Houston Grand Opera is set to present Massenet’s “Werther” starting on Jan. 27, 2023. The opera will star Matthew Polenzani in the title role alongside Isabel Leonard, Jasmine Habersham, and Sean Michael Plumb; all four artists will be making their company debuts. Other cast members include Patrick Carfizzi, Ricardo Garcia, Cory McGee, Emily Triegle, and Luke Sutliff. Also making his {…}
On October 10, 2022, San Francisco Opera launched the latest installment of “Streaming the First Century,” the company’s free online hub for historic recordings and interviews. The new installment, titled “Parle-vouz francais?” features performances of French repertory from SFO’s first 100 seasons. Among them are operas by Massenet, Charpentier, Berlioz, Messiaen, as well as the company’s oldest recording: a piano {…}
On February 20, the curtain of the Salle Garnier at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo rose to inaugurate Jean-Louis Grinda’s new staging of Massenet’s “Werther,” co-produced by the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía in Valencia, where it received its initial performances in 2017. Just as any Wagnerian pilgrimage naturally leads to the Festspielhaus in Bayreuth, every fervent admirer of Massenet {…}
The Opéra de Monte-Carlo is set to present Massenet’s “Werther” this February. The showcase, which runs between Feb. 20, 2022 and Feb. 26, 2022, will star Jean-François Borras in the title role with Stéphanie d’Oustrac as Charlotte. Jean-François Lapointe will take on the role of Albert with Jennifer Coucier as Sophie. Other cast members include Marc Barrand, Reinaldo Macias, Luca {…}
“Page to Opera Stage” looks at stories – real-life or fiction, old and new – that have inspired operas, and the ways these narratives have been edited and dramatized to fit a new medium. This month, we return to Goethe, this time with Jules Massenet’s poignant adaptation of his name-making novel “The Sorrows of Young Werther” The following contains discussion {…}
(Credit: Mikel Ponce / Miguel Lorenzo) OperaVision has announced its streams for the month of December. Clément Hervieu-Léger’s production of Philippe Hersant and Jean Echenoz’s “Les Éclairs” from Opéra Comique kicks off the streaming slate. The opera features Jean-Christophe Lanièce, Marie-Andrée Bouchard-Lesieur, François Rougier, Elsa Benoit, André Heyboer, Jérôme Boutillier, Alban Dufourt, and Mathieu Dubroca. Ariane Matiakh conducts. Streaming dates: {…}
On Oct. 8 and 10, 2021, the Polish National Opera is set to revive Massenet’s “Werther.” The production by Willy Decker will star Leonardo Caimi in the title role and Iryna Zhytynska as Charlotte with Patrick Fournillier. The classic production focuses on the psychological aspects of Werther’s obsessive love with the sets by Wolfgang Gussmann expressing the imprisonment of the {…}
Opéra de Lausanne has announced its 2021-22 season. Here is a look. Mozart‘s “Le Nozze di Figaro” opens the season. The opera stars Phillip Addis as Count Almaviva, Valentina Naforniţa as Countess Almaviva, Arianna Vendittelli as Susanna, and Robert Gleadow in the title role. The cast also includes Lucia Cirillo, Ruben Amoretti, Léa Desandre, Pablo Garcia Lopez, François Piolino, Sophie {…}
(Credit: Simon Pauly) On May 8 Opera Vlaanderen in Belgium will stream a production of Massenet’s “Werther.” The production conducted by Giedre Slekyte will star Enea Scala in the title role. It will be Scala’s role debut and he will be joined by Ivan Thirion as Albert, Rihab Chaieb as Charlotte, and Elisa Soster as Sophie. The production will be {…}
(Credit: © Marco Glaviano) Tenor Vittorio Grigolo will give a recital at the Teatro alla Scala on Feb. 22, 2021. The tenor will be accompanied by pianist Vincenzo Scalera. Due to the Italian government’s COVID-19 regulations, the recital will be held without live audiences. The program for the concert includes “Inosservato, penetrava… Angelo casto e bel” from “Il Duca d’alba;” {…}
(Credit: Piotr Beczała official website) The Wiener Staatsoper has announced a cast change for the premiere of Calixto Bieito’s production of Bizet’s “Carmen.” The company announced that Piotr Beczała will replace Charles Castronovo in the role of Don José. Castronovo was recently hospitalized due to COVID-19 and is currently recovering. Therefore, he will not be able to make all scheduled rehearsals. {…}