Joseph Calleja, Kristine Opolais & Ramón Vargas Highlight Hamburg State Opera’s 2018-19 Season

The Hamburg State Opera has announced its 2018-19 season, featuring a number of international singers and six new productions. Here is a look at what’s in store for operalovers. New Productions  The Hamburg State Opera’s first new production of the season will be “Così fan tutte” with Maria Bengtsson, Stephanie Lauricella, Kartal Karagedik, Dovlet Nurgeldiyev, Oleksiy Palchykov, Sylvia Schwartz, and {…}

Metropolitan Opera 2017-18 Review – Lucia di Lammermoor: Olga Peretyatko-Mariotti & Vittorio Grigolo Triumph In ‘Lucia Di Lammermoor’

This review is for the performance on Thursday, March 22, 2018.  Before I begin my review, properly, of this absolutely incredible evening, which featured some amazing musical moments, I want to bring up a constant I have seen throughout the past few years at the Metropolitan Opera and many theaters in the world. This season, the Metropolitan Opera presented a {…}

Plácido Domingo, Angela Gheorghiu & Rolando Villazón Headline Semperoper Dresden’s 2018-19 Season

(Credit: © Semperoper Dresden/Klaus Gigga) The Semperoper Dresden has announced its 2018-19 season featuring a number of superstars and nine new productions of operettas, chamber opera, and grand opera. As always, the following will only cover the operas that will be shown next season and not the ballets that were also included in the season announcement. New Production  Arnold Schönberg’ {…}

Bayerische Staatsoper 2016-17 Review – La Forza Del Destino: Jonas Kaufmann, Anja Harteros Dominate In A Personal Narrative Encapsulated In A Far Larger Context

Verdi’s “La Forza del Destino” has had an uneven performance history despite containing some of the composer’s most memorable music, not least its well-known overture, made famous through concert performances, and the emotionally charged duets that characterize the work. The problem, however, stems not from its music, but from its sprawling structure and the complex tensions that drive the narrative. {…}

Salzburg Osterfestpiele Begins With ‘Die Walküre’ Starring Anja Harteros, Anja Kampe And Peter Seiffert

On April 8 the Salzburg Osterfestpiele will officially open with a starry production of Wagner’s “Die Walküre.” The festival, which was established by Herbert Von Karajan, is celebrating its 50th anniversary, will re-create the original 1967 production. According to Christian Thielemann, the festival will celebrate Karajan by “attempting to re-create Karajan’s musico-theatrical vision of ‘Die Walküre’ from 1967. Our re-creation of {…}