BWW Review: Damrau's a Top Violetta with the Met's New Maestro Nezet-Seguin in LA TRAVIATA from Mayer
by Richard Sasanow - December 06, 2018
I interviewed Diana Damrau when she had just done her first Violetta, her role debut in the Met's old Willy Decker production. It was a part she lusted over from the time she saw the 1982 Zeffirelli film, but was careful about taking on--waiting for the right time in her vocal development. That was nearly six years ago and the good news is that she has developed into a first-rate Violetta, sounding better than she has in some time, and looking every inch the glamorous (yet consumptive) courtesan.
by Richard Sasanow - December 06, 2018
I interviewed Diana Damrau when she had just done her first Violetta, her role debut in the Met's old Willy Decker production. It was a part she lusted over from the time she saw the 1982 Zeffirelli film, but was careful about taking on--waiting for the right time in her vocal development. That was nearly six years ago and the good news is that she has developed into a first-rate Violetta, sounding better than she has in some time, and looking every inch the glamorous (yet consumptive) courtesan.
MET Opera's LA TRAVIATA Comes to Peterborough Players
by BWW News Desk - December 06, 2018
On Saturday, December 15 at 1:00pm the Peterborough Players present, Live from the Metropolitan Opera, a screening of Verdi's La Traviata.
by BWW News Desk - December 06, 2018
On Saturday, December 15 at 1:00pm the Peterborough Players present, Live from the Metropolitan Opera, a screening of Verdi's La Traviata.
The Metropolitan Opera Issues New Audio Release On iTunes
by BWW News Desk - December 05, 2018
To commemorate the start of Yannick Nézet-Séguin's new position as the Jeanette Lerman Neubauer Music Director, the Met is releasing an audio compilation of performance highlights on iTunes, as well as a series
by BWW News Desk - December 05, 2018
To commemorate the start of Yannick Nézet-Séguin's new position as the Jeanette Lerman Neubauer Music Director, the Met is releasing an audio compilation of performance highlights on iTunes, as well as a series
Tenor Javier Camarena - High Cs and 'High Fives' at the Met
by Richard Sasanow - December 05, 2018
Tenor Javier Camarena--who completes his run as Nadir, the love-struck tenor lead in Bizet's LES PECHEURS DE PERLES (THE PEARL FISHERS) this Saturday--isn't finished wow-ing Met audiences for the season. Not by a long shot. He's back in February to throw off those nine High Cs in “Ah, mes amis!” the show-stopping aria--that toast to love and camaraderie--in Donizetti's LA FILLE DU REGIMENT (DAUGHTER OF THE REGIMENT) that Luciano Pavarotti made famous for modern opera audiences.
by Richard Sasanow - December 05, 2018
Tenor Javier Camarena--who completes his run as Nadir, the love-struck tenor lead in Bizet's LES PECHEURS DE PERLES (THE PEARL FISHERS) this Saturday--isn't finished wow-ing Met audiences for the season. Not by a long shot. He's back in February to throw off those nine High Cs in “Ah, mes amis!” the show-stopping aria--that toast to love and camaraderie--in Donizetti's LA FILLE DU REGIMENT (DAUGHTER OF THE REGIMENT) that Luciano Pavarotti made famous for modern opera audiences.
Wexford Festival Opera Announces Dates And Main Evening Operas For 2019
by BWW News Desk - December 05, 2018
Wexford Festival Opera announced today the three main evening operas
by BWW News Desk - December 05, 2018
Wexford Festival Opera announced today the three main evening operas
David Bennett, Juan Carlos Acosta, And Walter DuMelle at San Diego Opera
by Ron Bierman - December 04, 2018
Can a musical drama set on a grim WW I battlefield make an audience feel good? Those working on the San Diego Opera's staging of All Is Calm: the Christmas Truce of 1914 are certain it can. The work tells the true story of the spontaneous unofficial truce between WWI enemies who left their trenches and entered the no-man's land between them to join in a celebration of the Christmas holidays. Peter Rothstein wrote the drama for his Minneapolis-based company Theatre Latte Da, and based it on material from the period, the most important of which is the verbatim text of letters and war journals written by soldiers who participated in the truce. The cast sings many songs popular during the war and a few traditional Christmas carols. All were arranged by Erick Lichte and Timothy C. Takach, and are sung a cappella in the English, German and French languages of the soldiers. Vanessa Dinning has taken on the challenge of coaching in nearly 20 different dialects.
