By Francisco Salazar
The English Concert has announced its 2022-23 season.
In a statement Alfonso Leal de Ojo, chief executive of The English Concert, said, “The English Concert is deeply invested in bringing Handel’s music to audiences across the UK and the rest of the world. Following our performance of Solomon at the BBC Proms, we are delighted to be bringing this lavish oratorio to Europe and North America. This year will also see our debut at Paris Opera with the mesmerizing Ariodante, under the baton of Harry Bicket and the artistic direction of Robert Carsen.”
The English Consort is set to perform Handel’s “Solomon,” an oratorio widely considered to be Handel’s most magnificent and lavish creation. The showcase stars mezzo-soprano Ann Hallenberg in the title role with Harry Bicket conducting. The performances feature the Clarion Choir and soloists soprano Elena Villalón, mezzo-soprano Niamh O’Sullivan, tenor James Way and baritone Brandon Cedel.
Next up, the company tours to the Auditorio Nacional de Música, Madrid (February 26), Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley (March 5), LA Opera, Los Angeles (March 10) and Carnegie Hall, New York (March 12). A further concert celebrating the work of Handel will be staged at the Barbican on Feb. 28.
The ensemble then performs Handel’s “Ariodante” at the Paris Opera. This production reunites the creative minds of Bicket and Robert Carsen with acclaimed mezzo-soprano Emily D’Angelo in the title role. Soprano Olga Kulchynska takes on the role of Ginevra and performs alongside soprano Tamara Banjesevic, countertenor Christophe Dumaux, tenors Eric Ferring and Enrico Casari, and bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni.
The company also heads to Wigmore Hall and at the Garsington Opera in 2023.
Alongside all the concerts, the ensemble is set to record and perform Messiah in full at Coventry Cathedral on Nov. 24. Conductor John Nelson debuts with the orchestra and conducts soloists soprano Lisette Oropesa, countertenor Alex Potter, tenor Michael Spyres and bass Matthew Brook.
By Francisco Salazar
(Credit: Dario Acosta)
Eleonora Buratto is set to make her role debut as “Anna Bolena” in Donizetti’s masterpiece.
The Italian soprano will sing the role at the Palau de les Arts in Valencia, Spain.
The production, which opens on Oct. 1 will run through Oct. 13, will be conducted by Maurizio Benini.
In a statement, the soprano said, “in my annus mirabilis, rich with debuts I’ve long aspired to, special recognition such as the Abbiati Award, and also with personal happiness, I also have the privilege of singing for the first time as ‘Anna Bolena.’ As an Italian artist, I greatly appreciate everything that was done in the second half of the twentieth century during the so-called Donizetti Renaissance. It was ‘Anna Bolena’ in particular that has become a banner for Donizetti’s modern-day success, after it was rediscovered at the Liceu in Barcelona in 1947, one hundred years after the inauguration of the Spanish theatre with this same opera, then performed in 1956 in Donizetti’s city of birth and brought back permanently to the stage thanks to the memorable revival the following year at La Scala, with the magical quartet made up of Maria Callas, Gianandrea Gavazzeni, Luchino Visconti and Nicola Benois.”
She added, “I love this role and am passionately involved in the vision of the creative team led by Maestro Maurizio Benini and stage director Jetske Mijnssen, in which we emphasize the solitude of Anna, who is denied the chance to bid farewell to her daughter. The queen dies alone, in the throes of her visions, victim to her madness born of the pain of unrequited love and humiliation.”
The soprano concluded by adding that she will be at the Palau de les Arts for the next three years singing the complete Tudor trilogy.
“Anna Bolena” is set to star Alex Esposito, Silvia Tro Santafé, Ismael Jordi, Jorge Franco, Nadezhda Karyazina, and Gerard Farreras.
By Francisco Salazar
The Teatro de la Maestranza has announced a cast change for its production of “Roberto Devereux.”
The company said that Yolanda Auyanet will replace Hrachuhí Bassénz in the role of Elisabetta.
