OPERA

by Richard Sasanow - May 20, 2025

This past weekend, composer Kevin Puts’s BRIGHTNESS OF LIGHT, based on the long, abundant correspondence of artist Georgia O’Keeffe and photographer/gallerist Alfred Stieglitz, had its long overdue New York premiere, with the New York Philharmonic under debuting conductor Brett Mitchell, and soprano...

by Richard Sasanow - May 19, 2025

When mezzo Aigul Akhmetshina stepped on stage in the Met’s new production of CARMEN, back on New Year’s Eve of 2023, it was hard to imagine her in any other role because of the way she completely inhabited it. Would we ever be able to watch her in anything else, despite credits from other houses tha...

by Aliya Al-Hassan - May 19, 2025

Opera buffa is an ever-popular genre of the art, and more than two centuries after its composition, Rossini's Il barbière di Siviglia remains one this genre's most often staged operas. The music and lyrics are pure genius, but the success of this particular opera comes from an inherent understanding...

by Richard Sasanow - May 13, 2025

There’s an old expression, “A lawyer who defends himself has a fool for a client.” While John Adams didn’t decide to take on the libretto for his latest opera, Monday night’s Met premiere, ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA, all on his own, I wonder whether he might have bypassed the one resource that might have ...

by Erica Miner - May 12, 2025

Ending the season with a memorable production of one of opera’s most tour de force masterpieces is sure to motivate audiences to return for Seattle Opera’s next season...

by Richard Sasanow - May 07, 2025

By definition, the historical view of the oratorio is that it’s typically religious in nature, performed unstaged and without costumes or scenery. Going by that description, The Oratorio Society of New York’s (OSNY) program at Carnegie Hall this week—a combination of contemporary and classical works...

by David Friscic - May 07, 2025

An evening of the myriad modes of music that constitute the American Experience was celebrated at the Kennedy Center’s production of American Rhapsody. The evening was a rich treasure trove of the glory that is American music from opera, spirituals, modern composers, classic songwriters, and Broadwa...

by Steve Callahan - May 06, 2025

A rich and lively production of an Ibsen classic--with Grieg's full instrumental music. The St. Louis Symphony, with director Stéphane Denève, interpret Grieg’s music with their usual perfection.  All in all it’s a memorable presentation of a very great work of music and theater....

by Roger Catlin - May 05, 2025

It’s not so strange, really, that there’s  a serious opera about Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. His life’s work is usually invoked before every production of the last decade or more, when audiences are asked to silence their smartphones....

by Gary Naylor - May 04, 2025

Super show that lightens a very dark subject (corecive control), but does not diminish it...