As the holiday season arrives, this week also features several high-profile recordings by superstars including a Christmas album that features many classics.

Schubert Lieder 

Countertenor Philippe Jaroussky releases a new album of Schubert Lieder.

In a statement, he said, “Schubert’s music has been with me always, throughout my career as a musician: violinist, pianist, and ultimately singer. This album is a declaration of love, for his genius but also for the German language. I am delighted to rejoin Jérôme Ducros, on this our third album together, and in this program of Lieder we’ve carefully selected.”

Aletheia

Ondine releases Aletheia, choral works by New York-based Lithuanian composer Žibuoklė Martinaitytė. The album features four choral works exploring the direct emotional expression of singing voices without a text. The works are performed by the Latvian Radio Choir under the direction of Sigvards Klava.

Tales of song and sadness

“Tales of Song and Sadness” is released featuring a double tribute commemorating the demise of Frans Brüggen and Louis Andriessen. The recording features the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century and Cappella Amsterdam, under the direction of Daniel Reuss.

The Christmas Album 

Benjamin Appl continues his collaboration with Alpha Classics celebrating Christmas through the enduring tradition of Bach chorales and popular carols. Appl is joined by Germany’s children’s choir Regensburger Domspatzen, the Munich Radio Orchestra, and his mother on guitar.

In a statement, he said, “Christmas evokes intense memories and emotions in all of us. It takes us back to our childhood: that sense of magic and excitement, so often reawakened by the sight of a traditional Nativity scene, or the lights on a Christmas tree, or by hearing Christmas carols. It was with all these images in mind that I returned to my hometown to record this album with ‘my’ boys’ choir. When, after more than twenty years, I found myself back among the choristers and heard the familiar sound, the emotion was very intense.”

Dark Hymnal

Composer David T. Little releases a brand new album, “Dark Hymnal,” on Cantaloupe Music.

“Dark Hymnal” is a series of electronic “meditations” derived from Little’s opera film “Black Lodge,” and includes samples from the opera’s original soundtrack, performed by Timur and the Dime Museum and Isaura String Quartet and featuring text by librettist Anne Waldman.

In a statement Little says, “As you listen, your ears might deceive you, at times making you think you hear things that aren’t actually there. It might at other times feel as if the music—and the audio—is attempting to crack out of the frames which contain it: sounds throb and push against speaker cones; chords melt, or vanish after merely a hint, their harmonies showing one path, then pivoting toward another, more dangerous, more enticing. Dark Hymnal may feel simultaneously lulling and disconcerting, comforting and perplexing, and even at times, frightening; a work with its spiritual roots in the world of Black Lodge.”

Kris Defoort: The Time of Our Singing

Kris Defoort’s fourth opera is recorded by Claron McFadden, Mark S. Doss, Simon Bailey, and Levy Sekgapane. La Monnaie Chamber Orchestra is conducted by Kwamé Ryan.

Gluck: Iphigénie en Aulide

Alpha Classics releases a new recording of Gluck’s only French opera. The recording stars Judith van Wanroij, Stéphanie d’Oustrac, Cyrille Dubois, Tassis Christoyannis, and Jean-Sébastien Bou. Les Chantres du Centre de musique baroque de Versailles and Le Concert de la Loge is conducted by Julien Chauvin in his first operatic recording.

Jacques Offenbach: La Vie Parisienne

Anne-Catherine Gillet, Véronique Gens, Artavazd Sargsyan, Sandrine Buendia, Marc Mauillon, Jérôme Boutillier, and Pierre Derhet star in this classic Offenabch work. The Orchestre National et Choeur du Capitole de Toulouse is conducted by Romain Dumas. Bru Zane releases.

Choir Concerto

The SWR Vokalensemble is conducted by Yuval Weinberg in music by Alfred Schnittke, Artemy Vedel, and Dmitry Bortniansky. SWR Music releases the album.

Giacomo Puccini: Messa di Gloria

BR Klassik releases Puccini’s work with Tomislav Mužek, and George Petean. Ivan Repušić conducts the Bavarian Radio Chorus and Munich Radio Orchestra.

In a review by OperaWire, Bob Dieschburg said, “The Croatian demonstratively purges the score of the operatic, turning out a surprisingly refined, and lyrical interpretation of this almost-renegade in the Puccini repertory.”

Welcome Joy – A Celebration of Women’s Voices 

Chandos releases Freddie Crowley and his Corvus Consort new album and is joined by harpist Louise Thomson. The album features music by Gustav Holst, Imogen Holst, Elizabeth Poston, Judith Weir, Gemma McGregor, Olivia Sparkhall, Hilary Campbell, and Shruthi Rajasekar.

