By Francisco Salazar
This week audiences will get to check out full opera recordings, world premiere recordings, and new solo albums by some of the great artists. Here is a look!
La Traviata
The Dresdner Philharmonie, Sächsischer Staatsopernchor Dresden and conductor Daniel Oren present Verdi’s masterpiece with a stellar cast including René Barbera as Alfredo, Lester Lynch as Germont, and world star soprano Lisette Oropesa as Violetta. Pentatone releases the San Francisco Classical Recording Company Production.
Oropesa has performed the role to great acclaim with OperaWire noting “Lisette Oropesa Delivers Breathtaking Display in Verdi’s Masterpiece.”
They Still Want to Kill US
Bright Shiny Things in partnership with composer/violinist/activist Daniel Bernard Roumain, award-winning mezzo-soprano and activist, J’Nai Bridges, and Sozo Creative releases a digital single and video of DBR’s “They Still Want to Kill Us,” an aria sung by Bridges, to mark the anniversary of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.
The video features performances by Bridges and Roumain intercut with archival film footage and images telling the story of the Massacre in an ominous shorthand. All proceeds from the audio and video sales of this release will be donated to Castle of Our Skins.
Farewells
Warsaw-born countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński and pianist Michał Biel join forces for a panorama of Polish song. Often nostalgic in spirit, the program of the album spans 150 frequently turbulent years. “Michał and I started exploring the Polish art song repertoire when we were at the Juilliard School in New York,” explains Orliński, whose recordings until now have focused on the baroque era.
“As a Polish duo we love to present Polish music to our public. I know that no language can present a barrier when it’s set to music. I believe that music builds bridges and I am sure that those songs will get under the listener’s skin.”
The album takes its name from a triptych of songs written in 1948 by Henryk Czyż, who joins five other composers on the program: Stanisław Moniuszko (known as the 19th century’s father of Polish opera), Karol Szymanowski (recognized around the world as a major post-Romantic composer), Mieczysław Karłowicz, Tadeusz Baird and Paweł Łukaszewski, a leading figure in contemporary Polish music.
Faure Complete Songs
Cyrille Dubois is accompanied by Tristan Raës, the tenor’s long-standing recital partner of fifteen years performing songs of the French composer Fauré. Covering over six decades of musical excellence in three studio sessions, the two capture every essence of the composer’s life.
Tristan und Isolde
Nina Stemme and Peter Seiffert star in a 2013 performance of “Tristan und Isolde” from the Wiener Staatsoper, conducted by its then music director, Franz Welser-Möst. Orfeo releases.
Der Künder—The Chosen
Orfeo releases Antal Doráti’s operatic adaptation of philosopher Martin Buber’s 1956 mystery play, “Elijah.” Martin Fischer-Dieskau leads the Chorus of the Teatr Wielki of Poznán and the Orchestra of the Beethoven Academy, Kraków. The cast includes bass-baritone Tomasz Konieczny as the prophet Elijah, tenor Michael Schade as King Ahab, and mezzo-soprano Rachel Frenkel as the Baal-worshipping Jezebel.
The Verbier Recital
Deutsche Grammophon releases Bryn Terfel and Llyr Williams’ The Verbier Recital which includes music by Schumann, Schubert, Ibert, and Quilter.
When I Have Sung My Songs
Nicholas Provenzale releases a new album on Albany Records featuring the music of Ernest Charles. Some of the pieces on the record are world premiere recordings. Terry Klinefelter accompanies on piano.
Passages
Michael Murray’s PASSAGES, a celebration of 19th and 20th-century poetry with intimate chamber arrangements will be released this week Soprano Genevieve Fulks performs throughout the album with the Moravian Orchestra.
Reactions
Naxos releases the world premiere recordings of two vocal works by Margaret Brouwer. Soprano Sarah Beaty is featured in “Declaration,” a set of songs for voice, piano, and violin addressing violence and war and the equality of all people, including a section using text from the Declaration of Independence. Brouwer wrote both music and text for “The Lake,” (2020), which is sung by tenor Brian Skoog.
By David Salazar
The Pittsburgh Festival Opera has unveiled its 2022 summer festival season.
This year’s festival represents a return to in-person performances for the organization, following a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19.
“After two and a half years of a pandemic, I am excited to present our summer festival in person,” said Marianne Cornetti, Pittsburgh Festival Opera’s Artistic Director, in an official press statement issued by the company. “For two weeks this summer we have an array of hugely talented young singers — you won’t want to miss a performance! This is the future of opera.”
