Richard Wagner News

Before Captain Jack Sparrow of the Pirates of the Caribbean films sailed the seven seas, Wagner's operatic tale of a cursed pirate had been thrilling audiences for almost 200 years. Seattleites will soon get to experience this masterpiece for themselves in May 2016, as Seattle Opera presents The Flying Dutchman.

On May 5, at 17:00 Moscow time [14:00 GMT], the Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra, conducted by People's Artist of Russia Valery Gergiev, held the 'Pray for Palmyra. Music Revives Ancient Ruins' concert on the stage of Palmyra's world-famous amphitheater.

Ten years of planning and $10 million in production costs couldn't prevent the Washington National Opera from pleasing all the gods in its ambitious staging of all four operas in Richard Wagner's The Ring of the Nibelung.

In 2006, then Washington National Opera Artistic Director Placido Domingo announced that the Opera would take on their first complete cycle of Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung). In the subsequent years, the opera produced the first three of the four-some, but not in quick succession. As the opera and the nation suffered an economic downturn, the complete cycle was never realized. Until now.

The second company completing their residency is Blessed Unrest, presenting the world premiere of Body: Anatomies of Being, conceived and directed by Jessica Burr, written by Matt Opatrny, created and choreographed by the Blessed Unrest ensemble, running now through May 21, 2016. Warning: Bodies will appear in their natural state. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

The second company completing their residency is Blessed Unrest, presenting the world premiere of Body: Anatomies of Being, conceived and directed by Jessica Burr, written by Matt Opatrny, created and choreographed by the Blessed Unrest ensemble, running April 30 - May 21, 2016.

Washington National Opera (WNO) concludes its landmark 60th anniversary season with its first complete presentation of Richard Wagner's four-part The Ring of the Nibelung, perhaps the most challenging production to mount in all of opera. Three cycles of Wagner's epic will be presented from tonight, April 30 to May 22, 2016 in the Kennedy Center Opera House. These performances will be the first time the company has presented The Ring in complete cycles in its history, and they are the only complete cycles to be presented in North America in 2016. Conceived and directed by WNO Artistic Director Francesca Zambello and with the WNO Orchestra led by WNO Music Director Philippe Auguin, the production brings together an internationally renowned cast, including British soprano Catherine Foster (Brünnhilde, Cycles I & II), Swedish soprano Nina Stemme (Brünnhilde, Cycle III), American tenor Daniel Brenna (Siegfried), American bass-baritone Alan Held (Wotan/The Wanderer), and many other of today's great Wagnerian singers.

Washington National Opera (WNO) presents its first complete presentation of Richard Wagner's four-part Ring cycle. Three full cycles will be presented from tonight, April 30, to May 22, 2016 and will be directed by Artistic Director Francesca Zambello and conducted by WNO Music Director Philippe Auguin.

Music Director James Levine Conducts Concerts with Pianist Evgeny Kissin on May 19 and an All-Wagner Program with Soprano Christine Goerke and Tenor Stefan Vinke on May 26;

On Tuesday evening, April 12 North Carolina Opera revealed its upcoming new season at CAM Raleigh (Contemporary Art Museum). Over 300 fans and friends of the organization excitedly gathered for the unveiling of the new season's productions and casting as presented by NCO Artistic & Music Director Timothy Myers, along with live performances of excerpts from the operas.