by Ron Bierman - December 04, 2018
Can a musical drama set on a grim WW I battlefield make an audience feel good? Those working on the San Diego Opera's staging of All Is Calm: the Christmas Truce of 1914 are certain it can. The work tells the true story of the spontaneous unofficial truce between WWI enemies who left their trenches and entered the no-man's land between them to join in a celebration of the Christmas holidays. Peter Rothstein wrote the drama for his Minneapolis-based company Theatre Latte Da, and based it on material from the period, the most important of which is the verbatim text of letters and war journals written by soldiers who participated in the truce. The cast sings many songs popular during the war and a few traditional Christmas carols. All were arranged by Erick Lichte and Timothy C. Takach, and are sung a cappella in the English, German and French languages of the soldiers. Vanessa Dinning has taken on the challenge of coaching in nearly 20 different dialects.
VIDEO: Get A First Look At LA TRAVIATA at The Met
by BWW News Desk - December 04, 2018
Yannick Nezet-Seguin conducts Michael Mayer's richly textured new production, featuring a dazzling 19th-century setting that changes with the seasons. Soprano Diana Damrau plays the tragic heroine, Violetta, and tenor Juan Diego Florez returns to the Met for the first time since 2015 to sing the role of Alfredo, Violetta's hapless lover. Baritone Quinn Kelsey is Alfredo's father, Germont, who destroys their love. Later performances feature Anita Hartig, Stephen Costello, Artur Ruci?ski, and Placido Domingo.
by BWW News Desk - December 04, 2018
Yannick Nezet-Seguin conducts Michael Mayer's richly textured new production, featuring a dazzling 19th-century setting that changes with the seasons. Soprano Diana Damrau plays the tragic heroine, Violetta, and tenor Juan Diego Florez returns to the Met for the first time since 2015 to sing the role of Alfredo, Violetta's hapless lover. Baritone Quinn Kelsey is Alfredo's father, Germont, who destroys their love. Later performances feature Anita Hartig, Stephen Costello, Artur Ruci?ski, and Placido Domingo.
Bard College Appoints Renowned Opera Singer Stephanie Blythe New Director Of Graduate Vocal Arts Program
by BWW News Desk - December 03, 2018
Bard College announces the appointment of celebrated opera singer and recitalist Stephanie Blythe as artistic director of the Bard College Conservatory of Music Graduate Vocal Arts Program (VAP) beginning in July 2019. One of the most highly respected and critically acclaimed artists of her generation, mezzo-soprano Blythe possesses a repertoire ranging from Handel to Wagner and from German lieder to contemporary and classic American song. Blythe has performed on many of the world's great stages, such as Carnegie Hall; the Metropolitan Opera; Covent Garden; Paris National Opera; and San Francisco, Chicago Lyric, and Seattle Operas. She was named Musical America's Vocalist of the Year, received an Opera News Award, and won the Richard Tucker Award. Blythe recently released her first crossover recording on the Innova label with pianist Craig Terry.
by BWW News Desk - December 03, 2018
Bard College announces the appointment of celebrated opera singer and recitalist Stephanie Blythe as artistic director of the Bard College Conservatory of Music Graduate Vocal Arts Program (VAP) beginning in July 2019. One of the most highly respected and critically acclaimed artists of her generation, mezzo-soprano Blythe possesses a repertoire ranging from Handel to Wagner and from German lieder to contemporary and classic American song. Blythe has performed on many of the world's great stages, such as Carnegie Hall; the Metropolitan Opera; Covent Garden; Paris National Opera; and San Francisco, Chicago Lyric, and Seattle Operas. She was named Musical America's Vocalist of the Year, received an Opera News Award, and won the Richard Tucker Award. Blythe recently released her first crossover recording on the Innova label with pianist Craig Terry.
BWW Review: THE MERRY WIDOW at Adelaide Festival Theatre
by Barry Lenny - December 01, 2018
Antoinette Halloran and Alexander Lewis captivate the audience.
by Barry Lenny - December 01, 2018
Antoinette Halloran and Alexander Lewis captivate the audience.