Cornetti will kick off the proceedings with “Legends in the Limelight: Marianne Cornetti.”
Performance Date: July 1, 2022
Next up, the 2022 Leslie Fleischner Young Artist Program will showcase their artists in three concerts.
Performance Date: July 2 -10, 2022
Those looking for opera will get a chance to check out Menotti’s “The Telephone.” The opera will be combined with an aria concert starring Julia Laird and Bryan Murray.
Performance Date: July 3 & 5, 2022
Richard Brooks and Harold Mason’s “Rapunzel” will be presented as an offering for families.
Performance Date: July 9 & 11, 2022
Mark Adamo’s “Lysistrata, or The Nude Goddess” will be presented with members of the Leslie Fleischner Young Artist Program in a filmed version.
Performance Date: July 12, 2022 (world premiere screening)
The season draws to a close with an arias concert featuring members of the Leslie Fleischner Young Artist Program at “Legends in the Making.”
Performance Date: TBA 2022
By David Salazar
Tenor Roberto Alagna has responded to critiques regarding his cancelation of “Tosca” at the Gran Teatre del Liceu.
In a reply to OperaWire’s recent article on La Monnaie’s intendant Peter De Caluwe’s comments (which were published on social media), Alagna sent a Twitter response featuring a statement by “Al Capone” director Jean-Felix Lalanne. OperaWire had previously reached out to Alagna’s management regarding his comments on de Caluwe’s statement.
In his statement, Lalanne called the claims “bordering on defamation.” He noted that he had been working with the tenor on “Al Capone” since 2020 and that Alagna had kept him informed of his professional agenda so that they could organize the show and its own schedule around that.
“To claim that he could have cancelled anything for the setting up of my musical shows a perfect ignorance of laws and customs of the production world, which could lead one to suppose that things can be set up and organized at the last minute,” Lalanne wrote.
Alagna had dropped out of “Tosca” at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, telling Conessi all’Opera that when he and soprano Aleksandra Kurzak had signed the contract for the Puccini work, they had expected to take on the older production; he noted that he was not on board creatively with the new take, which drew inspiration from Pasolini’s “Salò.”
By David Salazar
(Credit: Marty Sohl)
The Metropolitan Opera is set to revive Stravinsky’s iconic “The Rake’s Progress” on May 30, 2022.
The opera will be conducted by Susanna Mälkki, making her company return for the first time since 2016.
The Jonathan Miller production will be headlined by Ben Bliss, Golda Schultz in her role debut as Anne, and Raehann Bryce-Davis as Baba the Turk (in her Met Opera debut). Rounding out the cast will be Christian Van Horn as Nick Shadow and James Creswell as Trulove.
Audiences unable to check out the performance live will be able to hear it on the Met Opera Radio on May 30 and on June 11, with the latter being broadcast over the Toll Brothers-Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network.
The Faustian tale of the decline of Tom Rakewell was first performed at the Met Opera on Feb. 14, 1953 with a cast starring Eugene Conley, Hilde Güden, and Mack Harrell; that U.S. premiere performance was given in the presence of the composer himself.
Since then the opera has been performed a total of 26 times with the most recent taking place in 2015; that production starred Paul Appleby, Layla Claire, and Gerald Finley, among others.
By Francisco Salazar
The Opera National de Lorraine has announced its 2022-23 season.
Here is a look at the opera productions.
Opera
Viktoriia Vitrenko stars in “Rendez-vous près du feu.”
Performance Dates: Sept. 27-Oct. 3, 2022
Eldar’s “Like Flesh” will star Helena Rasker, William Dazeley, and Juliette Allen with Maxime Pascal conducting and Silvia Costa directing.
Performance Dates: Sept, 28-Oct. 2, 2022
“L’Amour des 3 Oranges” by Prokofiev will star Dion Mazerolle, Pierre Derhet, Lucie Roche, Anas Séguin, Yann Beuron, Aimery Lefèvre, Tomislav Lavoie, Lyne Fortin, and Margo Arsane. Marie Jacquot conducts the production by Anna Bernreitner.
Performance Dates: Nov. 16-22, 2022
Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” will star Nico Darmanin, Gurgen Baveyan, Patricia Nolz, Bruno Taddia, and Dario Russo. Sebastiano Rolli conducts the production by Mariame Clément.
