(Credit: Royal Opera) I suppose anything with “Destiny” in the title will always be a bit profound. In fact, “La Forza” is about as profound and gloomy, if not downright dark as it gets, even by Verdi’s standards. At around four and a half hours, it’s also his longest work. It’s a story of love, death, and revenge. Mainly revenge. {…}
The Teatro Massimo di Palermo has announced its 2023-24 season. Opera The season opens with Bellini’s “I Capuleti e Montecchi.” Omer Meir Wellber conducts the production by Idan Cohen. The cast includes Maria Kataeva and Anna Pennisi as Romeo and Marina Monzó and Francesca Pia Vitale as Giulietta. Ioan Hotea, Mert Süngü, Marco Spotti, and Gabriele Sagona round out the {…}
The Arena di Verona has announced several cast changes for productions of “Rigoletto” and “Nabucco.” The company revealed that Giulia Mazzola will replace Nina Minasyan as Gilda. The cancelation marks Minasyan’s fourth canceled performance. She is still scheduled to sing in the August 19 performance of “La Traviata.” Mazzola will join a cast that includes Luca Salsi in the title {…}
Interest in Rossini is famously tied to Maria Callas and the renaissance, both technical and stylistic, of the Belcanto tradition which in the wake of the Divina has inspired as diverse a roster as Teresa Berganza, Marilyn Horne, and Montserrat Caballe to name but a few. Yet in addition to her live performances, her recorded legacy has marked our ear {…}
“Norma” is considered one of the most difficult soprano roles in the repertoire and for many singers, it is the pinnacle of the repertoire. But interestingly, Bellini’s masterpiece has also been performed by some mezzo-sopranos and this week, Vasilia Berzhanskaya, a mezzo, will add the demanding role to her growing Bel Canto repertoire. At the age of 29, the mezzo {…}
The Rossini Opera Festival has announced its 2023 season featuring three productions and concerts. The first production of the season will be “Eduardo e Cristina” in a new production by Stefano Poda. Jader Bignamini conducts Enea Scala, Anastasia Bartoli, Daniela Barcellona, Grigory Shkarupa, and Matteo Roma. Performance Dates: August 11-20, 2023 “Aureliano in Palmira” will be conducted by George Petrou {…}
The Teatro Filarmonico has announced its 2023 season. The season opens with Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro” starring Giulio Mastrototaro, Sara Blanch, Alessandro Luongo, Gilda Fiume, and Annalisa Stroppa. Francesco Ommassini conducts the production by Ivan Stefanutti. Performance Dates: Jan. 22-29, 2023 Massimiliano Stefanelli conducts Verdi’s “Aida” in a production by Franco Zeffirelli. Monica Conesa sings the title role with {…}
The Bayerische Staatsoper has announced a cast change for its production of “La Cenerentola.” The company said that Teresa Iervolino will perform the title role replacing Vasilisa Berzhanskaya. Iervolino has performed at the Teatro San Carlo di Napoli, Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Staatsoper Dresden Teatro La Fenice, Oper Frankfurt, Teatro Real de Madrid, Arena di Verona, and Bayerische Staatsoper. She is {…}
(Photo: Monika Ritttershaus) The initial impressions of the Aix-en-Provence festival’s production of Rossini’s “Moïse et Pharaon” did not bode well. Hearsay reports spoke of a modern day reinterpretation in which the focus was on refugees, and their life in the camps and the perils they face when crossing the Mediterranean. Productions which seek to politicize an opera, beyond that which {…}
The Teatro Carlo Felice has announced its 2022-23 Season. Opera Berlioz’s “Béatrice et Bénedict” is set to star Julien Behr, Giorgio Misseri, Benedetta Torre, Francesca Benitez, Cecilia Molinari, and Sofia Koberidze. Donato Renzetti conducts the production by Damiano Michieletto. Performance Dates: Oct. 28-Nov. 6, 2022 Rossini’s “La Cenerentola” is set to star Filippo Maria Romano, Giovanni Romeo, Hongni Wu, Laura Verrecchia, {…}
Tha Maggio Musicale Fiorentino has announced its 2022-23 Season. Here is a look: Daniele Gatti conducts a revival of Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” with Ruzil Gatin, Vasilisa Berzhanskaya, Nicola Alaimo, Fabio Capitanucci, Evgeny Stavinskiy, and Carmen Buendí. Performance Dates: Sept. 8-15, 2022 Zubin Mehta conducts Verdi’s “Il Trovatore” with Cesare Lievi directing. Amartushvin Enkhbat, María José Siri, Ekaterina Semenchuck, Fabio Sartori, and Riccardo Fassi directing. Performance Dates: Sept. 29-Oct. {…}