(Credit: Neda Navaee) The Bayerische Staatsoper has announced a cast change for its April 6 “Tristan und Isolde” performance. The company said that Nina Stemme will sing the role of Isolde, replacing Elena Pankratova. Stemme is one of the great Wagnerian sopranos of her generation who has performed the role of Isolde around the world including at the Metropolitan Opera {…}
It has not been the easiest time for soprano Mary Elizabeth Williams. Her debut at Paris Opera has been, to say the least, controversial. On the one hand, she is pushing for redefinitions of what art is and how we should face the standard operatic repertoire. On the other hand, the audience’s reaction has been, in her own words, “passionate.” {…}
Anja Harteros is out of the Bayerische Staatsoper‘s production of “Tristan und Isolde.” The company said that she will be replaced for the April performances by Elena Pankratova. For the July shows, Anja Kampe will replace Harteros. This isn’t the first of Harteros’ cancelations at Bayerische this past year. Harteros had canceled her July 19, 2022 recital performance. Harteros’ next {…}
Grange Park Opera has announced its summer 2023 slate. The company will feature three operas between June 8 – July 12, 2023. First up is Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde.” The opera will be directed by Charlie Edwards with Gwyn Hughes Jones and Rachel Nicholls as the star-crossed lovers. Joining them will be Christine Rice as Brangäne and David Stout as {…}
This review is for the performance on Jan. 17, 2023. Having lived in Paris for a while, I can say I have more than once seen a stage director booed. Once, a conductor was vaguely disproved of by few operagoers. But until tonight, I have never seen a soprano booed so virulently as Parisians jeered Mary Elizabeth Williams’ Isolde. Why {…}
(Credit: Sunny Martini) From the second bar of Richard Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde,” in the hands of conductor Jordan De Souza, it was clear Seattle Opera’s production (which opened Saturday night and runs through Oct. 29) would be sonically something special. It turned out to be special in several ways, in fact. In that second bar, the famous “Tristan chord”—which {…}
The Teatro San Carlo di Napoli has announced a time change for its production of “Tristan und Isolde” on Oct. 27. The company said, “we inform our audience that, due to technical reasons, the start of the performance of ‘Tristan und Isolde’ scheduled on October, 27, will be at 19 hours and not at 20 hours as previously announced.” Ticket {…}
While taking in a divisive production of “Der Ring des Nibelungen,” it was quite refreshing to take in the August 12 performance of “Tristan und Isolde” and come away hearing deserved bravos and cheers. While most productions are usually planned years in advance, director Roland Schwab was only commissioned to take on this a new production of Wagner’s masterpiece in {…}
On July 25, the Bayreuth Festival opens with a production of “Tristan und Isolde.” The new production will be directed by Roland Schwab and will star some of the great Wagnerians in the world. Among the stars is Catherine Foster, who is bringing her acclaimed Isolde to the Bayreuth stage for the very first time. Foster made her debut at {…}
(Credit: Devon Cass) The Vallejo Center for the Arts has announced that the Empress Theatre will reopen after two-year long hiatus due to COVID-19 pandemic with a special concert featuring Canadian American dramatic soprano Othalie Graham. The concert, which will take place on Jan. 15, 2022, will be dedicated to the great German composer Richard Wagner. Graham will perform dramatic {…}
(Photo C.W. Hoesl) Every Friday, Polina Lyapustina delivers a short essay on some of the most essential topics in the industry with the intent of establishing a dialogue about the opera world and its future. It comes to everyone in a different way. The inner voice, friend’s suggestion, family talk, and the therapist session, but in recent years, we all slowly accepted {…}