Educational publisher Simply Charly is pleased to announce the launch of a new series of brief yet comprehensive biographies exploring the fascinating-and often misunderstood-lives of some of history's greatest authors, scientists, politicians, philosophers, and artists. Written by prominent scholars, academics, and other experts, the 'Great Lives' series is specifically designed for a general audience. It offers engaging and accessible introductions to many of the men and women whose genius profoundly changed their world and, in many cases, ours. The books not only illuminate their subjects' lives, but, especially in the case of writers, also offer significant insights into their bodies of work. 'People love to discover and explore the lives of history's great men and women,' says Charles Carlini, founder of Simply Charly and CEO of Carlini Media. 'However, we've found that they relate better to books that are concise and written in an interesting, attention-grabbing manner. Ours are exactly that: brief, but comprehensive and compelling. And that's why we used the word 'simply' in the titles.' The first slate of books-which includes Simply Darwin, Simply Dirac, Simply Dickens, Simply Faulkner and Simply Wittgenstein-will be released in digital form at the end of April 2016, with print versions to follow. Additional titles in the series, focusing on Ernest Hemingway, Jane Austen, Alfred Hitchcock, James Joyce, Richard Wagner, René Descartes, Virginia Woolf, and many others, will be published later this year. The e-books are priced at $7.99 and paperbacks at $8.99. The series has garnered considerable advance praise and critical acclaim. David Paroissien, editor of Dickens Quarterly, called Paul Schlicke's Simply Dickens an 'eminently accessible portrait, expertly blending the contours of Dickens's multivalent activities with commentary on his development as a novelist.' Similarly, David Sepkoski, Research Scholar at Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, said that Simply Darwin-whose author Michael Ruse is one of the world's foremost experts on the history of evolution-'provides an entertaining, stimulating, and provocative account of the life and legacy of Charles Darwin. This is one of the best short summaries of the topic available.' For more information and reviews, please visit http://simplycharly.com/books. 'Great Lives' book trailer https://youtu.be/DMSpx5pSWgQ. About Simply Charly Simply Charly is a one-stop portal to a wealth of information about some of the world's most prominent historical figures. Geared to students, teachers, and anyone interested in learning more about the great men and women who changed the world, the site's mission is to become the leading online source for everything visitors want to know about these groundbreaking individuals.

The second company completing their residency is Blessed Unrest, presenting the world premiere of Body: Anatomies of Being, conceived and directed by Jessica Burr, written by Matt Opatrny, created and choreographed by the Blessed Unrest ensemble, running April 30 - May 21, 2016.

The Chicago Philharmonic announces its 2016-17 season: Love. Throughout five concerts, the season explores orchestral favorites and lesser known offerings representing varying expressions of love. Guest performers include conductor Gerhardt Zimmermann, Visceral Dance Chicago, and a range of renowned vocalists and instrumental soloists. Scott Speck leads the orchestra in his fourth season as artistic director.

Before Captain Jack Sparrow of the Pirates of the Caribbean films sailed the seven seas, Wagner's operatic tale of a cursed pirate had been thrilling audiences for almost 200 years. Seattleites will soon get to experience this masterpiece for themselves in May 2016, as Seattle Opera presents The Flying Dutchman.

Washington National Opera (WNO) concludes its landmark 60th anniversary season with its first complete presentation of Richard Wagner's four-part The Ring of the Nibelung, perhaps the most challenging production to mount in all of opera. Three cycles of Wagner's epic will be presented from April 30 to May 22, 2016 in the Kennedy Center Opera House. These performances will be the first time the company has presented The Ring in complete cycles in its history, and they are the only complete cycles to be presented in North America in 2016. Conceived and directed by WNO Artistic Director Francesca Zambello and with the WNO Orchestra led by WNO Music Director Philippe Auguin, the production brings together an internationally renowned cast, including British soprano Catherine Foster (Brünnhilde, Cycles I & II), Swedish soprano Nina Stemme (Brünnhilde, Cycle III), American tenor Daniel Brenna (Siegfried), American bass-baritone Alan Held (Wotan/The Wanderer), and many other of today's great Wagnerian singers.

Washington National Opera's Artistic Director Francesca Zambello announces the WNO's upcoming production of The Ring, a cycle of four epic operas by German composer Richard Wagner, April 30-May 22, 2016.  Peek into a WNO rehearsal room in the videos below!

The Archive Residency, a collaboration between New Ohio Theatre and IRT Theater (likeminded neighbors in the historic Archive Building in the West Village), is a unique incubator for New York City's most promising emerging independent theater companies. Now in its third year, the two year residency offers each company that most elusive and invaluable resource, an artistic home, including space, artistic support, and institutional continuity for the development and presentation of a new work, culminating in an exciting world premiere.

The award-winning Wagner College Theatre presents a reimagined production of Gilbert & Sullivan's topsy-turvy musical Iolanthe from February 24-March 6, 2016 in the Main Hall Theatre.

Opera at Florham presents its next Musicale on Sunday, March 20th, 2016 at 3 p.m. in Lenfell Hall, 'The Mansion', Hennessy Hall, featuring a variety of famous opera arias and Broadway songs. This Musicale will take place at Fairleigh Dickinson University's College at Florham, Madison, NJ.

Gary Naylor sees Wagner's Ring Cycle done in two hours in a production that doesn't quite locate its target audience.