“The Barber of Seville” debuted just over 200 years ago in Rome. The opera played to a jeering audience, a staged event where adherents of the composer Giovanni Paisiello – whose own version of the opera, “Il barbiere di Siviglia, ovvero La precauzione inutile” had pleased operagoers 20 years earlier – packed the house and catcalled throughout the premiere performance. Their objective was to defend the memory of their maestro’s earlier work that they felt was the definitive version. But the Paisiello mob couldn’t show up every night, and upon the conclusion of the second evening’s undisturbed performance the response from the audience was ecstatic – they adored it so much that a large group of the crowd took to the streets with torches and made their way to Rossini’s home to cheer him in person. And a hit was born.

Incredibly, for someone who writes about opera, I didn’t know the entire story of “Barber” until the final curtain of this performance. But I like the fact that I am sometimes ignorant of operatic plots because seeing and hearing a classic work of music for the first time is like breaking the shrink wrap on an LP you’ve never heard, putting the disk on the turntable, and experiencing it as if you were living in the time it was created. It’s a special thing. Even more special when you can take yourself not just back to 1988 with an unopened virgin vinyl of Lovesexy, but back 200 years ago into post-Napoleonic Europe for an essential comic romp that would never be out of repertory or out of fashion.

The absurdist tale of “Barber” concerns a distinguished nobleman, Count Almaviva, who is intent on wooing Rosina, a beautiful young woman of the town. He wants to know Rosina might love him for himself and not for his money and position. Rosina is being kept as a ward of Doctor Bartolo, one of the local bourgeoise. Bartolo intends on marrying Rosina himself when she comes of age, so he keeps a close watch on her as well as other potential suitors which complicates Almaviva’s creative courtship plans. With the help of his friend Figaro, Almaviva goes incognito to advance his agenda with Rosina under the nose of Bartolo which results in much hilarity over the opera’s two and a half hour runtime.

It is fascinating that this opera’s broad humor has stood the test of time so well. As presented by the Lyric it got robust laughter out of all in attendance, a portion of whom had surely seen it before. It seems improbable that the humor of Cesare Sterbini’s featherlight crowd-pleaser has endured as well as works from Fielding, Sterne, Twain, and Voltaire – but one can’t argue with results.

Illuminating Production & Cast

The seats at the Kauffman were filled for this opening night performance, thanks to an abundance of late summer advance press, and the local gentry showing up in force for the farce. Our philanthropists, local musician wunderkinder, and hoi polloi like me all crowded into the Founder’s Lounge for a pre-show nosh so delightful that we barely made it into our seats for first curtain.

As the curtain parted after the overture, I was entranced by the set design. The KC Lyric doesn’t have the large budgets that America’s larger opera companies have at their disposal, so they have to make do with less. And, true to form, they excelled in that department with “Barber.” The set and props from Ken MacDonald were a true delight. I could tell from the jump that the set would remain pretty much intact for both acts, but the continuity worked just fine and once again less was more on the Kaufmann stage.

Aside from familiar face Riley Findley, who played one of the military officers, the cast was assembled from out-of-towners. Matthew Swensen was an expansive Count Almaviva, carrying the action with fantastic energy and verve. Kristinn Sigmundsson as Don Basilio was a standout for spot-on casting. His befuddlement during the music lesson “mixup” was well-played.

Highly-respected globetrotting mezzo-soprano Chrystal E. Williams sparkled as Rosina. Handled the butterfly melodies of “Contro Un Cor Che Accende Amore” beautifully and her turn in the scene’s comic ensemble had us all smiling.

My personal favorite among the cast was Ashraf Sewailam as the Doctor. He projected a thick-headed pomposity of Yul Brynner proportions, stealing scene after scene whirling around the stage in that smoking robe whose design looked like it was inspired by an article on interior trends in Dwell (“Wallpaper… It’s Baaaack!”).

The orchestra was handled ably by James Lowe, a musician/conductor/arranger whose career has steered a steady course fixed to the white line in the road separating Broadway and classical opera. He’ll never be in the running for conducting “Aida,” but “Bye Bye Birdie” revivals probably aren’t in his future either. All in all, a good mainstream choice to helm the KC crew for this enjoyable affair.

