“Every stage work takes on new meanings with each new interpretation.” So reads the opening line of the program notes by dramaturg Marta Ljubková, writing about Janáček Brno Festival’s production of “Jenůfa.” She was being somewhat disingenuous. What was presented was not a change in emphasis or an exploration of hidden themes; rather, it was a heavy-handed intervention that included a new ending, new text, and, unbelievably, new music, provided by the band VIAH, a pop duo on electric keyboards, who pumped out a sound that was totally at odds with Janáček’s music.

Loulova’s Provocative Direction

As the audience filed into the auditorium for the beginning of the performance, it was met with an image of artist Jamie McCartney’s “The Great Wall of Vulva,” consisting of 20 casts of female genitalia. The original work consists of 400 vulvas; its aim is to “shed light on variety, diversity and the absence of a norm” and to draw attention to the pressures women are put under to have aesthetic plastic surgery. It was the opening salvo of a production, directed by Veronika Kos Loulová, that reinterpreted “Jenůfa” from a woman’s perspective in the 21st century, focused on the psychological difficulties experienced by women during childbirth and the early stages of motherhood.

Without a doubt, it is an interpretation with potential. Jenůfa has been placed in a high-stress situation, the subject of male violence and irresponsibility at the hands of Laca and Števa. She is pregnant, and the father, Števa, has abandoned her, and she is now fearful of the judgement that will be passed by the village community for having an illegitimate baby. She lives alone with Kostelnička, her stepmother, and the two try desperately to cope, not just with caring for the newborn baby but also having to keep it secret from a close-knit community. Little surprise, therefore, that Jenůfa falls into a pit of despair, aggravating any predisposition for postpartum depression, a condition that can also affect surrogates, such as the Kostelnička, who finds herself looking after both Jenůfa and the baby.

It started well. Loulová moved the drama to a contemporary setting, for which the scenographer and costume designer, Irina Moscu, created a cluttered modern-day apartment, where Jenůfa and the Kostelnička lived. The grandmother busied herself with household chores, while Stárek, the mill foreman, and obviously a regular visitor, sat comfortably reading a newspaper at the table and seemed very much at home. Laca had free rein of the house and moved around as if he lived there and did what he liked, as did Števa. The relationships were thus clearly established as close-knit, suffocating and overbearing, which Loulová amplified by accentuating the negative characteristics of the male figures, especially those of Laca and Števa. Laca, in particular, expressed no sign of love towards Jenůfa; rather, he was boorish, crude and cruel, always flashing his knife in front of her, sometimes with her panties twirling on its blade.

By the end of the first act, Loulová had successfully created an oppressive, threatening atmosphere based on intolerance and violence and clearly established Jenůfa’s vulnerability. There were, however, numerous irritations in her presentation, not least the interpolation of amplified texts of reviews from Preissova’s original stage play on which “Jenůfa” was based and quotations from members of ‘A Mother’s Smile,’ a group set up to care for women who have experienced psychological difficulties during pregnancy. They added nothing at all to the drama and brought the momentum to a complete stop. Also, the removal of all folk elements, while understandable given its contemporary setting, undermined the sense of community and therefore the outside pressures exerted on Jenůfa and the Kostelnička. The folk dances, therefore, also had to be jettisoned, which were replaced by an uncoordinated free-for-all that looked ugly and minimized the impact of the musical contrasts. There were other minor annoyances, but dramatically it worked fairly well.

Act two progressed in a similar vein. The characters were sensitively handled and successfully presented, capturing both Jenůfa’s and the Kostelnička’s emotional and psychological deterioration under the stresses of the situation. While the Kostelnička’s anxieties and emotions became more haphazard, Jenůfa looked oblivious to what was happening around her; she looked hollow and exhausted, clearly overwhelmed and unable to cope. Although it was a well-presented act, it was again subject to distracting interventions, this time with an amplified voice listing issues and products relating to new mothers, such as nipple cream.

Act three took the staging in a different direction. The apartment was melded with a wooded glade, into what appeared to be a dreamscape, with its meaning open to interpretation. Was it a projection of Jenůfa’s or the Kostelnička’s mind? Maybe it was a desire for a better world? Could it have been a representation of the heaven in which her murdered child now resides? Was it a contrast to the hell of a life lived in the apartment? Or was it something completely different? It did not really matter; it proved to be a successful device for encouraging the audience to think about the implications of such possibilities, and as such it was successful.

