(Photo by Bernd Uhlig) I’m back in Berlin, a city I favor and enjoy so much, ready for yet another Ring cycle at Deutsche Oper, a large, comfortable 1850-seat theatre boldly designed in the Modernist style and simply ideal for large-scale productions. And none comes much larger than those penned by Giacomo Meyerbeer, Richard Strauss and Richard Wagner Therefore, with {…}
Welcome back for this week’s look at the latest CD and DVD releases in the opera world. This week several complete recordings will be released, as well as a unique take on Beethoven ‘s Symphony No. 9. Janáček: Katya Kabanova The second release in LSO Live’s cycle of Janáček opera recordings is “Katya Kabanova.” The album’s cast includes the superb {…}
The Staatstheater Wiesbaden has announced its 2023-24 season featuring premieres, revivals, and recitals. Premieres Wagner’s “Lohengrin” will be conducted by Michael Güttler and directed by Henriette Hörnigk. The cast will be led by Mirko Roschkowski, Marco Jentzsch, Klaus Florian Vogt, Heather Engebretson, Khatuna Mikaberidze, KS Thomas de Vries, Egils Silins, Young Doo Park, and Timo Riihonen. Performance Dates: Sept. 16, 2023-May {…}
France’s Opéra National du Rhin has announced its 2022-23 season. Here is a look at the productions that will be performed this season. “Histoire(s) d’opéra” will feature music by Monteverdi, Händel, Rameau, Mozart, Rossini, Verdi, Wagner, Puccini, Poulenc, and Berberian. Floriane Derthe, Lauranne Oliva, Brenda Poupard, Liying Yang, Glen Cunningham, Andrei Maksimov, and Oleg Volkov star while Émilie Capliez and {…}
(Credit: © Klaus Frahm) The Deutsche Oper Berlin has announced that Scottish mezzo-soprano Beth Taylor will take over the role of Erda in Wagner’s “Das Rheingold” for the performance on Jan. 4, 2022, replacing Judit Kutasi. Taylor joins a cast that includes Derek Welton, Joel Allison, Attilio Glaser, Thomas Blondelle, Markus Brück, Ya-Chung Huang, Andrew Harris, Tobias Kehrer, Annika Schlicht, {…}
The Staatsoper Hamburg has announced a cast change for its the Nov. 13 performance of Mozart’s “Die Entführung aus dem Serail.” The company noted that Thomas Blondelle will take over the role of Belmonte for Dovlet Nurgeldiyev. Blondelle has performed at the Staatstheater Braunschweig, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Bayerische Staatsoper, the Volksoper Wien, the Oper Frankfurt, the Semperoper Dresden, the Staatstheater {…}
(Credit: Uwe Arens) The Staatstheater Wiesbaden in Germany has announced its 2021-22 season featuring new productions, revivals, and jung oper. Premieres Alexander Joel and Christoph Stiller conduct a new production of Verdi’s “Il Trovatore” by Philipp M. Krenn. The work stars Aluda Todua, Aleksei Isaev, Cristiana Oliveira, Vesselina Kasarova, Jordanka Milkova, and Aaron Cawley. Performance Dates: Sept. 19, 2021-July 15, 2022 {…}
(Credits: Dario Acosta / Opéra National de Paris official website / Fay Fox) The Deutsche Oper Berlin has announced that it will reopen its doors to the audiences in June 2021, after seven month-long hiatus. Per the official press release, the reopening is epidemiologically possible as the seven-day COVID-19 incidence in Berlin has gone below the critical value of 100. {…}
(Credits: © Sasha Arutyunova / Ashley Plante / ARSIS Artists official website / Jonathan Tetelman official website) The Deutsche Oper Berlin has announced plans for the rest of the 2020-21 season. Berlin’s largest opera house has been quite cautious in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and has only published the monthly schedule. The Deutsche Oper Berlin will reopen its {…}
Credit: Uwe Arens/Dario Acosta/Tatyana Vlasova The Staatstheater Wiesbaden has announced its 2020-21 season featuring eight new productions, the Ring Cycle and a number of important revivals. Here is a look. Premieres Konrad Junghänel conducts a new production of Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” with Tilo Nest directing. Ioan Hotea and Antonio Garés share the role of the count while Silvia {…}
(Credit: Jan Windszus Photography, 3 D Art: Sven Windszus) Komische Oper Berlin has unveiled its 2020-21 season. The first new production of the year will be “Katya Kabanova” will be directed by Jetske Mijnssen and will star Maria Bengtsson, Maria Fiselier, Magnus Vigilius, and Doris Lamprech, among others. Giedre Sleyte conducts. Performance Dates: Sept. 26, 2020 -June 30, 2021 Paul {…}