“Opera Meets Film” is a feature dedicated to exploring the way that opera has been employed in cinema. We will select a film section or a film in its entirety and highlight the impact that utilizing the operatic form or sections from an opera can alter our perception of a film that we are viewing. This week’s installment features Luchino {…}
The Lyric Opera of Chicago has announced additional productions for its 2020-21 season. In addition to its “Twilight: Gods” the company will present “Pasión Latina,” a free concert featuring such renowned artists as Ana María Martínez, René Barbera, David Portillo, Mario Rojas, Richard Ollarsaba, Denis Vélez, and Ricardo José Rivera. The performance will feature music from Puerto Rico, Mexico, Cuba, {…}
With an election coming upon the U.S. and the world in general focusing on their nations’ leaders in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we turn to a topic that we believe is at the core of opera: politics. On a very personal note, it’s been rather surprising to hear many comments about how opera and politics should not be “mixed {…}
(Credit: The Semperoper Dresden official website) The Semperoper Dresden has announced that Polish baritone Andrzej Dobber will sing the role of Scarpia in the Semper Essenz presentation of Puccini’s “Tosca” on Oct. 30 2020, replacing Alexey Markov. Dobber will join a cast that includes tenor Jonathan Tetelman in the role of Mario Cavaradossi, and soprano Elena Guseva in the title {…}
(Credit: © Marco Borggreve) The Wiener Staatsoper has announced that bass Tareq Nazmi will take over the role of Bottom in the upcoming run of Benjamin Britten’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Nazmi will replace bass Matthew Rose. Nazmi will join a cast that includes Lawrence Zazzo in the role of Oberon, Erin Morley as Tytania, Josh Lovell in the role {…}
(Credit: Marco Borggreve) The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam has announced the appointment of Hungarian conductor Iván Fischer as its new Honorary Conductor. Fischer is the third Honorary Conductor of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, following Bernard Haitink and Riccardo Chailly and his tenure will begin in the 2021-22 season. The Maestro recently conducted Monteverdi’s “L’Orfeo” at Grand Théâtre de Genève, Verdi’s {…}
(Credit: © Nick Hufton) The Royal Opera House Covent Garden has announced “Meet the Young Artists Week 2020,” which will take place from Oct. 26 – Oct. 31, 2020. The Jette Parker Young Artists program is a two-year apprenticeship at the ROH, that involves young talents just starting their musical careers. Four new talents joined the program this year including {…}
“Opera Meets Film” is a feature dedicated to exploring the way that opera has been employed in cinema. We will select a film section or a film in its entirety and highlight the impact that utilizing the operatic form or sections from an opera can alter our perception of a film that we are viewing. This week’s installment features Nicholas {…}
(Credit: Martyno Aleksos) Famed Lithuanian bass Vaclovas Daunoras has died on Oct. 19, 2020, at the age of 84. He had studied at the Lietuvos muzikos ir teatro akademija from 1957 to 1962 and made his professional debut in 1960 in the role of Escamillo in Bizet’s “Carmen.” Daunoras worked with such organizations as the Lithuanian Opera and Ballet Theater, {…}
(Credit: Johannes Ifkovits) Polish tenor Piotr Beczała has announced on his official Facebook account that his concert at the Narodowe Forum Muzyki in Wrocław has been postponed due to the worsening epidemiological situation. Beczała was supposed to perform with the Polska Filharmonia Kameralna Sopot and the program for the concert included works by Verdi, Puccini, Massenet, Moniuszko, Giordano, and Mascagni. {…}
(Credit: © Pascal Albandopooulos) Opéra National du Rhin has announced that the Slovakian tenor Pavol Breslik has canceled his recital in Strasbourg on Oct. 21, 2020. The opera house stated that the reason for cancelation is the indisposition, not COVID-19 related. The cancelation comes after Breslik pulled out of the last two performances of Bizet’s “Les Pêcheurs de Perles” on {…}