Performance Dates: Dec. 16-23, 2022
Samuel Sakker, Dorothea Röschmann, Aude Extremo, Scott Hendricks, and Jongmin Park star in Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde” with Leo Hussain conducting and Tiago Rodrigues directing.
Performance Dates: Jan. 29-Feb. 10, 2023
Virginie Verrez, Vito Priante, Petr Nekoranec, and Pierre Doyen star in Gluck’s “Iphigénie en Tauride” with Alphonse Cemin conducting and and Silvia Paoli directing.
Performance Dates: March 15-21, 2023
Monteverdi’s “L’Orfeo” will be conducted by Leonardo García Alarcón and will star Mariana Flores, Valerio Contaldo, Giuseppina Bridelli, and Salvo Vitale.
Performance Dates: April 12 & 13, 2023
Paderewski’s “Manru” will be directed by Katharina Kastening. The opera will star Janis Kelly, Gemma Summerfield, Thomas Blondelle, Gyula Nagy, Lucie Peyramaure, Tomasz Kumięga, and Halidou Nombre. Marta Gardolińska conducts.
Performance Dates: May 9-16, 2023
Jean-François Sivadier conducts Verdi’s “La Traviata” starring Enkeleda Kamani, Mario Rojas, and Gëzym Myshketa.
Performance Dates: June 25-July 4 2023
Concerts
Marta Gardolińska and Dorothea Röschman will perform Mendelssohn, Wagner, and Brahms.
Performance Dates: Oct. 20 & 21, 2022
By Francisco Salazar
The Teatro alla Scala has announced the winning project for the international competition “Magnifica Fabbrica.”
The city’s Mayor Beppe Sala and the CEO Dominique Meyer announced that the winning project for the construction of the new La Scala’s workshops and warehouses in the Rubattino area was designed by the Italian-Spanish group headed by designer Massimo Giuliani.
The new workshop and warehouse area will “make it possible to bring together in a single area the functions that are now located in different parts of the city,” said the Teatro alla Scala.
The project is expected to be finished by 2026.
The Teatro alla Scala is in the midst of its 2021-22 season and is set to present new productions of “La Gioconda” and “Rigoletto” next month.
By Francisco Salazar
Ostrava’s National Moravian-Silesian Theatre has announced its 2022-23 season.
Here is a look at the premieres for the season.
Marek Šedivý conducts Smetana’s “The Bartered Bride” in a new production by Jiří Nekvasil.
Performance Dates: Dec. 15, 2022-May 23, 2023
Purcell’s “Dido and Aeneas” will feature conductor Jiří Habart leading the new production by Jiří Nekvasil.
Performance Dates: Feb. 9-May 31, 2023
Monteverdi’s “Il ballo delle indrate” will be conducted by Jiří Habart and directed by Jiří Nekvasil.
Performance Dates: Feb. 9-May 31, 2023
Jakub Klecker conducts “Der Kaiser von Atlantis oder Die Tod-Verweigerung” by Viktor Ullmann. Jiří Nekvasil directs.
Performance Dates: Feb. 16-May 11, 2023
“Der zerbrochene Krug” by Viktor Ullmann will be directed by Jiří Nekvasil and conducted by Jakub Klecker.
Performance Dates: Feb. 16-May 11, 2023
Wagner’s “Tannhäuser” will be conducted by Marek Šedivý and directed by Jiří Nekvasil.
Performance Dates: April 27-May 30, 2023
Smetana’s “Dalibor” will be conducted by Robert Jindra and directed by Martin Otava.
Performance Dates: June 22-24, 2023
By David Salazar
(Image Courtesy of Opera Philadelphia)
Opera Philadelphia has elected Stephen K. Klasko, MD, MBA, as its new Chair.
He will begin a three-year term starting on June 1, 2022, succeeding Peter Leone, who served as Chair from 2017 through 2022.
Dr. Klasko was named a Distinguished Fellow for the Digital Economy by the World Economic Forum in 2020 and retired from serving both as President of Thomas Jefferson University and CEO of Jefferson Health on Dec. 31, 2021. In 2017, he led a merger between Thomas Jefferson University and Philadelphia University, leading to an institution with top-10 programs in health, fashion, design, and occupational therapy. Under Klasko’s leadership, Jefferson Health’s hospital count grew from three to 18.