Auyanet is best known for her interpretations of “La Boheme,” “La Traviata,” “Pagliacci,” “I Capuleti e Monetecchi” and “Carmen.” The Spanish soprano has performed in such theaters as Rossini Opera Festival Teatro Verdi, Teatro Regio di Torino, Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Teatro de la Zarzuela, and the Arena di Verona.
She is set to join a cast that includes Ismael Jordi, Nancy-Fabiola Herrera, and Franco Vassallo. Alessandro Talevi directs the production with Yves Abel conducting.
“Roberto Devereux” will be performed between Nov. 8 and 12, 2022.
By David Salazar
Classical Movements will celebrate its 30th anniversary with a special gala on Oct. 30, 2022.
The event, which will take place at the Belle Haven Country Club in Alexandria, VA, will feature performances by Baritone Javier Arrey, the Morgan State University Singers, the Prague Summer Nights String Quartet, the Insingizi of Zimbabwe, and the Brass Fanfare.
The gala’s co-chairs will be Linda Brunce, Carolyn Fuller, and Patti White, with Anne Midgette as the Master of Ceremonies.
Arrey is a Chilean baritone who performed with the Maryland Lyric Opera throughout the 2022 season and is coming off a production of “La Traviata” at the Opera Nacional de Chile. In April 2023, he will appear at the Metropolitan Opera to cover the role of Belcore in “L’Elisir d’Amore” before heading over to the Santa Fe Opera to cover “El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego.”
Per its official website, “Classical Movements is the premier concert tour company for the world’s great orchestras and choirs, creating meaningful cultural experiences through orchestra tours and choir tours with their music in 145 countries.”
By Francisco Salazar
The Orquesta Filarmonica de Gran Canaria has announced a cast change for its “La Magia de Aida” on Sept 23, 2022.
The orchestra noted that Latonia Moore will not sing the title role and will be replaced by Cellia Costea.
Costea has performed at the Bucharest National Opera as well as at the Klagenfurt Stadttheater, Royal Opera, Wiener Staatsoper, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Berlin Konzerthaus, Hannover Staatstheater, Teatro Massimo Bellini di Catania, National Theater Prague, Bucharest National Opera, Timisoara Opera House, Teatro Municipale Santiago de Chile, Opera de Nice, Cairo Opera House, and Greek Opera House,
Costea will join a cast that includes Elina Garanca in her role debut as Amneris, SeokJong Baek, Rajiv Cerezo, Krisjanis Norvelis, and Rihards Macanovskis.
By Francisco Salazar
The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center has announced the 12 singers who have been selected for its 2023-24 Ensemble.
The Opera Center said that Mezzo-sopranos Lucy Baker and Sophia Maekawa, tenor Travon D. Walker, and bass-baritone Christopher Humbert, Jr., will join eight returning singers of the Ensemble: sopranos Kathryn Henry and Lindsey Reynolds, tenors Ryan Capozzo and Alejandro Luévanos, baritones Laureano Quant and Ian Rucker, and basses Ron Dukes and Wm. Clay Thompson were selected.
The opera center, which is the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s young artist program, saw more than 400 singers apply for consideration with video recordings. After a thorough review, selected singers were invited to live preliminary auditions throughout the summer, resulting in invitations to a small group to sing on Sept. 20. The Final Auditions were attended by an invited audience of more than 550 Lyric subscribers and donors, who also participated in voting for the Audience Favorite Award. The award and $500 cash prize went to soprano Shelén Hughes.
The 2023-24 Ensemble singers will begin their tenure in Spring 2023 and will receive advanced instruction in numerous aspects of operatic performance, including voice lessons and language coaching, movement and acting training, and master classes with some of opera’s most renowned artists. They will also participate in Lyric’s mainstage season, performing and understudying a variety of roles, in addition to performing at Ryan Opera Center concerts and recitals throughout the Chicago community.
Current Ryan Opera Center Ensemble members who will depart at the conclusion of the 2022-23 season include soprano Denis Vélez, mezzo-soprano Katherine DeYoung, and tenors Martin Luther Clark and Lunga Eric Hallam.