More Production Highlights

When I left the Kaufmann Center, after the performance, I had a vague feeling of timeliness about the production. With all due respect to the singing and acting talent in this production, for me the real star was Ken MacDonald for creating that wild set. With their faux-Moorish look it wasn’t hard to imagine them to be found not only in the homes of the nobles of early 19th century Spain, but other eras as well: The Belle Époque of King Umberto I. The Euro deco of early Fascist Italy. That sculpted window and pianoforte bianco he worked out for the singing lesson scene would not have looked out of place in any escapist “white telephone” film of 1930’s Italy. Or in later Cinecitta films from Fellini, particularly in later films like “And The Ship Sails On,” which play on memories of a decaying continental aristocracy. And yes, one might even see something like them today in the homes of European football superstars, Russian oil barons, or tech oligarchs – villas equipped with interiors that make pretentious reference to earlier times when aristocratic power went unchallenged and the term “working class” referred to domestic servants and itinerant laborers forced to exist in squalor and despair.

Rossini and Sterbini created Barber amid a social environment of upheaval and uncertainty. The Italy (or more accurately the Italian Papal States) of 1816 was in political disarray following the Congress of Vienna, which reconstructed Europe more or less by the whim of the largest nations who were victorious over Napoleon. The Napoleonic reforms that had introduced new freedoms to the middle and working classes were rolled back, and patriots found that their country had been sold out to the Central Powers. Italian nationalists, particularly the revolutionary Carbonari, reflected a bitterly divided nation.

For many artists of the day, it was a time to take risks and express solidarity with the resistance. But Rossini’s political overtones were always subtle, and the way he weaves the silken threads of his social comment into the tapestries of his operas is the main part of his genius. If he had delivered his social critiques with a heavier hand, his works may not have survived the era of Garibaldi. In “The Barber of Seville,” Rossini and Sterbini realized that the one constant in the world is that things will always be batshit crazy. And while the public may at times crave outrage in their art, and at other times seek messages of hope and salvation – it’s certain that they will always need a laugh.

The post Lyric Opera of Kansas City 2024-25 Review: The Barber of Seville appeared first on OperaWire.

The world premiere of Lisa DeSpain and Melisa Tiennew’s opera “Song of the Nightingale” stars Nicole Haslett, Hannah Cho, Bernard Holcomb, Eliam Ramos, and Chrystal E. Williams.

“Song of the Nightingale” is a modern adaptation of Hans Christian Anderson’s “The Nightingale” as it explores themes of self-discovery and self-love. On Site Opera’s music director Geoffrey McDonald conducts with Katherine M. Carter directing. Costume designer Kara Harmon serves alongside Tess James who is the lighting designer and Beth Lake in charge of sound.

The co-production by On Site Opera and Brookfield Properties Arts & Culture runs Sept. 8 – 30 at three of Brookfield Properties’ public spaces: Brooklyn Commons, Manhattan West and Brookfield Place, respectively. There are 12 performances in total with a “Lunchtime Preview and Talk” scheduled on Sept. 21 and 28. The all-ages performances are sung in English and are free to the public.

Piper Gunnarson, On Site Opera’s General Director/CEO said in a press release,”The partnership between On Site Opera and Brookfield Properties Arts & Culture introduces a new angle to our unique producing model as we merge our respective missions to activate public spaces around New York City. This will be our first time presenting a single opera production in three different spaces, which is an exciting way to extend our artistic reach and impact. This innovative collaboration will not only democratize access to opera but also invigorate public spaces with the transformative beauty and emotional resonance of this timeless art form, fostering a deeper appreciation for both opera and the vibrant cultural fabric of our communities.”

The post Nicole Haslett, Hannah Cho, Bernard Holcomb, Eliam Ramos, & Chrystal E. Williams Star in the World Premiere of ‘Song of the Nightingale’ appeared first on OperaWire.

This article features vocal related works only.