Julie Taymor's Production Of Mozart's THE MAGIC FLUTE Returns
by BWW News Desk - November 30, 2018
A prince's quest to prove his worth and rescue his beloved leads to a fantastic adventure filled with danger and mysticism in the Metropolitan Opera's holiday presentation of Mozart's The Magic Flute, with performances December 19, 2018 to January 5, 2019. This English-language adaptation of the classic fairy tale, performed in a 100-minute version of the Met's popular production by visionary theater artist Julie Taymor, is the perfect introduction to opera for the whole family, as well as a holiday treat for those who are already admirers of Mozart. The performances are led by acclaimed Mozart conductor Harry Bicket.
by BWW News Desk - November 30, 2018
A prince's quest to prove his worth and rescue his beloved leads to a fantastic adventure filled with danger and mysticism in the Metropolitan Opera's holiday presentation of Mozart's The Magic Flute, with performances December 19, 2018 to January 5, 2019. This English-language adaptation of the classic fairy tale, performed in a 100-minute version of the Met's popular production by visionary theater artist Julie Taymor, is the perfect introduction to opera for the whole family, as well as a holiday treat for those who are already admirers of Mozart. The performances are led by acclaimed Mozart conductor Harry Bicket.
BWW Review: GLASS or HANDEL, Costanzo Can Handle Whatever's Thrown at Him
by Richard Sasanow - November 29, 2018
No one can accuse countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo of sitting around and waiting for projects to fall into his lap. GLASS HANDEL was first produced by the singer with Visionaire and Cath Brittan at Opera Philadelphia's (OP) O18 Operafest in September and presented in NY by OP and National Sawdust for four performances this week at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine (a co-producer), GLASS HANDEL was a trip--in many senses of the word.
by Richard Sasanow - November 29, 2018
No one can accuse countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo of sitting around and waiting for projects to fall into his lap. GLASS HANDEL was first produced by the singer with Visionaire and Cath Brittan at Opera Philadelphia's (OP) O18 Operafest in September and presented in NY by OP and National Sawdust for four performances this week at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine (a co-producer), GLASS HANDEL was a trip--in many senses of the word.
Amore Opera Celebrates 10th Anniversary With Six Productions For The 2018-19 Season
by BWW News Desk - November 28, 2018
To celebrate the founding of Amore Opera in 2009, Artistic Director Nathan Hull has programmed six main-stage opera productions this season. Over the past decade, Amore has created a niche for itself in New York City's cultural realm, offering lively stagings of opera classics, neglected gems of the repertoire, appealing children's fare, and ever-popular Gilbert & Sullivan presentations in the well- appointed and intimate 200-seat Riverside Theatre at Riverside Church, 91 Claremont Avenue, (near 121st Street,) New York, NY 10027.
by BWW News Desk - November 28, 2018
To celebrate the founding of Amore Opera in 2009, Artistic Director Nathan Hull has programmed six main-stage opera productions this season. Over the past decade, Amore has created a niche for itself in New York City's cultural realm, offering lively stagings of opera classics, neglected gems of the repertoire, appealing children's fare, and ever-popular Gilbert & Sullivan presentations in the well- appointed and intimate 200-seat Riverside Theatre at Riverside Church, 91 Claremont Avenue, (near 121st Street,) New York, NY 10027.
BWW Review: OPERA GRAND AVIGNON Presents L'OPERA DE QUAT'SOUS
by Wesley Doucette - November 28, 2018
Brecht and Weill's The Threepenny Opera (l'Opera de Quat'Sous in French) is one of those works that became the hallmark of its era. Its sound, its look, and its cynicism are pure Weimar. However, during the 1928 Berlin premiere, early songs such as 'The Ballad of Mac The Knife' and 'Pirate Jenny' landed with a shrug, and it wasn't until the 'Canon Song,' halfway through the first act, that the audience became engaged. All of this to say that The Threepenny Opera is a complicated play whose virtues might not be immediately evident to the uninitiated. The production at Avignon's Opera Confluence, as directed by Jean Lacornerie, comes in at a swift two hours without intermission. While crammed onto an over-packed stage and breathlessly paced, Lacornerie still manages to keep the action moving with style.