By Afton Wooten
Sopranos Jaclyn Grossman and Jocelyn Fralic will move on to the next round in the Ten Singing Stars – The New Generation.
Grossman was recently featured in the title role of the North American premiere of the Yiddish opera “Bas-Sheve” at the 2022 Ashkenaz Festival. She is currently part of the Rebanks Family Fellowship and International Residency program at Toronto’s Royal Conservatory.
Fralic has performed with some of the most prominent organizations in Niagara. This summer she was a featured soloist at Lefkas Music week in Lefkada, Greece. This fall, she will also be featured in two recitals with organist Andrew Henderson at St. Catharines’ Knox Presbyterian Church. As well, she was a recipient of the Ontario Arts Council’s Career Catalyst award and of a grant from the Jacqueline Desmarais Foundation.
Baritone Brett Polegato chose the singers to move on to the next round of the competition. This was subsequently followed by a live performance on The New Classical FM. In October Grossman and Fralic will participate in a day-long coaching sponsored by The International Resource Centre for Performing Artists. Here, two winners will be chosen to receive funding for upcoming auditions.
Polegato commented, “The caliber of singing for the IRCPA Encounters has always been extremely high and last year’s was no exception. It was thrilling to work with such a talented group of young artists; not only did they possess fine instruments, but they proved themselves to be excellent, professional hardworking musicians.”
By Francisco Salazar
This week audiences will get to hear the final recording of one of the greatest pianists of his generation, a rare verismo opera, an original version of a Verdi opera, and modern works. Here is a look!
Zingari
Opera Rara releases its recording of Leoncavallo’s “Zingari” internationally via Warner Classics. Artistic Director Carlo Rizzi conducts the restored original version of the opera as it was first heard over 100 years ago. Recorded in the studio prior to a performance at London’s Cadogan Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the opera stars Krassimira Stoyanova in the role of Fleana, Arsen Soghomonyan as Radu, Stephen Gaertner as Tamar and Łukasz Goliński as Il Vecchio.
Croisette: Opérettes des Annees Folles
Taking its name from la Croisette, the beachside boulevard in glamorous Cannes on the Côte d’Azur, this album evokes the fun-loving 1920s. It takes a trip around opérettes, French musical comedies of the era, composed by Maurice Yvain, Henri Christiné, Moisés Simons, Reynaldo Hahn, André Messager and Raoul Moretti. Joining the Orchestre national de Cannes and its music director, Benjamin Levy, are eight leading French singers, all admired in opera: sopranos Patricia Petibon, Amel Brahim-Djelloul and Marion Tassou; mezzo-soprano Pauline Sabatier; tenors Philippe Talbot and Rémy Mathieu; baritone Guillaume Andrieux, and bass-baritone Laurent Naouri.
The Lost Birds
Decca Classics releases two-time Grammy winning composer Christopher Tin’s latest album, “The Lost Birds.” The new album features the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and renowned vocal ensemble VOCES8.
Mass of the Americas
Cappella Records releases Frank La Rocca’s Mass of the Americas (Misa de las Américas), performed by the Benedict XVI Institute’s Choir and Orchestra, directed by renowned international conductor Richard Sparks. The work extends the genre of the Missa Solemnis: a sublime setting of a traditional Latin Mass for choir and orchestra.
Schubert: Schwanengesang
Tenor Ian Bostridge completes his Pentatone trilogy of Schubert song cycles with a rendition of “Schwanengesang,” together with the late pianist Lars Vogt. “Schwanengesang” was compiled and published after Schubert’s death, and the pieces are literally among his swansong.
In a statement, the recording company said, “Pentatone is very grateful that Vogt managed to make this recording despite a serious medical condition and Sadly, he eventually did not live to see the album’s release.”
Gordon Getty: Goodbye, Mr. Chips Highlights
Gordon Getty’s new opera, reimagined for film, is based on the popular 1934 novella “Goodbye, Mr. Chips” and other stories by James Hilton. Goodbye, Mr. Chips tells the story of a teacher at Brookfield, an all-boys English boarding school to which “Chips” dedicates most of his adult life. The film chronicles Chips’ story of love, loss, and learning over his decades-long tenure at Brookfield. This EP features some of the opera’s greatest arias and scenes, including its profoundly moving finale.