Mezzo-soprano Chrystal E. Williams performs in the featured world premiere of a new work for mezzo-soprano, accordion, and orchestra by John Glover and librettist Kelley Rourke.

Performance Date: October 25, 2023

Baritone Sidney Outlaw serves as soloist in the world premiere of Nina C. Young’s “Out of Whose Womb Came the Ice.” This work is co-commissioned work by ACO and Carnegie Hall.

Performance Date: November 9, 2023

“America in Weimar: On the Margins,” is led by Rei Hotoda. It explores the “United States’ influence on the pre-World War II Weimar period – and elements of that society that are echoed in our culture today.” Chrystal E. Williams performs in the featured world premiere of Tonia Ko’s “Breath, Untamed,” a new work for mezzo-soprano and accordion.

Performance Date: March 12, 2024

Huang Ruo and David Henry Hwang’s Opera “An American Soldier” makes its New York Premiere at the Perelman Arts Center in NYC. Carolyn Kuan conducts.

Performance Dates: May 12-19, 2024

The post American Composers Orchestra Announces 2023-24 Season & Collaborations appeared first on OperaWire.

First up is “SHE WHO DARED” by Jasmine Barnes and Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton. Per the company’s website, “’SHE WHO DARED’ recenters the spotlight on the courageous women who helped desegregate the Montgomery bus system. These Civil Rights pioneers pay homage to the quiet struggle for justice that has often gone unknown – further amplifying the effects of the historic case of Browder V. Gayle.”  The workshop will be conducted by Michael Ellis Ingram and stars Alyson Cambridge, Flora Hawk, Indira Mahajan, Ronnita Miller, Jazmine Olwalia, Chabrelle Williams, and Chrystal E. Williams, alongside pianist Djordje Steven Nesic. 

Performance Date: May 31, 2023

Next up is a concert reading of “Working for the Macbeths” by Johanny Navarro and Marcus Yi. The work is “a riotous look behind the tragedy we think we all know.  After three witches prophesize the downfall of Macbeth,  Florinda – Lady Macbeth’s Lady-in-Waiting –  is determined to fight fate and give the Macbeths the happy ending they deserve. Can destiny be changed, or is the play doomed to repeat itself?”

Kelly Kuo conducts a cast starring Daniel Belcher, David Blalock, Kara Dugan, Aundi Marie Moore, Laura Soto-Bayomi, Kimberly Sogioka, and Jennifer Zetlan. They are joined by pianist Justina Lee.

Performance Date: June 2, 2023

Both concert readings will be at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City.

The post American Lyric Theater Announces Concert Readings for New Commissions appeared first on OperaWire.

Sphinx Virtuosi will feature bass players Xavier Foley and Kebra Seyoun-Charles with special guests Raquel González and Abel Selaocoe. The program will include Javier Farias, Andrea Casarrubios, Villa-Lobos, and Xavier Foley music.

Performance Dates: Oct. 20, 2023

Sir John Eliot Gardiner will conduct English Baroque Soloists and the Monteverdi Choir. The program will include Bach’s “Mass in B Minor.”

Performance Dates: Oct. 25, 2023

Sir John Eliot Gardiner will conduct English Baroque Soloists and the Monteverdi Choir in a program featuring Händel’s “L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato.”

Performance Date: Oct. 26, 2023

Tenor Simon Bode and pianist Jonathan Ware lead a recital that includes music by Duparc, Wagner, Liszt, and Wolf.

Performance Date: Oct. 28, 2023

Lea Desandre and Thomas Dunford lead a recital of music by Händel, Monteverdi, Kapsberger, Merula, and Dalza, among others.

Performance Date: Nov. 2, 2023

American Composers Orchestra and Vimbayi Kaziboni lead baritone Sidney Outlaw in “The Quest: Epic Journeys.”

Performance Date: Nov. 9, 2023

Sir Bryn Terfel performs a recital alongside pianist Annabel Thwaite and Harpist Hannah Stone.

