The Bayerische Staatsoper has announced a conductor change for its production of “Die Fledermaus.” The company said, “It is with great regret that we must announce that Zubin Mehta will not be able to conduct ‘Die Fledermaus’ at the Bavarian State Opera, scheduled for December and January, due to personal reasons. This decision was made after careful consideration and in {…}
(Credits: Hermann und Clärchen Baus) Giacomo Puccini’s “Tosca,” adapted from a play by Victorien Sardou, was famously criticized by American musicologist Joseph Kerman, who dismissed it as a “shabby little shocker” and predicted its swift decline from the operatic canon. Despite this, “Tosca” endures as a favorite among audiences, thanks to Puccini’s brilliant music and masterful orchestration that elevate it {…}
The Maggio Musicale Fiorentino has released a statement regarding the fake news that appeared this morning regarding the death of Zubin Mehta. The company said, “A very big fake news! In the last few minutes a fake news has been spreading on the web, shared by uninformed and which we immediately mark as vulgar and inappropriate: the death of maestro {…}
This morning the death of Zubin Mehta was falsely reported by an X-Twitter account linked to the LA Philharmonic. However, the account was fake and was a hoax created by Italian journalist Tommaso Debenedetti. According to Platea Magazine, The Israel Philharmonic confirmed that the conductor is alive and said, “Dear friends, there are so many rumors that Zubin has passed away. {…}
Zubin Mehta honored conductor Yuri Kerpatenko at a concert at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. At the beginning of the concert in late October 2022, Mehta asked the audience to stand up for one minute in silence in honor of the conductor who was murdered by the Russian army. Mehta said Kerpatenko’s actions to refuse to cooperate with the Russian occupants {…}
Zubin Mehta has canceled a Christmas concert and a production at Teatro alla Scala due to health issues. The Teatro alla Scala noted that Mehta will not conduct the Christmas Concert on Dec. 22 and will be replaced by Spanish conductor Pablo Heras-Casado. Meanwhile, the six performances of “Salome” in January will be conducted by Axel Kober and Michael Güttler. {…}
Conductor Zubin Mehta and his wife Nancy Mehta have donated $1 million in Tesla shares to the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. The announcement was made on Jan. 22 during an event in which the company revealed that its theater would bear Mehta’s name. “My wife was so moved when she heard about the title – Master Mehta intervened – that she {…}
The Maggio Musicale Fiorentino has postponed its Jan. 4 concert. The company announced that the concert was postponed due to the increase in precautionary quarantines and the number of infections. The company also noted that the use of FFP2 masks by the Chorus makes it difficult to sing Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 As a result, the theater will reschedule the {…}
(Photo: Tyler Callahan) Every Friday, Polina Lyapustina delivers a short essay on some of the most essential topics in the industry with the intent of establishing a dialogue about the opera world and its future. Starting mid-September, news about strikes in the cultural sector began to appear in the media. The prosperous Norwegian National Opera postponed a few performances due to a {…}
The Maggio Musicale Fiorentino has postponed the first concert of its Beethoven cycle on Sept. 10, 2021. The company announced that due to indisposition Zubin Mehta was forced to postpone the concert and reschedule it for Oct. 15, 2021. All ticket holders for the Sept. 10, 20221 will be able to attend the new date or have the option of {…}
In modern Italy, where the operatic art is literally falling apart at both institutional and performing levels, the audience still carries the memory of seeing the greatest operatic performances in history, and is eager to hear anyone who could put all the precious pieces together again. So, there was no surprise to see the hall of Maggio Musicale Fiorentino filled {…}