The film stars Nathan Granner in the titular role of Mr. Chips, Marnie Breckenridge singing Kathie and Linford, Lester Lynch as Merrivale, and Kevin Short as Ralston and Rivers. The orchestra is conducted by Nicole Paiement. Members of The Young People’s Chorus of New York City, conducted by Founder/Artistic Director Francisco J. Núñez, represent the boarding school’s students.
Gustavo III
Dynamic is set to release Verdi’s “Un ballo in maschera.” The production, which premiered in 2021 was originally conceived by Graham Vick and ended up being directed by Jacopo Spirei. The production from the Verdi Festival starred tenor Piero Pretti in the title role and soprano Anna Pirozzi as Amelia, soprano Giuliana Gianfaldoni as Oscar, and mezzo Anna Maria Chiuri as Ulrica. The baritone Amartuvshin Enkhbat sings the role of Anckarström.
Roberto Abbado leads the Chorus of the Teatro Regio di Parma and the Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini.
By Nicolas Quiroga
The Greek National Opera will presents Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” on Oct. 21-29, 2022 .
The opera will be staged by the Director of Opera and Artistic Director of the Royal Danish Opera John Fulljame with Ondrej Olos conducting. This production is presented in collaboration with the Göteborg Opera and the Royal Danish Opera.
The cast includes baritone Dionysios Sourbis, tenor Vassilis Kavayas, bass Petros Magoulas, soprano Cellia Costea, bass-baritone Yanni Yannissis and the baritone Nikos Kotenidis.
“‘Don Giovanni’ is an enduring opera because it has so many aspects; there is broad humor and great theatrical set pieces, all in a dark thriller about a seducer who must be stopped. It is about how we live together in society and, as ever with opera, about how we face death. The climax is the long-awaited death of Don Giovanni himself as he chooses death, hell even, over denying who he is. His death is an expression of order reasserting itself over the unrestrained liberty he represents,” Fulljame said in an official press statement.
Fulljame’s production of “Gianni Schicchi” will also be presented later this year in a double bill with “Bluebeard’s Castle” by director Themelis Glynatsis.
By Francisco Salazar
The 92nd Street Y, New York is set to present “Voice and the Violin” with violinist Joshua Bell and soprano Larisa Martinez.
The evening is set to be presented on Oct. 20, 2022 at the Kaufmann Concert Hall. Bell, Martinez, and Peter Dugan will open the season with an array of arias, solos, and duets specially arranged for them. The concert will also be available for viewing online for 72 hours from time of broadcast.
The program will include music by Mendelssohn, Bloch, Massenet, Hérold, Chopin, Delibes, Rachmaninoff, Wienawski, Gimenez, Narciso Figueroa, and Bernstein.
In a statement, Martinez and Bell said, “Our concept for the ‘Voice and the Violin’ program began during the pandemic, while we were quarantined and finding new ways to collaborate and enjoy music together. Although finding repertoire written specifically for violin and voice can be a challenge, we discovered and fell in love with these gems featured in tonight’s performance. An example of this comes from one of Mendelssohn’s lesser-known works, ‘Ah, ritorna, età dell’oro’ from Infelice.
“It was wonderful to explore a work by one of our favorite composers that was originally written for this unique instrumentation. Another happy discovery was Hérold’s ‘Jours de mon enfance’ from the opera ‘Le pré aux clercs.’ This piece features exciting dialogue moments between the voice and the violin, making it especially fun for us to perform this piece together. Larisa is especially proud to showcase the song ‘Mi Rancho’ by Puerto Rican composer Narciso Figueroa, and lyrics by Luis Lloréns Torres, as a little gem from her homeland. Closing the performance is a medley based on Bernstein’s beloved ‘West Side Story’ suite, arranged by our friend Charles Czarnecki. Based on an earlier violin and orchestra arrangement of the suite, this piece now sparkles in a new light. We are so happy to see this project come to fruition and are thrilled to be performing it with our friend Peter Dugan.”
