Rachel Fenlon’s “Winterreise” is quite extraordinary for many reasons. First, Schubert’s famously melancholy cycle was originally written for tenor, and though frequently transcribed for baritonal depths or even bass, its interpretation history remains confined largely to male voices. Secondly, Fenlon achieves a high degree of German Innerlichkeit, that somewhat obscure, culturally rooted feeling of inward expressiveness which so pervaded the {…}
(Photo: DR Rideau de fer) In theory, few programs are more proper for a Valentine’s Day that falls on Ash Wednesday than “Winterreise” in Opéra Comique. The romantic idealism of Valentine’s Day blends well with the bitter aftermath of carnival when all pleasures must be delayed for Lent. After a long run singing a scenic and orchestral version of Schubert’s {…}
(Credit: Sim-Canetty-Clarke) San Francisco Performances is set to feature tenor Ian Bostridge and pianist Wenwen Du in a performance of Schubert’s “Winterreise” on Oct. 21, 2023. The showcase will kick off at 7:30 p.m. at the Herbst Theatre. “It’s an honor to welcome back the extraordinary tenor Ian Bostridge, in a program that he has truly made his own. His {…}
Le Cercle Européen des Philanthropes pour l’Opéra et la Danse has announced the winners of the FEDORA prizes for 2023. Taking home the prize for opera is “Here and There – UNTOLD” by the O. Festival for Opera. Music. Theatre. in Netherlands. The work is composed by Alex Ho and will be directed by Julia Cheng and Rajiv Bhangwanbali. France’s Le {…}
(Photo credit: Mark Allen/Barbican) What tenor Allan Clayton doesn’t know about misery probably isn’t worth knowing. His latest successes have been studies in anguish, specializing in alienated outsiders, or figures squatting on the borderland between life and death: Brett Dean’s “Hamlet,” “Peter Grimes” at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden and the Met, and, latterly for London audiences, a standout {…}
(© Sim Canetty-Clarke) At the pinnacle of the song cycle is Schubert’s “Winterreise.” It is a work that has been mythologized and has influenced generations of composers thereafter including Mahler, Britten, and Maury Yeston to name just a few. While written for tenor, it has nonetheless been recorded and performed by lower male voices as well as a plethora {…}
(Credit: Lars Borges) Famed baritone Benjamin Appl is set to have a rather unique set of performances and releases centering on Schubert’s iconic “Winterreise.” The baritone will be at the center of a new film version of the work by John Bridcut which will be presented on BBC TV this December. Then, on Feb. 11, 2022, Alpha Classics will release {…}
(Credits: Kartal Karagedik / © Capucine de Chocqueuse / Christian Felber) Opernhaus Zürich will live stream two of its productions in February 2021. Due to the Swiss government’s COVID-19 regulations, both productions will be performed without a live public. Performances will be viewable on the Opernhaus Zürich’s website. First up will be Franz Schubert’s “Winterreise.” Hans Zender’s rearrangement of Schubert’s {…}
U.K. charity Music and Theatre for All has been awarded a major grant by The Arts Council, which they will use to fund three new projects. The first project is Urban Opera, which will gather participants from across the United Kingdom. Over the next year, the organization will work with local communities, youth groups, choirs, local bands, designers, industry professionals, {…}
This week, two albums and one DVD are set for release, including a major opera production featuring two superstars. Peñalosa – Lamentations On Sept. 6, BIS Records will release acclaimed vocal ensemble New York Polyphony’s sixth album, “Peñalosa – Lamentations.” The album, according to the press release, “features rarely heard works from late 15th-century and early 16th-century Spanish composers Francisco {…}
To put what is wordless back into words and believe it will express the same thing is like offering the hen her egg again. So, to say what Ian Bostridge transmitted at Cal Performances on Nov. 10, 2017, seems arbitrary and futile. But, we are human, and we try, listeners, music and life-lovers. Schubert’s “Winterreise” is the story of a {…}