Two years ago, Russian soprano Ekaterina Bakanova was thrust into her Royal Opera debut, stepping in at short notice as Violetta. Her triumph was enough for the powers that be to offer her a run of five performances this month.
A series of cancellations resulted in an unusual triple bill: a rare Spanish opera, an impromptu concert by Plácido Domingo and Woody Allen's brilliant Gianni Schicchi.
Despite its happy ending, Vincenzo Bellini’s last opera I puritani is a 19th century opera permeated by deathly shadows, disenchantment, fading of love and sentiments forced or burdened by political intrigues.
The Netherlands Opera’s production of William Tell, directed by Pierre Audi, has proved a daunting endeavor, captivating the audience through its colorful treatment of Rossini’s final opera. From the cast of characters on stage and the musicians of the orchestra to the sound, lighting, stage and costume departments, the roughly four-and-a-half-hour event couldn’t have been more stimulating.
The second collaboration between Opera Rara and the BBC Symphony Orchestra brought a starry cast to the Barbican Centre on Sunday evening for a revival of Donizetti’s tragic opera Belisario. Written in 1836, immediately after the triumph of Lucia di Lammermoor, it was an instant success following its première at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice and remained in the repertoire for several decades.
À l'Opéra de Monte-Carlo, Falstaff rencontre un grand succès dans la mise en scène fantasque de Jean-Louis Grinda. Nicola Alaimo propose une admirable incarnation du rôle-titre.
Nouvelle production à l'Opéra Bastille, avec le Simon Boccanegra de Calixto Bieito. Une plongée dans les idées noires du personnage principal, magnifiquement interprété par Ludovic Tézier.
Pour la reprise de la saison lyrique au Capitole, la Traviata faisait office de figure de proue pour un lancement qui se promettait des plus intenses sous la direction musicale de George Petrou.
Puisqu’ils constituent, finalement, les soubassements autour desquels devrait s’édifier le reste du spectacle, autant saluer d’emblée les prestations vocales solides de cette année.
Dernier opéra de Rossini créé en 1829 à l’Opéra de Paris, Guillaume Tell s’inspire d’une légende du Moyen-Âge et de la tragédie de Schiller. Il permet au compositeur de livrer en creux un message politique, celui d’une Italie libérée du joug des Habsbourg.