Performance Date: Nov. 14, 2023

Juan Diego Flórez and Vincenzo Scalera return to Carnegie Hall for a program of music by Gluck, Puccini, Rossini, Donizetti, and Verdi.

Performance Date: Nov. 29, 2023

Orchestra of St. Luke’s and Bernard Labadie perform Bach’s “Christmas Oratorio.” The soloists include Lauren Snouffer, Avery Amereau, Andrew Haji, and Joshua Hopkins.

Performance Date: Dec. 7, 2023

Harry Bicket leads The English Concert in Händel’s “Rodelinda.” Lucy Crowe and Iestyn Davies are the soloists.

Performance Date: Dec. 10, 2023

Isabel Leonard and Yannick Nézet-Séguin join the Met Chamber Ensemble for music by Ravel and Beach, among others.

Performance Date: Dec. 11, 2023

Julia Bullock and Bretton Brown perform a recital of music by Schumann, Wolf, Berio, Rossini, and Schubert.

Performance Date: Jan. 19, 2024

SongStudio: Young Artists Recital will be performed.

Performance Date: Jan. 27, 2024

The Boston Symphony Orchestra and Andris Nelsons perform Shostakovich’s “Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk.” The cast includes Kristine Opolais, Pavel Černoch, Sergei Skorokhodov, Zinovy Ismailov, and Ildar Abdrazakov.

Performance Date: Jan. 30, 2024

The Met Orchestra and Yannick Nézet-Séguin are joined by Lise Davidsen. The program includes music by Webern, Waner, and Mahler.

Performance Date: Feb. 1, 2024

Diana Damrau and Helmut Deutsch perform music by R. Schumann, C. Schumann, R. Strauss, Rodrigo, Granados, Turina, and Obradors.

Performance Date: Feb. 6, 2024

Orff’s “Carmina Burana” will be conducted by Tito Muñoz and teh Orchestra of St. Luke’s. The soloist includes Ying Fang, Nicholas Phan, and Norman Garrett.

Performance Date: Feb. 27, 2024

Justin Austin and Howard Watkins perform Weill.

Performance Date: March 5, 2024

The Camerata Ireland led by Barry Douglas will perform Mozart, John Field, and Beethoven. Celine Byrne is the soloist.

Performance Date: March 5, 2024

The Met Orchestra Chamber Ensemble is joined by Nadine Sierra and Yannick Nézet-Séguin. The program includes Villa-Lobos and Elgar.

Performance Date: March 11, 2024

American Composers Orchestra and Rei Hotoda lead a program that includes Antheil, John Glover, Ellington, and Weill. Chrystal E. Williams is the soloist.

Performance Date: March 12, 2024

Mark Padmore and Mitsuko Uchida perform Schubert’s Winterrreise.

Performance Date: March 15, 2024

Ema Nikolovska and Howard Watkins perform music by Schubert, Debussy, R. Strauss, and others.

Performance Date: March 28, 2024

Anthony Roth Costanzo joins the Met Orchestra Chamber Ensemble for a program of music by Händel, Gesualdo, De Prez, and Stravinsky.

Performance Date: April 7, 2024

HK Gruber conducts the Ensemble Modern with soloist Wallis Giunta. The concert include music by Hindemith, Korngold, Schoenberg and Weill.

Performance Date: April 12, 2024

The Philadelphia Orchestra and Yannick Nézet-Séguin perform music Alma and Gustav Mahler. Karen Cargill is the soloist.

Performance Date: April 12, 2024

Emily D’Angelo and Sophia Muñoz perform a recital with music by Hildur Guðnadóttir, Sarah Kirkland Snider, von Bingen, Dowland and Purcell.

Performance Date: April 20, 2024

La Cetra Barockorchester Basel and Andrea Marcon lead music by Handel, Geminiani, Galuppi, and Vivaldi. Magdalena Kožená is the soloist.

Performance Date: April 25, 2024

Matthias Goerne and Evgeny Kissin perform music by Schumann and Brahms.

Performance Date: April 25, 2024

The Philadelphia Orchestra and Nathalie Stutzmann perform music by Schumann and Mozart.

