Javier Camarena has made history once more at the Teatro Real de Madrid. The tenor sang the fourth encore in the history of the company since it’s reopening in 1997 during “Una Furtiva Lagrima” in a performance of Donizetti’s “L’ELisir d’Amore.” It’s the third encore the tenor gives at the Teatro Real following the bis during the HD of “Lucia {…}
On July 6, the Teatro Real is set to present Verdi’s “Il Trovatore” on Facebook Live. The cast will star Francesco Meli in the title role, Maria Agresta, Ekaterina Semenchuk in her signature role of Azucena, and star baritone Ludovic Tézier. Roberto Tagliavini rounds out the cast as Ferrando in Francisco Negrin’s new production. Maurizio Benini conducts the Verdi work. The {…}
The Teatro Real has announced its 2019-20 season featuring seven Teatro Real premieres and three Spanish premieres. Here is a look at what to expect. The season opens with Verdi’s “Don Carlo“ with Nicola Luisotti conducting a production by David McVicar. The opera returns after a 14 year absence with Francesco Meli, Andrea Carè, and Alfred Kim sharing the title {…}
After the performances of Cavalli’s “La Calisto,” the bets were high for the staging of one of the jewels of English composer Henry Purcell – “Dido & Aeneas.” This production by Sasha Waltz premiered at the Berlin Staatsoper in 2005 and has travelled around the world. Waltz, a German contemporary choreographer and dancer, integrates dance, music, text, sets and costumes {…}
The Teatro Real de Madrid has made a major casting change for its upcoming production of Verdi’s “Falstaff.” Nicola Alaimo, who was originally scheduled to take on the title role of Falstaff, will no longer perform. Per Platea Magazine, the bass-baritone has canceled due to health reasons. In his stead, the company has brought in two singers to share the {…}
UPDATE Per the Teatro Real’s Press Office: “Artistic director, Joan Matabosch, contracted Ms. Alberola, almost three years ago, to perform Liù, he thought that her voice would evolve in a different way. During the rehearsals of “Turandot,” Mr. Matabosch and the soprano agreed that it would be better not to go on with Liù now and to offer her another role in {…}
Nina Stemme has canceled her performances of “Turandot” at the Teatro Real. The Teatro Real announced that due to health reasons, Stemme would not perform the opera, which opens on Nov. 30. As a result, Oksana Dyka and Irene Theorin, who were already scheduled for performances will take over Stemme’s. The company’s production by Robert Wilson will also star Gregory Kunde {…}
The Teatro Real is looking for 100 volunteers to be supers in its upcoming production of “Idomeneo.” According to Platea Magazine, the theater is following in the footsteps of the Palau de Les Arts de Valencia, which contracted volunteers for its “Magic Flute” production instead of paid performers. The controversial decision will require the volunteers to attend 18 rehearsals and be {…}
OperaVision will start streaming Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor” from the Teatro Real starting on July 7, 2018. The Donizetti masterpiece will feature Lisette Oropesa as the famed heroine with Javier Camarena as her lover Edgardo. Artur Rucinski stars as Enrico with Roberto Tagliavini as Raimondo. Daniel Oren conducts. The stream kicks off at 7 p.m. local time. That’s around 2 {…}
Madrid’s Teatro Real is set to present the first-ever performances of Bernd Alois Zimmermann’s “Die Soldaten” in Spain. The occasion will see Spanish conductor Pablo Heras-Casado, the theater’s Principal Guest Conductor, in the pit with a distinguished cast and Calixto Bieto directing. Zimmermann’s only opera is one of the most challenging and extraordinary pieces in the 20th-century and when Oper {…}
Benjamin Britten’s “Gloriana” was supposed to be one of his great triumphs. The composer himself is quoted, prior to its premiere in 1953, that he saw it as his best work to that point (he had already written “Billy Budd” and “Peter Grimes,” mind you). It was composed for the regal occasion of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation. It was one {…}