Unwelcome Alterations to the Opera

Unfortunately, the final duet between Laca and Jenůfa was cut, so that the opera ended with Jenůfa forgiving the Kostelnička, who was surrounded by other women in a show of solidarity. This went beyond Janáček’s intentions and felt wholly contrived. It also drew attention away from the legitimate portrayal of Jenůfa, the Kostelnička and women in general who suffer from male abuse, neglect or lack of understanding, as well as the problem of postpartum depression, which was supposed to be the main focus of Loulová’s interpretation and instead highlighted the fact that there was not a single male character with even a modicum of decency or empathy for Jenůfa’s or the Kostelnička’s conditions. For all his faults, Laca in the end accepts his responsibilities; this excised from the text as it went against the message. Even Stárek was allowed to sit through Jenůfa’s suffering while being tormented by Laca, just so that he could be shown to be a passive, disinterested male. It verged on propaganda, rather than a nuanced consideration of the problem.

Yet although Loulová’s staging was provocative, at times heavy-handed and occasionally irritating, her sure directorial grasp enabled her to fashion a reasonably successful interpretation in which her determination to insert her concerns about postpartum depression was made alongside, although not always within, what was a well-crafted drama. It was, therefore, a pity that she threw it all away by replacing the final duet with a nondescript piece of music by VIAH. It destroyed the effect that she had struggled to create, so that one left the theatre with a wholly negative impression.

A Raw, Exciting Orchestral Reading

The relatively small orchestral force of the Moravian Theatre under the baton of Anna Novotná Pešková created a dramatically stark and compelling reading. Its lean, transparent textures, in which the percussion often thrust itself into the foreground, gave the sound a rawness that sat well with Loulová’s staging, which was accentuated by the lack of warmth from the relatively small string section. Pešková was always sensitive to the drama’s twists and turns, complementing them with pleasing dynamic contrasts and changes in pace, and the melodies were crisply and deftly executed.

The star of the show was undoubtedly soprano Eliška Gattringerová, who essayed the role of the Kostelnička, although it was not the usual portrayal one might have expected. In line with Loulová’s interpretation, she became a sympathetic character, rather than a hard-headed matriarch, equally concerned about her own reputation as that of Jenůfa’s. Such was her success in presenting the Kostelnička as a well-intentioned, fundamentally decent woman who was unable to deal with the situation that it appeared completely natural that she should be forgiven by Jenůfa for the murder of her baby. Her singing performance was also wonderfully expressive, in which she captured the anxieties, stresses and fears that led the Kostelnička into committing such a horrendous crime.

Jenůfa was played by mezzo-soprano Barbora Perná, who produced an excellent acting performance that captured her mental state perfectly along with all its emotional contradictions. In Act one, she accepted and rebelled against Laca’s aggression, displayed her love for the unworthy Števa, and her contempt for Laca. In Act two, she had collapsed into an exhausted shell of herself. Yet underlying it all, she exuded a sense of decency and love. Her vocal performance was solid rather than exciting or revealing. Her singing was clear and articulate, and she expressed herself forcefully and passionately, but she lacked the frisson, the ability to add nuance and push the voice to the extremes that is necessary to dominate the role.

Tenor Josef Moravec was essentially only required to portray Laca’s negative characteristics and to steer clear of anything that might put him in a positive light, and he did it very well; he was frustrated, angry and resentful and simmered with a violence that was ready to explode. Possessing a resonant voice, which at times he could have used with more dynamic subtlety, he was able to intimidate Jenůfa and dominate a scene, as he forcefully pushed his voice into a confrontation.

Tenor Raman Hasymau has an agile voice with a pleasing timbre, although it can sound a little thin in the upper register, which he used impressively to capture Števa’s superficial character. Yes, he was pushed into emotionally uncomfortable situations, but he always managed to coat his voice with a veneer of insincerity or immaturity, which fitted perfectly with the tenor of the production.

Mezzo-soprano Sylva Čmugrová gave a clearly defined portrait of Grandmother Buryjovka, making it quite clear that she had no interest in Laca whatsoever.

Bass Jiri Pribyl had only the occasional line to sing as Stárek but was present for a large part of the first act, in which he successfully ignored Laca’s brutish behavior as if it were completely normal.

Sopranos Katerina Popová and Anna Moriová were parted as Karolka and Barena, respectively. Both delivered well-sung performances in what were small roles.