Performance Date: April 30, 2024

Sir Simon Rattle leads the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Lester Lynch is the soloist in a program that includes music by Hindemith, Zemlinsky, and Mahler.

Performance Date: May 2, 2024

Regula Mühlemann and Tatiana Korsunskaya perform music by Schubert, Strauss, Argento, and Bridge.

Performance Date: May 8, 2024

Erin Morley and Andrè Schuen lead Brahms’ Requiem. The Orchestra of St. Luke’s is led by Bernard Labadie.

Performance Date: May 9, 2024

The Twelfth Night will perform alongside Julie Roset and Xenia Puskarz Thomas. The program will include music by Händel, Rameau, Bach, Rossi, and Marais music.

Performance Date: May 23, 2024

Lisette Oropesa joins the Met Orchestra and Yannick Nézet-Séguin for music by Mozart. The program also includes music by Jessie Montgomery and Brahms.

Performance Date: June 11, 2024

Elīna Garanca and Christian Van Horn perform Bartok’s “Bluebeard’s Castle.” The program also includes music by Wagner and Debussy. The Met Orchestra is lead by Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

Performance Date: June 14, 2024

The post Diana Damrau, Kristine Opolais, Elīna Garanca & Juan Diego Flórez Lead Carnegie Hall’s 2023-24 Season appeared first on OperaWire.

This site-specific staging will be held at the Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen, and is presented in partnership with Breaking Ground, New York’s largest provider of supportive housing. The performances will feature a community choir made up of those who have personally experienced homelessness, in addition to the American Modern Ensemble, and a professional ensemble comprised of boy soprano Devin Zamir Coleman, Chrystal E. Williams, Musa Ngqungwana, Joshua Jeremiah, Jonathan R. Green, and Julius Ahn.

“Every one of our artists, whether a professional or from the community, and every member of the creative team is incredibly committed to this production’s fundamental themes and to creating an opera experience of real power and social impact,” said General & Artistic Director Eric Einhorn in an official press statement. “We are thrilled to be able to revive our production this year following our COVID cancelations the past two seasons to provide New Yorkers of all ages with a holiday offering that creates something truly magical.”

Performances will take place on December 8, 9, and 10, with general admission tickets for $50, or $25 for children under 12. Patrons are asked to bring a donation of non-perishable food items to help support the Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen.

The post On Site Opera Brings Back Holiday Favorite ‘Amahl and the Night Visitors’ appeared first on OperaWire.

The production is set to be directed by German director Christian Räth.

The work which is based on the on Epicoene, a comedy by Shakespeare’s contemporary Ben Jonson, represents the first and only fruit of Strauss’s collaboration with the celebrated Austrian-Jewish novelist Stefan Zweig.

The librettist’s Judaism strained Strauss’s already-complicated relationship with the Third Reich and while striving to protect his Jewish daughter-in-law and grandchildren, the composer accepted the presidency of Goebbels’s State Music Bureau, and he consistently prioritized the advancement of his own career.

“The Silent Woman” received its Dresden world premiere only after Hitler himself had interceded, but it was still banned after its fourth performance.

In a statement by Räth, he said, “[The creators] make us experience the ways that joy and melancholy, the prosaic and the extraordinary, and the ephemeral and the eternal are all inextricably intertwined – in life as well as on the stage.”

Leon Botstein conducts the American Symphony Orchestra with a cast that includes Harold Wilson, Jana McIntyre, David Portillo, Edward Nelson, Ariana Lucas, Matthew Anchel, Chrystal E Williams, Anya Matanovic, Federico DeMichelis, and Jorell Williams.

The opera will is set to be presented from July 22 through 31, 2022, and will be performed five times. The opening night performance will be live-streamed and rebroadcast on July 30.

The post Jana McIntryre & David Portillo Lead Bard SummerScape’s ‘The Silent Woman’ appeared first on OperaWire.

Leo Hussain conducts Puccini’s “Tosca” in a new production by Christof Loy. The cast will include Sinéad Campbell-Wallace, Adam Smith, and Noel Bouley.

