This week audiences will get to celebrate the holiday with a new Christmas album by one of the leading baritones in the world and two rarely performed works by two of the greatest Italian composers. All I Want Baritone Lucas Meachem releases “All I Want,” an EP of five classic Christmas ballads on with Crossover Records. The carols include “All {…}
(Credit: Paolo Conserva) The Festival Valle d’Itria is well known for presenting obscure, neglected, or rarely performed works and always explores diverse themes. This year the festival’s theme is “Fiat Lux” meaning a new beginning. Among the program this year are works by Scarlatti and Haydn. There will also be a production of Porporra’s “L’Angelica,” a serenata from 1720. The {…}
(Credit: © Gregor Hohenberg / Sony Classical/Michael Cooper/Dario Acosta) Rome’s Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia has announced its 2021-22 season featuring concert performances with some of the greatest stars in the world. For the purposes of this article, we will focus on vocal performances only. Concerts Jakub Hrůša conducts Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 with Rachel Willis-Sørensen and Wiebke Lehmkuhl. Performance {…}
The Teatro La Fenice has announced programming for June 2 through Oct. 31, 2021. The company will present five productions and six concerts featuring some of the world’s greatest artists. All events will be open to the public and will follow all rigorous COVID-19 protocols. Gounod’s “Faust“ will open the theater in a new production by Joan Anton Rechi. Frédéric {…}
The Festival Valle d’Itria in Martina Franca, Italy has announced its 47 edition with the theme “Fiat lux.” The festival which will be held between July 17 and August 5 will feature international stars from around the world. Operas Haydn’s “The Creation” will be conducted by Fabio Luisi and will feature Vassily Solodkyy, Alessio Arduini, Jan Antem, and Sabrina Sanza. Fabio {…}
The Gran Teatre del Liceu has announced its 2021-22 season featuring new productions, concerts, and a special 175th-anniversary gala. Here is a look at the new season. Opera The first opera of the season is set to be Strauss’ “Ariadne auf Naxos” starring Iréne Theorin and Johanni van Oostrum sharing the title role. They will be accompanied by Samantha Hankey, {…}
The Teatro La Fenice has announced the first part of its 2020-21 season, which is set to run from Oct. 30 to Feb. 16, 2021. The new season begins with concert performances featuring Juraj Valčuha conducting the Orchestra del Teatro La Fenice. The concert will include music by Claude Debussy and Modest Mussorgsky. Performance Dates: Oct. 30-21, 2020 Riccardo Muti {…}
The Teatro Massimo di Palermo, Italy has released the first star-studded opera gala from home. The gala, entitled “Gala: Artisti uniti in tempi di isolamento,” aligned a number of international stars including Enea Scala, Nicola Alaimo, Arturo Chacón Cruz, Ruth Iniesta, Roberta Mantegna, and Ian Bostridge, among many others. The performance features music by Bellini, Puccini, Lara, Lehar, Verdi, and {…}
(Credit: Fay Fox) OperaVision will showcase Rossini’s “Ermione” live from the Teatro di San Carlo on Nov. 9, 2019. The production will star soprano Angela Meade in the lead role with Teresa Iervolino, John Irvin, Antonino Siragusa, Filippo Adami, Guido Loconsolo, Gaia Petrone, Chiara Tirotta, and Christiano Oliveri among the major cast members. Alessandro De Marchi will conduct a production {…}
The weekend is here and there are some very interesting options for those interested in experimenting with a more expansive repertory. Orphée Aux Enfers – Salzburg Festival, Austria Anne Sofie von Otter, Max Hopp, Kathryn Lewek, and Joel Prieto headline a new production of Offenbach’s operetta by Barrie Kosky. Enrique Mazzola conducts the production which also stars Marcel Beekman, Nadine Weissmann, Lea Desandre, Martin Winkler, Frances Pappas, Rafał Pawnuk, Vasilisa {…}
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 {…}