Final Thoughts

Personally, I found Loulová’s interpretation to be far too heavy-handed to consider it a success. Lecturing or berating audiences is never a good thing; they are quite capable of understanding a well-managed interpretation without having it spelt out in bold terms or using gimmicks, like having a pop duo bring the opera to a conclusion. It comes across as extremely patronising.

Actually, I had no problem with Loulová’s overall reading of the piece; in fact, I found it insightful. There is a very good “Jenůfa” contained within this production, but it is struggling to get out; a more nuanced approach is needed, one shorn of the extraneous additions that undermined all that is good about it.

It is co-produced with the Moravian Theatre Olomouc.

The post Janáček Brno Festival 2024 Review: Jenůfa appeared first on OperaWire.

This week audiences will get a chance to listen to rarely performed works from some of the great operatic composers in the world. There are also many world premiere recordings as well.

Lucie di Lammermoor 

Dynamic releases Donizetti’s French version of “Lucie de Lammermoor” from the 2023 Donizetti Festival. Recorded at the Teatro Sociale on December 1, 2023, the cast includes Vito Priante, Patrick Kabongo, Julien Henric, David Astorga, Roberto Lorenzi, and Caterina Sala. Pierre Dumoussaud conducts the new production by Jacopo Spirei.

Donizetti Song Project

Opera Rara releases the first two volumes in its Donizetti Song Project recording cycle. Vol. 1 features 28 tenor songs performed by Lawrence Brownlee, and Vol. 2 features 26 baritone songs sung by Nicola Alaimo.

Both artists are accompanied by Opera Rara’s Artistic Director Carlo Rizzi who spearheaded the multi-year initiative upon hearing of the company’s Repertoire Consultant, Roger Parker’s lockdown project four years ago.

Mendelssohn: Elijah

LSO Live marks the beginning of its 25th anniversary year with the release of Mendelssohn’s “Elijah.” Sir Antonio Pappano conducts a recording that features Gerald Finley, Sarah Connolly, Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha, and Allan Clayton.

The Light of Paradise

Berlin Classics releases the new album by the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Christian Erny. The album features the piece by Paul Mealor which was commissioned by the Zurich Chamber Singers, and composed based on the writings of medieval mystic Margery Kempe.

Leoš Janáček: The Excursions of Mr. Brouček

Supraphon releases a recording of Janáček’s rarely performed opera. The cast includes Jaroslav Březina, Aleš Briscein, František Zahradníček, Alžběta Poláčková, Jiří Sulženko, Roman Janál, Helena Tattermuschová, Jiří Brückler, Martin Šrejma, Josef Moravec, Doubravka Součková, and Stanislava Jirků. Jaroslav Kyzlink conducts.

Walter Braunfels: Jeanne d’Arc – Scenes from the Life of Saint Joan

Capriccio will release Braunfel’s opera in three parts and one prelude. This new recording stars Juliane Banse, Martin Gantner, Pavol Breslik, Johan Reuter, Ruben Drole, Thomas E. Bauer, Michael Laurenz, and Tobias Kehrer Manfred Honeck conducts the Salzburger Bachchor, Salzburger Festspiele und Theater Kinderchor, and ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra.

Joachim Raff: Die Eifersüchtigen

Raff’s opera in three acts will be released by Naxos. The recording stars Serafina Giannoni, Mirjam Fässler, Raìsa Ierone, Benjamin Popson, Matthias Bein, Balduin Schneeberger, and Martin Roth. The Orchestra of Europe is conducted by Joonas Pitkänen. This album marks the opera’s world premiere recording.

Coups de Roulis

André Messager, Albert Willemetz, and Maurice Larrouy’s operetta will be released by LBM. The recording features Jean-Baptiste Dumora, Philippe Brocard, Christophe Gay, Irina de Baghy, and Clarisse Dalles. The Frivolités Parisiennes Orchestra and Choir is conducted by Alexandra Cravero.

The post Caterina Sala, Lawrence Brownlee, Gerald Finley & Pavol Breslik Lead New CD/DVD Releases appeared first on OperaWire.

Of Dvorak’s 10 operas, only “Rusalka” receives regular stagings outside his Czech homeland. Listening to the recordings of his other operas, it is not clear as to why this should be the case. Certainly, the dramatic quality of the music is strong and contains plenty of engaging melodies, and they would certainly bear comparison with many operas that are staged with tedious regularity. Maybe their neglect is due to the fact that they do not translate successfully onto the stage. However, given that there are so few opportunities to make such a judgment, it is difficult to know.