by Wesley Doucette - November 28, 2018
Brecht and Weill's The Threepenny Opera (l'Opera de Quat'Sous in French) is one of those works that became the hallmark of its era. Its sound, its look, and its cynicism are pure Weimar. However, during the 1928 Berlin premiere, early songs such as 'The Ballad of Mac The Knife' and 'Pirate Jenny' landed with a shrug, and it wasn't until the 'Canon Song,' halfway through the first act, that the audience became engaged. All of this to say that The Threepenny Opera is a complicated play whose virtues might not be immediately evident to the uninitiated. The production at Avignon's Opera Confluence, as directed by Jean Lacornerie, comes in at a swift two hours without intermission. While crammed onto an over-packed stage and breathlessly paced, Lacornerie still manages to keep the action moving with style.
BWW Review: Juilliard Makes Handel's AMINTA E FILLIDE the Opera of the Year
by Richard Sasanow - November 26, 2018
Handel's AMINTA E FILLIDE doesn't have much of a libretto--'nymph meets swain and complications arise,' says the program, and that's about it--and there were just a handful of musicians from Juilliard's early music program on stage at the Morgan Library's tiny Gilder Lehrman Hall. for a work that lasted less than an hour. Yet Handel's opera/pastoral/cantata goes on my list as one of the most gorgeous performances of the year in New York, under guest artist-in-residence, William Christie.
by Richard Sasanow - November 26, 2018
Handel's AMINTA E FILLIDE doesn't have much of a libretto--'nymph meets swain and complications arise,' says the program, and that's about it--and there were just a handful of musicians from Juilliard's early music program on stage at the Morgan Library's tiny Gilder Lehrman Hall. for a work that lasted less than an hour. Yet Handel's opera/pastoral/cantata goes on my list as one of the most gorgeous performances of the year in New York, under guest artist-in-residence, William Christie.
MUGHAL-E-AZAM: THE MUSICAL Will Make Dubai Opera Premiere
by BWW News Desk - November 25, 2018
Dubai Opera will premiere Mughal-e-Azam: The Musical, directed by Feroz Abbas Khan and produced by Shapoorji Pallonji, in January 2019, according to Trade Arabia.
by BWW News Desk - November 25, 2018
Dubai Opera will premiere Mughal-e-Azam: The Musical, directed by Feroz Abbas Khan and produced by Shapoorji Pallonji, in January 2019, according to Trade Arabia.
Metropolitan Opera Cast Change Advisory: LES PECHEURS DE PERLES
by BWW News Desk - November 23, 2018
Alexander Birch Elliott will sing Zurga in all remaining performances of Bizet's Les Pêcheurs de Perles, replacing Mariusz Kwiecien, who has withdrawn due to illness.
by BWW News Desk - November 23, 2018
Alexander Birch Elliott will sing Zurga in all remaining performances of Bizet's Les Pêcheurs de Perles, replacing Mariusz Kwiecien, who has withdrawn due to illness.
Review Roundup: What Did the Critics Think of FIN DE PARTIE at Teatro alla Scala?
by BWW News Desk - November 23, 2018
Conductor Markus Stenz leads the world premiere of the highly-anticipated world premiere performance of Fin de Partie at Teatro alla Scala, the first and only opera by the beloved, visionary composer György Kurtág, composed at the age of 91. Based on the famous Samuel Beckett play, commonly performed in English as Endgame, the operatic version, to be sung in French, has been more than seven years in the making. At 450 pages, Fin de Partie is by far the largest score ever composed by the reputed 'master of the miniature,' who has for several decades maintained the desire of writing a musical treatment for the sparse, sardonically existential work. This production is staged by internationally-acclaimed artistic and theater director, Pierre Audi.
by BWW News Desk - November 23, 2018
Conductor Markus Stenz leads the world premiere of the highly-anticipated world premiere performance of Fin de Partie at Teatro alla Scala, the first and only opera by the beloved, visionary composer György Kurtág, composed at the age of 91. Based on the famous Samuel Beckett play, commonly performed in English as Endgame, the operatic version, to be sung in French, has been more than seven years in the making. At 450 pages, Fin de Partie is by far the largest score ever composed by the reputed 'master of the miniature,' who has for several decades maintained the desire of writing a musical treatment for the sparse, sardonically existential work. This production is staged by internationally-acclaimed artistic and theater director, Pierre Audi.
