The venue for Wexford Opera Festival “Opera Shorts” programme of piano accompanied, well-known operas in reduced form, is undoubtedly better suited to some works than others. Donizetti’s “Don Pasquale” is probably a perfect fit for the small stage erected especially for the festival in White’s Hotel, in which the audience are all relatively close to the stage, and therefore able {…}
The Wall Street Crash of 1929 ushered in the Great Depression of the 1930s, which caused poverty, unemployment and social dislocation on a grand scale in industrial economies across the globe. Although its impact on the poor was catastrophic, its effect on rich society was no less devastating; families lost their entire fortune overnight, with suicide often a result. It {…}
Every day up to 25,000 people disembark from the expanded cruise terminal in Venice and pour into the city’s narrow streets. Thousands more arrive by train and car. The water buses are so crowded that it would be preferable to walk, if it were not for the fact that the streets have become equally unbearable; so much so in fact, {…}
One of the many events that makes Wexford Festival Opera such a unique experience is the afternoon presentations of “Opera Shorts.” Normally, these are piano reductions of well-known operas, but recently they have started to broaden their scope. Last year’s festival successfully premiered a new opera, “The Dubliners” by Andrew Synnott, based on two of the short stories from James Joyce’s {…}
Wexford has a long history, dating back to at least 800 AD when it was founded by the Vikings. Walking around the town, along the quay or through its narrow streets, there is plenty of evidence of events and people who have shaped the town. A minutes walk from my B&B is Selskar Abbey, which dates back to the 1100s, {…}
Following a good breakfast, I went for walk down to the quay to watch the fishing boats docking in the early morning sunlight. The cold air whipping off the Irish Sea made it clear that autumn was truly upon us. Crossing the river and looking back at the Wexford skyline you can see the National Opera House looming above the {…}
For those not familiar with Ireland, Wexford is a small town tucked away in the “sunny southeast,” although, it is not immune from its fair share of wind and rain. It is a small fishing port perched on the mouth of the River Slaney, which looks out over the Irish Sea. The town, which has an attractive sleepy feel, has {…}
Wexford Festival Opera has announced that soprano Jennifer Davis has withdrawn from their performances of Saverio Mercadante’s opera, “Il bravo.” David Agler, artistic director of the festival, says, “Since Ms Davis was initially engaged to sing the role in Wexford, her voice has developed, and the role is no longer suitable vocally. She would not want to sing the role {…}
As the weeks lead into the 67th Wexford Festival Opera, the festival has announced a new event, as well as updates to its current program. In anticipation of the European premiere of “Dinner at Eight,” an opera originally commissioned by Minnesota Opera, it has been confirmed that the composer and librettist, William Bolcom and Mark Campbell, will be giving a {…}
Often attention is focused on the stars of the opera world, but below the stellasphere there exist thousands of other singers, directors, conductors, and musicians pursuing their careers. Some are fairly well established and make comfortable livings on the stage and in the concert halls, some struggle to maintain a full calendar, while others are winding down as retirement approaches, {…}
The Wexford Festival has announced its 2018 season, which will run for a few weeks in October. This season will feature a number of operas, both rare and well-known, that should interest all sorts of audiences. The season kicks off on Oct. 19 with the double bill of “Mala Vita” by Giordano and “L’Oracolo” by Leoni. The work will be {…}