Klasko also secured an increase of outside investment, including a record $110 million gift to rename the Jefferson Medical College to the Sidney Kimmel Medical College. This led to the Kimmel Family donating another $70 million, the institution’s second largest donation, to build the Caroline Kimmel Research Building. Dr. Klasko also served on the board of Teleflex.
“In my time at Jefferson, ‘healthcare at any address’ became a guiding principle. So as I considered my next opportunity to serve Philadelphia, it quickly became clear to me that Opera Philadelphia was where I needed to be,” said Dr. Klasko in an official press statement issued by Opera Philadelphia. “This is a company that is strongly guided by storytelling and a belief that access to the arts is a human right. With that as our starting point, I look forward to partnering with everyone at the company to explore the questions of what we currently mean to Philadelphia, what we should mean to Philadelphia moving forward, and how we can build deeper connections to all the people in our city as a collaborative, consistent, trustworthy, and Philly-centric organization.”
Dr. Klasko is particularly noted for being co-investigator on “Bringing Science Home,” a five-year grant from the Patterson Foundation aimed at improving research and care for people living with chronic illnesses, as well as a founder of the “Spirit of Women” program, that now includes 120 hospitals that develop protocols to help women patients with their needs.
By Francisco Salazar
The 58° Concorso Internazionale Voci Verdiane Città di Busseto has selected 106 candidates for the competition.
The competition, which is for artists between the ages of 18 and 35, will see contestants from 26 countries including Italy, Canada, USA, Mexico, Perù, Cuba, Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, Georgia, Ukraine, Russia, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Armenia, and Mongolia. The youngest singer selected this year is 23-years-old.
All 106 singers will be heard by the jury composed of Anna Maria Meo, Peter Heilker, Fulvio Macciardi, Natascha Ursuliak, Eline de Kat, Franziska Maria Kaiser, Gianni Tangucci, Cristiano Sandri, and Andrea Rinaldi.
The competition will give out three main prizes as well as special prizes. The competition is set for the Comune di Busseto in honor of Carlo Bergonzi. The competition will take place between June 21 and 26, 2022.
By Francisco Salazar
The Konzerthaus Berlin has announced the first part of its 2022-23 season.
Here is a look at the vocal performances.
Christoph Eschenbach and Renée Fleming team up for a program of Strauss and Mahler.
Performance Dates: August 26 & 27, 2022
Fatma Said the artist in residence will perform a “Fatma and Friends” concert.
Performance Date: Sept. 1, 2022
Ursula Hesse von den Steinen, Christopher Eschenbach and Jorg Widmann perform a program of music by Albert Reiman.
Performance Date: Sept. 10, 2022
Fatma Said, Sabine Meyer and Malcolm Martineau perform a program of music by Robert Schumann, Franz Schubert, Franz Paul Lachner, and Louis Spohr.
Performance Date: Sept. 17, 2022
Bejun Mehta conducts and sings a program of music by Bach, Mozart, and Hoffmann.
Performance Date: Oct. 1 & 2, 2022
Bejun Mehta conducts and sings a program of music by Bach and Mozart.
Performance Dates: Oct. 2, 2022
Justin Doyle conducts a concert of arias by Purcell, Handel, Blow, Gibbons, and Croft.
Performance Dates: Oct. 25, 2022
Christoph Eschenbach conducts Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 with Marisol Montalvo and Mihoko Fujimura.
Performance Dates: Nov. 10-12, 2022
Soprano Letitia Grimaldi Spitzer performs a chamber music concert with music by Chausson, Lekeu, Franck, and Saint-Saëns.
Performance Date: Nov. 13, 2022
Nataliia Stets conducts “A Night for Ukraine” with soloists Diana Tishchenko and Zoryana Kushpler.
Performance Dates: Nov. 26, 2022
Benjamin Appl and Žilvinas Brazauskas perform a recital with music by Johannes Brahms, John Dowland, Kurt Weill, Claude Debussy, and Astor Piazzolla. Martynas Levickis also performs on the concert.
Performance Date: Nov. 27, 2022
Andreas Reize conducts Bach’s Oratorio with Pia Davila, Genevieve Tschumi, Tobias Hunger, and Padraic Rowan.
Performance Dates: Dec. 2-4, 2022
Ivan Fischer conducts Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 with Gerhild Romberger.
Performance Dates: Dec. 9 & 11, 2022
Nika Goric and Markus Zugehor perform in recital.
Performance Date: Dec. 14, 2022