Fortunately, thanks to its adventurous programming, Wexford Festival Opera presented his final opera, “Armida,” at this year’s festival, giving opera-goers a rare opportunity to judge for themselves whether or not this opera at least has been unjustly neglected.

The first thing to say is that the title itself does not work in its favor. During the 17^th and 18^th centuries, Armida, a character from Torquato Tasso’s text, “Gerusalleme Liberata,” was a popular subject for librettists, with its central themes of love, magic, and war being ideal for the audience of the day. Many operas bear her name, including works by Lully, Sacchini, Gluck, Salieri, and even somewhat belatedly, Rossini. Many more included her in the narrative.

By the time Dvorak got around to his version in 1904, the world had moved on; verismo was now the rage, and audiences wanted realism. Armida was no longer of interest; it was old-fashioned. Why Dvorak thought that Jaroslav Vrchlicky’s libretto on the subject would be suitable is a mystery.

While this may explain the opera’s initial reception and its fall into near oblivion, it does not explain why it has since failed to be resurrected, especially in an era that makes a virtue of uncovering works from the past, notwithstanding the many companies that continue with the same old fare.

Dramatically Inconsistent Libretto

Everything started very well. Under the direction of Hartmut Schörghofer, who also acted as set and costume designer, Act one proved to be well-balanced, dramatically gripping, and populated with clearly defined characters. The scene was set unambiguously in the Middle East using traditional sets and costumes. The simple, transparent paneled framework of the sets could be moved easily to create changing perspectives, and D.M. Wood’s lighting designs created a warm glow that enveloped the stage, conjuring up the colors of the region. The time simply flew by!

However, from Act two onward, the sharp focus of the first act disintegrated. The structure of the libretto became noticeably unbalanced, to the extent that the pace of the narrative became disconcertingly disjointed, which negatively affected the dramatic thrust and undermined its overall impact. Carefully developed scenes, constructed successfully to draw in the audience, were concluded in a perfunctory manner; their lengthy buildups, in which the tensions had been well managed, were given insufficient space and time to dissipate. It was all over too quickly! Its impact was unsettling to the extent that, at the end of the scene or act, one’s thoughts immediately focused on this negative aspect.

Act two was structurally the strongest of the remaining acts, so that each dramatic section was clearly developed and played out, although without ever attaining the structural sharpness, sureness, and drive of the first act. It has plenty to offer; there are energetic choruses, dramatic incidents, and a fiery conclusion.

However, in Act three, the sense of imbalance asserted itself more forcefully, and the drama became increasingly unconvincing. Following a lengthy period of insipid love-making, replete with nymphs and sirens, there was a dramatically strong confrontation between Armida, Rinald, and Ismen, only for the act to take another turn and disconcertingly hurtle at break-neck speed towards its unsatisfactory conclusion, which was not allowed to fully expand or flourish.

The same process is repeated in Act four. In a dramatically and musically captivating extended monologue that dominates the act, Riauld reflects on the events that have just taken place and on his dreams for the future. The mood that has been expertly crafted is then shattered by Ismen’s arrival. Within a matter of minutes, Rinauld has not only killed him but also mortally wounded a mysterious knight, only to discover that it is Armida. Fortunately, Dvorak partially rescues the perfunctory finale with a pleasing duet for the lovers before she dies.

Simply put, “Armida” is an unbalanced work. There exists a disconnect between Dvorak’s superbly constructed score and Vrchlicky‘s second-rate, structurally flawed libretto. Dvorak’s music is a rich, symphonic tapestry, brilliantly orchestrated with engaging melodies dedicated to developing the passions and emotions of the characters, and forwarding the narrative, while the libretto is left in its wake. Dvorak is often left alone to manage the dramatic intensity, which Vrchlicky was not always able to furnish.

The extent to which Schörghofer is partly responsible for the staging’s dramatic shortcomings is, however, difficult to assess. His traditional reading was well-staged, and even the magic elements, which were included through the use of videos, were impressive; Act two ends with a dragon descending. Visually, there were certainly no problems.

Nor is it possible to blame Schörghofer for imposing a false reading onto the narrative; his only deviation was to present a background video of tanks careering across the desert, and even that fits with the magic of prophecy. Maybe it required a director who could address the libretto’s structural defects, if that is, indeed, even possible.

Baxa’s Excellent Reading

The musical side of the production was under the direction of Norbert Baxa, who elicited an energetic presentation from the Orchestra of Wexford Festival Opera. He successfully drew out the beauty of Dvorak’s score, revealing its pleasing textures and wonderful melodies, whilst keeping a firm hold on the dramatic and emotional currents that sweep through the work. He also gave sufficient attention to the singers so that there was always a pleasing balance between the pit and the stage, which, given the differences in the power of the singers’ voices and the dynamic shifts in the orchestra, was no easy task.

