An unlikely coupling of one-act operas by Zemlinsky and Puccini bears fruit in a staging that reveals their thematic parallels while leaving their obvious differences on show.
Director Michael Thalheimer staging Weber’s Der Freischütz entirely in the Wolf’s Glen, albeit relocated from a “fearsome forest gorge” to what looks like a badger’s sett.
With its minimalist but grandiose sets, the imposing sound of the Choir of the Dutch National Opera and the excellent conducting of Marc Albrecht, there is much to be enjoyed in this revival of Pierre Audi’s Lohengrin in Amsterdam.
While there are jarring visual aspects to this production of Bizet's Carmen at the SemperOper, Dresden, this was an enjoyable performance which is a feast for the ears, if not the eyes.
In program notes, Christoph Eschenbach, music director of the National Symphony Orchestra, calls Parsifal “the culmination of Wagner’s work”. For his orchestra’s recent celebration of Wagner’s bicentennial at the Kennedy Center, Eschenbach programmed a concert performance of Act III of the composer’s final opera: the culmination of the culmination, one could say.
The lights dimmed and an announcer explained that following the destruction of earth’s ecosystem, there had been a scramble to rocket bases and a rush to transport surviving life to the nearest planet, Mars.
Giuseppe Verdi’s Attila is not an opera that one hears often. Composed during his self-styled “galley period” – before he found his mature musical voice with Rigoletto – Attila has inherent musical and dramaturgical weaknesses. With one foot still firmly rooted in bel canto tradition, the numerous cabalettas can be exhausting, even ridiculous, considering the dramatic nature of the text.
The packed hall at the Opéra de Bastille was in for a particularly interesting evening as they arrived for the Opéra National de Paris’ newest production of Bizet’s Carmen. This is an important event that brings out both the regular opera-goers and Carmen lovers, and those curious enough to buy a ticket to see the company’s latest creation.
Tradition has it in Vienna that while the Wiener Philharmoniker ring in the New Year to the strains of the Blue Danube and other Strauss family hits, the Wiener Symphoniker give festive performances of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at the Konzerthaus.
La OCNE dirigida brillantemente por Nagano y con Sean Panikkar encabezando un sólido reparto vuelven a traer a Madrid The Bassarids la obra maestra de Henze veinte años después.
Opéra fort peu connu d’Eugen d’Albert, Tiefland inaugure la nouvelle saison lyrique du Théâtre du Capitole servi par un plateau vocal international et convaincant.
El Festival de Música de Canarias propone en su 33 edición una obra tan hermosa como de singular complejidad: los Gurrelieder de Schoenberg. Dos orquestas y dos coros se unieron en el escenario bajo la dirección de Josep Pons para dar vida a la monumental composición.
La Fura ofrece en este Holandés un espectáculo mayúsculo, de una superficialidad inteligente, acompañado por un elenco solvente y un foso con escaso sentido narrativo.
Faire naviguer les différents protagonistes de cette œuvre dans le huis clos sombre de la demeure de Bly, traiter les émotions de ces différents personnages sous le prisme de leur inconscient et rendre compte d’un réalisme froid tout au long de cet production de The Turn of the screw reprise à l'Opéra national du Rhin.
Pierre fondatrice de la tradition de l’opéra romantique allemand, Der Freischütz rappelle que quiconque pénètre dans la forêt entreprend une quête qui aboutit au Bien ou au Mal selon ses choix.
Avec Le Chant de la Terre, John Neumeier vient clore un long cycle chorégraphique mahlérien initié dès 1974. Pour fermer en beauté cette exploration artistique, le chorégraphe s’attaque à l’une des dernières symphonies de Gustav Mahler, souvent considérée comme sa création la plus intime et introspective.