BWW Review: Saariaho's SOUND, Directed by Sellars, Says Yes to Noh at White Light Festival
by Richard Sasanow - November 21, 2018
With a formidable cast of three, and a brilliant ensemble of voices and instrumental musicians, Kaija Saariaho's ONLY THE SOUND REMAINS swept through town last weekend, created with director Peter Sellars. Once again, she left us in awe of how she can fill an impossibly large theatre with what seems on paper to be the tiniest of works.
by Richard Sasanow - November 21, 2018
With a formidable cast of three, and a brilliant ensemble of voices and instrumental musicians, Kaija Saariaho's ONLY THE SOUND REMAINS swept through town last weekend, created with director Peter Sellars. Once again, she left us in awe of how she can fill an impossibly large theatre with what seems on paper to be the tiniest of works.
A New Production Of Cilea's ADRIANA LECOUVREUR Starring Anna Netrebko Opens New Year's Eve
by BWW News Desk - November 20, 2018
Anna Netrebko brings her acclaimed portrayal of the passionate real-life French actress at the heart of Francesco Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur to the Metropolitan Opera for the first time in a new production that opens in a special New Year's Eve gala performance and continues through January 26, 2019. Anita Rachvelishvili, who starred opposite Netrebko in Verdi's Aida earlier this season, is the Princess of Bouillon, renewing their onstage rivalry. Piotr Becza?a is Maurizio and Ambrogio Maestri is Michonnet, the two men in love with Adriana. Rounding out the cast are Carlo Bosi as the Abbé and Maurizio Muraro as the Prince of Bouillon. Maestro Gianandrea Noseda returns to the Met to conduct Cilea's elegant score. Sir David McVicar's production—the work's first new staging at the Met in more than 50 years—brings the world of the theater to vivid life, with all of the drama playing out in a working replica of a Baroque playhouse. On January 23 and 26, the title role is sung by Jennifer Rowley.
by BWW News Desk - November 20, 2018
Anna Netrebko brings her acclaimed portrayal of the passionate real-life French actress at the heart of Francesco Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur to the Metropolitan Opera for the first time in a new production that opens in a special New Year's Eve gala performance and continues through January 26, 2019. Anita Rachvelishvili, who starred opposite Netrebko in Verdi's Aida earlier this season, is the Princess of Bouillon, renewing their onstage rivalry. Piotr Becza?a is Maurizio and Ambrogio Maestri is Michonnet, the two men in love with Adriana. Rounding out the cast are Carlo Bosi as the Abbé and Maurizio Muraro as the Prince of Bouillon. Maestro Gianandrea Noseda returns to the Met to conduct Cilea's elegant score. Sir David McVicar's production—the work's first new staging at the Met in more than 50 years—brings the world of the theater to vivid life, with all of the drama playing out in a working replica of a Baroque playhouse. On January 23 and 26, the title role is sung by Jennifer Rowley.
The Met Opera And WQXR Announce “Aria Code” A New Podcast Hosted By Rhiannon Giddens
by BWW News Desk - November 19, 2018
The Metropolitan Opera and WQXR, New York's all classical music station, announce ARIA CODE, a new 10-episode podcast series that pulls the curtain back on some of opera's most legendary arias.
by BWW News Desk - November 19, 2018
The Metropolitan Opera and WQXR, New York's all classical music station, announce ARIA CODE, a new 10-episode podcast series that pulls the curtain back on some of opera's most legendary arias.
BWW Review: Nothing Fishy about Replacement Baritone Elliott in PECHEURS at the Met
by Richard Sasanow - November 19, 2018
We thought things were exciting last week, when Christian Van Horn brought his Mefistofele to the Met last week, getting all his exercise for the month in the athletic staging and nailing his first big role in the house. However, that was “business as usual” compared to the mid-performance debut, just a few days later, of baritone Alexander Birch Elliott, as Zurga, in Bizet's LES PECHEURS DE PERLES (THE PEARL FISHERS) in the opera's first performance of the season.
by Richard Sasanow - November 19, 2018
We thought things were exciting last week, when Christian Van Horn brought his Mefistofele to the Met last week, getting all his exercise for the month in the athletic staging and nailing his first big role in the house. However, that was “business as usual” compared to the mid-performance debut, just a few days later, of baritone Alexander Birch Elliott, as Zurga, in Bizet's LES PECHEURS DE PERLES (THE PEARL FISHERS) in the opera's first performance of the season.