Davis’ Standout Performance

From her initial entrance, soprano Jennifer Davis dominated the stage with a confident performance that successfully brought Armida’s feisty, passionate character to life. She possesses a resonant, versatile, and secure voice with a wonderful burnished luminosity, which she used expertly to imbue her lines with emotional strength. The voice is totally secure; one can sit back, relax, and enjoy the voice as it soars upward, singing out above the rising sound of the orchestra, without even a suggestion that it will fray or falter. It is a truly marvelous instrument.

While she immediately captured the audience’s attention with her beautiful, lyrically sensitive rendition of her opening aria, it was the duets that really stood out. The Act 2 love duet with Rinald, played by tenor Gerard Scneider, was passionately delivered by both singers, who were fully immersed in their roles. Likewise, the Act three duet allowed them to give voice to their ardent feelings for each other as the two singers once again combined to brilliant effect.

Schneider produced a good performance with a bold, courageous, and energetic, if occasionally one-dimensional, portrait of Rinald. Along with the duets with Armida, it was his Act four monologue, in which he brilliantly captured a meandering range of emotions with his expressively engineered phrasing, that really impressed.

Baritone Stanislav Kuflyuk was excellent as Ismen. He possesses a voice with an attractive timbre coated in a warm sheen, and sings with an engaging lyricism. It is a voice that draws the listener in; his colorful pallet, ease of expression, and ability to fill out the space cannot fail to capture the attention. Moreover, he knew exactly how to use his voice to effectively define his character.

Bass Jozef Benci made a splendid King Hydraot. Singing with strength and plenty of character, he wore his magisterial authority with ease.

Bass Jan Hynk displayed quality with a compelling performance as Petr the hermit. In what was an expressive presentation, he used his voice skillfully by adding coloring, depth, and emotional nuance to the vocal line.

Baritone Rory Dunne was cast in two parts. As the Muezin, he was positioned high up in the auditorium so that his call to prayer echoed powerfully around the theatre. As the leader of the Franks, Bohumir, he produced a suitably authoritative performance.

Tenor Josef Moravec, essaying the role of Sven, made a good impression with his performance at the end of Act three.

The relatively small roles comprising tenor Thomas Birch as the knight Roger, baritone Andrii Kharlamov as Gernand, soprano Libuse Santorisova as a Siren and as a Nymph, tenor Chris Mosz as Dudo, and bass Josef Kovacic as Ubald all produced quality performances.

The Chorus Master Andrew Synnott did a fine job in preparing the Chorus of the Wexford Festival Opera. Singing superbly throughout, the highpoint was definitely the rousing crusaders’ chorus, whose electrifying rendition brought Act two to a thrilling conclusion.

Six weeks after its 1904 premiere, Dvorak died. He was denied the opportunity to revise his final opera, something he surely would have undertaken given its lackluster reception.

Watching Wexford Festival Opera’s production, it is clear that “Armida” is, indeed, a flawed work. The music was excellent, the singers were excellent, visually it was easy to follow, and the staging was pleasing on the eye. Yet as a dramatic work, it is weak. There exists an imbalance within Acts two, three and four which has a disconcerting and disrupting effect. Moreover, there is a disconnect between the music and the text, which distances the audience.

If Dvorak had had time to make the necessary revisions, we may have been left with a masterpiece. As it is, we have been left with his fabulous music sitting awkwardly alongside a weak libretto.

The post Wexford Festival Opera 2022 Review: Armida appeared first on OperaWire.

The season opens with “La Tempesta” by Halévy. The work will star Niklay Zemlianskikh, Hila Baggio, Giiorgi Manoshvili, Andrew Morstein, Jade Phoenix, Rory Musgrave, Conor Prendiville, Richard Shaffrey, and Emma Jüngling.

Roberto Catalano will direct the opera with Francesco Cilluffo conducting.

Performance Dates: Oct. 21–Nov. 3, 2022

Félicien David’s “Lalla Rookh” will star Karen Garde Azabal, Pablo Bemsch, Lorcan Cranitch, Ben McAteer, Emyr Wyn Jones, Thomas D. Hopkins, and Niamh O’Sullivan. David Angus conducts a production directed by Orpha Phelan.

