expectations surrounding the return of superstar Anna Netrebko to the Teatro Real were she had participated in Prokófiev’s “War and Peace” in 2001. The result was a mixture of excitement and disappointment: Firstly, there was the usual imposition of her husband Yusif Eyvazov in the program, a good singer who does not reach the quality and artistic {…}
(Credit: Javier del Real) The Teatro Real opened its season on the Sept. 18, 2019 with Verdi’s “Don Carlo,” an opera inspired in the old monarchy of Spain. Present at the big event were the King and Queen of Spain, as well as famous figures from the world of politics and arts. “Don Carlo” is a massive endeavor for any {…}
The Teatro Real de Madrid has issued its statement in support of native son Plácido Domingo in the midst of accusations of sexual harassment by the Spanish opera star. The company released a press statement on Saturday noting that it was supporting Domingo’s artistry and allowing him to perform during the 2019-20 season. Moreover it asked that any accusations be {…}
(Photo Credit: Javier del Real) BelAir Media is set to showcase the Teatro Real de Madrid’s 2018 stage production of Kurt Weill’s “Street Scene” via BroadwayHD on August 8, 2019. The media company will present this historic performance this August, which was directed for TV by Jérémie Cuviller and recorded on February 14 and 16, 2018. Those performances featured music {…}
The opera “Il Trovatore,” along with “La Traviata” and “Rigoletto,” makes up what is often called the “Verdi trilogy,” the trio of operas that mark the breakout for the composer and a shift toward operas where he looked for a communion between the drama and the music through new musical language and deep characterization of the roles. “Il Trovatore” has {…}
It might not be a coincidence that Teatro Real decided to program the last theatrical composition of Strauss after the last one of Verdi. “Capriccio” was presented at the Teatro Real for the very first time, in a new production directed by Christof Loy. The performance also featured the debut of Malin Byström (Countess Madeleine), the baritone Josef Wagner (Count), {…}
Giuseppe Verdi had only written a single comedy: “Un giorno di regno” and 26 tragedies before deciding to put music to the comical Shakespeare’s character “Falstaff,” his last composition. Verdi had already started a musical development in his latest operas, more noticeable in his precedent work “Otello,” looking for different ways to create a perfect musical drama, breaking with the {…}
José Bros, a highly regarded Spanish tenor, chose to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his opera debut with a recital of Zarzuela pieces. He was joined by rising soprano Ruth Iniesta, who happens to be currently performing the role of “Nannetta” in Verdi’s “Falstaff” at the same stage. The two sang an equal number of Zarzuela arias and shared the {…}
There was a major success at Teatro Real with the presentation of Cavalli’s ”La Calisto” in its Madrid premiere. It is always a pleasure to discover a new opera, and with the baroque renaissance we are experiencing in recent decades, it wouldn’t surprise me if “La Calisto” became a regular in the repertoire. “La Calisto” is a mythological tale where {…}
There are good singers, there are good actors, and there are good performers. but it is a miracle of the arts when you can find all three of them combined in the same artist, as is the case with Bryn Terfel. What this bass-baritone presented on the stage of Teatro Real on Feb. 22, 2019 was something rarely seen or {…}