MEFISTOFELE is a Devil of a Hat-Trick for the Met's Rising Star Christian Van Horn
by Richard Sasanow - November 19, 2018
I caught up with rising star bass-baritone Christian Van Horn the other day, to find out what the devil was going on with his starring role in the Met's first performance of Arrigo Boito's MEFISTOFELE in almost 20 years. Were you nervous as hell (pun intended) on the first night, I asked Van Horn, winner of this year's prestigious Richard Tucker Award, in your role as the Devil?
by Richard Sasanow - November 19, 2018
I caught up with rising star bass-baritone Christian Van Horn the other day, to find out what the devil was going on with his starring role in the Met's first performance of Arrigo Boito's MEFISTOFELE in almost 20 years. Were you nervous as hell (pun intended) on the first night, I asked Van Horn, winner of this year's prestigious Richard Tucker Award, in your role as the Devil?
Amore Opera Celebrates 10th Anniversary With Six Productions For The 2018-19 Season
by BWW News Desk - November 19, 2018
To celebrate the founding of Amore Opera in 2009, Artistic Director Nathan Hull has programmed six main-stage opera productions this season. Over the past decade, Amore has created a niche for itself in New York City's cultural realm, offering lively stagings of opera classics, neglected gems of the repertoire, appealing children's fare, and ever-popular Gilbert & Sullivan presentations in the well-appointed and intimate 200-seat Riverside Theatre at Riverside Church, 91 Claremont Avenue, (near 121st Street,) New York, NY 10027.
by BWW News Desk - November 19, 2018
To celebrate the founding of Amore Opera in 2009, Artistic Director Nathan Hull has programmed six main-stage opera productions this season. Over the past decade, Amore has created a niche for itself in New York City's cultural realm, offering lively stagings of opera classics, neglected gems of the repertoire, appealing children's fare, and ever-popular Gilbert & Sullivan presentations in the well-appointed and intimate 200-seat Riverside Theatre at Riverside Church, 91 Claremont Avenue, (near 121st Street,) New York, NY 10027.
Utopia Opera Debuts Thea Musgrave's THE STORY OF HARRIET TUBMAN
by BWW News Desk - November 17, 2018
Directed by renowned stage director Viktoria I.V. King, the NY Premiere of Thea Musgrave's 'The Story of Harriet Tubman' Opera for Utopia Opera debuts in only 5 days at Hunter College's Ida K. Lang's Theatre.
by BWW News Desk - November 17, 2018
Directed by renowned stage director Viktoria I.V. King, the NY Premiere of Thea Musgrave's 'The Story of Harriet Tubman' Opera for Utopia Opera debuts in only 5 days at Hunter College's Ida K. Lang's Theatre.
San Francisco Opera Center Presents Adler Fellows Concert
by BWW News Desk - November 16, 2018
San Francisco Opera Center presents the 2018 class of Adler Fellows in their final concert of the year, The Future Is Now: Adler Fellows Concert, on Saturday, December 8 at 7:30 p.m. in Herbst Theatre. Christopher Franklin conducts the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and eight Adler Fellow singers in opera scenes, arias and duets with stage direction by Adler Fellow director Aria Umezawa and musical preparation by Adler Fellow apprentice coaches John Elam and César Cañón.
by BWW News Desk - November 16, 2018
San Francisco Opera Center presents the 2018 class of Adler Fellows in their final concert of the year, The Future Is Now: Adler Fellows Concert, on Saturday, December 8 at 7:30 p.m. in Herbst Theatre. Christopher Franklin conducts the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and eight Adler Fellow singers in opera scenes, arias and duets with stage direction by Adler Fellow director Aria Umezawa and musical preparation by Adler Fellow apprentice coaches John Elam and César Cañón.
Videos
|
SongStudio
Carnegie Hall (1/12 - 1/18) | ||
| VIEW SHOWS ADD A SHOW | ||
Get Opera's #1 Theatre Newsletter
All the show news & discounts for Opera & beyond.