Performance Dates: Oct. 22—Nov. 4, 2022

Dvorak’s “Armida” will get a production by Dmitry Bertman. Norbert Baxa conducts a cast starring Jozef Benci, Jennifer Davis, Stanislav Kuflyuk, Jan Hynk, Rory Dunne, Gerard Schneider, Josef Moravec, Sean Boylan, Andrii Kharlamov, and Libuse Santorisova.

Performance Dates: Oct. 23–Nov. 5, 2022

There will also be two daytime pocket operas, including “The Master.” Conor Hanratty directs.

Performance Dates: Oct. 22–Nov. 5, 2022

The other daytime pocket opera will be “The Spectre Knight.” Sinéad O’Neill directs.

Performance Dates: Oct. 23–Nov. 5, 2022

Alma Deutscher’s “Cinderella” will be performed by Megan O’Neill, Ami Hewitt, Corina Ignat, Hannah O’Brien, Leah Redmond, Emily Hogart, Sara Luthrell, Michael Bell, Peter Lidbetter, and Deirdre Arratoon. Giuseppe Montesano conducts while Davide Gasparro directs.

Performance Dates: Oct. 26–Nov. 4, 2022

The company will also present “The Selenites,” a new commission by Artist-in-Residence Conor Mitchell.

Performance Dates: Oct. 26–Nov. 6, 2022

Daniela Barcellona will also lead a “Gala with Orchestra.” Alessandro Vitiello conducts the Wexford Festival Orchestra.

Performance Dates: Oct. 27, 2022

There will also be a Gala Concert.

Performance Dates: Nov. 1, 2022

Audiences will also get a chance to check out several Pop-Up Events and an “Impossible interview” with Michael Dervan and Harry Houdini. Finally, the popular Lunchtime Recitals will also take place throughout the festival.

The post Daniela Barcellona, Niklay Zemlianskikh, Karen Garde Azabal, Jennifer Davis Headline Wexford Opera Festival’s 2022 Season appeared first on OperaWire.

The soprano will be presented with the award at Prague’s Rudolfinum on April 21, 2020 in a gala concert that will feature a recital by Polish tenor Piotr Beczala.

Beňačková has made the Czech Republic her home for several years, joining the Czech National Theatre in 1970 as Natasha in “War and Peace.” She would go on to become a major champion of Czech repertory, with many seeing her as the definitive interpreter of the role of Marenka in “The Bartered Bride;” her recording of the opera with conductor Zdenek Kosler is seem as one of the most popular.

She has also performed major roles by Janácek and was a well-known “Rusalka.” In 1994, she recorded an album made up of Czech music by Dvorák, Janácek, and Martinu alongside pianist Rudolf Firkunsny; that album was nominated for a Grammy.

“It is my great pleasure, thank you,” Beňačková said in a pres release. “I think that Antonín Dvořák would be satisfied with how I presented his work throughout the world.”

Pats recipients of the award have included Yo-Yo Ma, Josef Suk, Ivan Moravec, and Jiri Belohlavek, among others.

The post Antonín Dvorák Prize 2020 Goes to Famed Soprano appeared first on OperaWire.

This weekend is all about classic operas from Verdi, Donizetti, and Puccini. Many rising stars are performing this weekend so what better way to start the New Year than to focus on them.

Il Trovatore – Landstheater Linz, Austria

Federico Longhi leads Verdi’s popular work in his role debut as the Count de Luna with a cast that includes Izabela Matuła, Katherine Lerner, and Sung-Kyu Park. Enrico Calesso conducts the premiere in a production by Gregor Horres.

Viva la Mama – Prague State Opera, Czech Republic

Donizetti’s rarely performed work  continues its run at the Estates Theater with a cast that includes Jiří Hájek, Jana Sibera, Jiří Brückler, Roman Janál, Roman Hoza, Marek Gurbaľ, Josef Moravec, Michaela Zajmi,  and Igor Loskar, among others. The ensemble cast is led by Enrico Dovico.

La Sonnambula – Teatro Sociale, Italy

Veronica Marini sings the title role in Bellini’s melodic masterpiece alongside Edoardo Milletti and Davide Giangregorio. The production by Raúl Vázquez will be conducted by Leonardo Sini.

Giovanna D’Arco – Stadttheater, Switzerland

La Bohème – Royal Opera House, United Kingdom

The post AIda Garifullina, Charles Castronovo & Astrik Khanamiryan Headline Top 5 International Weekend (1/10-12) appeared first on OperaWire.