Performance Dates: Sept. 30–Nov. 4 2022

Gilbert & Sullivan’s “The Yeomen of the Guard” will include Anthony Gregory, Neal Davies, Alexandra Oomens, Heather Lowe, Steven Page, Susan Bickley, Innocent Masuku, and Isabelle Peters. Chris Hopkins conducts the production by Jo Davies.

Performance Dates: Nov. 3– Dec. 2, 2022

Jake Heggie’s “It’s a Wonderful Life” arrives for the Holiday season starring Danielle de Niese, Frederick Ballentine, Jennifer France, Michael Mayes, Ronald Samm, Idunnu Münch, Keri Fuge, Zwakele Tshabalala, Ossian Huskinson, Gweneth Ann Rand, and Segomotso Shupinyaneng.

Performance Dates: Nov. 25–Dec 10, 2022

The post Adam Smith, Danielle de Niese, John Relyea &  Sean Panikkar Lead English National Opera’s 2022-23 Season appeared first on OperaWire.

The company will present a production of “Semele” starring Aaron Couch, Véronique Filloux, Jeremy Harr, Madeline Ehlinger, Maine Therese Carmack, Yazid Gray, and Meghan DeWald.

Streaming Dates: August 26 & 27, 2021

“Così fan tutte” starred Véronique Filloux, Jeremy Harr, Madeline Ehlinger, Maine Therese Carmack, Yazid Gray, and Angel Romero.

Streaming Dates: August 28 & 29, 2021

Yazid Gray headlines “Soldier Songs.”

Streaming Dates: August 30 & 31, 2021

The final stream will be “Charlie Parker’s Yardbird” starring Martin Bakari, Véronique Filloux, Jasmine Muhammad, Tru Verret-Fleming, Chrystal E. Williams, Madeline Ehlinger, Maine Therese Carmack, and Yazid Gray.

Streaming Dates: Sept. 1 & 2, 2021

All broadcasts will be presented on the company’s official YouTube channel.

The post Pittsburgh Opera to Stream 2020-21 Season appeared first on OperaWire.

The season launches with Bizet’s “Carmen“ conducted by Garry Walker and Anony Hermus. The production will open the Autumn season at Leeds Grand Theatre and will also be performed as part of the Winter season. The cast includes Chrystal E. Williams as Carmen, Antoine Bélanger as Don José, Camila Titinger and Alison Langer as Micaela, Phillip Rhodes and Gyula Nagy as Escamillo.

Premiere Date: Oct. 2, 2021

Bernstein’s “Trouble in Tahiti” stars Quirijn de Lang, Sandra Piques, Laura Kelly-McInroy, Joseph Shovelton, and Nicholas Butterfield. The production is conducted by Antony Hermus.

Premiere Date: Oct. 16, 2021

“West Side Story Symphonic Dances” will be showcased as a co-production with fellow Leeds-based arts organization Phoenix Dance Theatre with choreography by the company’s recently appointed Artistic Director Dan Hurst. Antony Hermus conducts.

Premiere Date: Oct. 16, 2021

Verdi’s “Rigoletto“ will get a new production conducted by Garry Walker. The opera, which will be directed by one of the UK’s leading theatre artists, Femi Elufowoju Jr., will star Roman Arndt, Eric Greene, Jasmine Habersham, Callum Thorpe, Alyona Abramova, and Sir Willard White.

Premiere Date: Jan. 22, 2022

Handel’s “Alcina” will star Máire Flavin, Patrick Terry, Joanna Motulewicz, Fflur Wyn, and Claire Pascoe. Laurence Cummings conducts the production Tim Albery.

Premiere Date: Feb. 5, 2022

Toby Spence stars in Wagner’s “Parsifal“ alongside Katarina Karnéus, Brindley Sherratt, Robert Hayward, and Eric Greene. Richard Farnes conducts the work.

Premiere Date: June 1, 2022

The post Toby Spence, Eric Greene & Chrystal E. Williams Lead Opera North’s 2021-22 Season appeared first on OperaWire.