Puccini: Tosca

C Major releases Puccinio’s timeless thriller from the Arena di Verona. Recorded in June 2023, the work stars Sonya Yoncheva, Vittorio Grigolo, Roman Burdenko, Carlo Bosi, and Giorgi Manoshvili. Francesco Ivan Ciampa conducts the classic production by Hugo de Ana.

Carl Maria von Weber: Der Freischütz

C Major Releases Bregenz Festival’s production of Weber’s famed work. Recorded in July 2024, the opera stars Mauro Peter, Nikola Hillebrand, Christof Fischesser, Katharina Ruckgaber, and Moritz von Treuenfels. Enrique Mazzola conducts Philipp Stölzl’s production.

Verdi: Ernani

Verdi’s early work is released by C Major Entertainment from the Bregenz Festival. Saimir Pirgu, Guanqun Yu, Franco Vassallo, and Goran Jurić star in the recording which was made in August 2023. The Prague Philharmonic Choir and the Wiener Symphoniker are conducted by Enrique Mazzola. Lotte de Beer directs.

Then and Now

American tenor Gregory Kunde releases a new album in which he looks back at the music he first fell in love with as a boy, the pop jukebox standards of the day, delivered by the likes of Sinatra, Bennett, and Darin. Delos releases the new album.

Andrew Lloyd Webber: Requiem & Samuel Barber: Adagio for Strings

BR Klassik releases the live recording from the Herz-Jesu Church in Munich that was made in 2023 as a tribute to the British composer’s 75th birthday. The requiem stars Soraya Mafi, Benjamin Bruns, and Florian Markus/Henrik Brandstetter. Patrick Hahn conducts.

The post Sonya Yoncheva, Benjamin Appl, Philippe Jaroussky, Gregory Kunde & Saimir Pirgu Lead New CD/DVD Releases appeared first on OperaWire.

Puccini’s “Messa di Gloria” is not the unjustly belittled opera in disguise which musicologists, for decades, have made it to be. They objected to the unbefittingly ariose “Gratias agimus,” as well as the mass’ compilatory structure. For a “Mass of Glory,” strictly speaking, only contains the Kyrie and Gloria sections; Puccini, however, adopts all five movements of mass, and intersperses them with some of his nascent genius’ finest melodic inventions. For instance, his “Agnus Dei” would be recycled in the Act two madrigal of “Manon Lescaut.”

Understandably, the “Messa di Gloria” (the title actually seems apocryphal) sparked unease. Yet critics’ relative failure of appreciation stands in sharp contrast with its discographic faring. There is no shortage of good recordings, and only last year did the ever so colorful Gustavo Gimeno (for Harmonia Mundi) add to the growing catalog. Now it is the turn of conductor Ivan Repušić on BR Klassik. The Croatian demonstratively purges the score of the operatic, turning out a surprisingly refined, and lyrical interpretation of this almost-renegade in the Puccini repertory.

“In genere sinfonico”

The album’s main asset is the interpretive malleability of the Münchner Rundfunkorchester who treat each segment as its own, symphonic Satz. The colors are invariably changing, and while the tempi are nearly identical to Pappano’s rather boldly fashioned reading from 2001, Repušić relinquishes any too melodramatic edge in favor of a remarkably homogeneous, and – for want of a better word – Germanic orchestral facture. For instance, the strings transitioning into the majestic “Quoniam tu solus sanctus” have never had more lyrical agency than here. The choir also does not erupt like in Verdi’s “Requiem;” it softly builds instead of grafting itself on the playing of the orchestra.

Puccini’s affinities therefore clearly point towards a transalpine way of composing music, even though this juvenile predilection – if such it is – only persists until the creation of “Le Villi;” after 1884, his self-proclaimed “genere sinfonico” (symphonic genre) is gradually being displaced.

Condensed Lyricism

The soloists occupy a strangely ambivalent position in the “Messa.” Yet in keeping with his holistic approach, Repušić embeds them in a firmly set vision in which there is little to no room for digressions into the overly operatic. For example, he imparts a crisp time on the notorious “Gratias agimus,” situating the tenor part of Tomislav Mužek at opposite ends of the pompous 1984 recording by Claudio Scimone. Even the “Agnus Dei” (with the excellent George Petean) feels like a genuinely spirited coda rather than the somewhat disjunct appendage from earlier releases.

As is customary, the program is rounded off by the threnodial “Crisantemi” (arranged by the distinguished Lucas Drew), and Puccini’s very imposing, if eclectic “Preludio sinfonico.” The latter knowingly borrows from Wagner, and is interpreted with some unexpected symphonic roundness. I personally prefer the bold sweeps from Pappano; but for the mass itself, Repušić’s unrelentingly soft lyricism stands without competition. It is the most harmonious version yet, and for its radical novelty deserves every attention.

The post CD Review: BR Klassik’s ‘Messa di Gloria’ appeared first on OperaWire.

Pelly is a master in “comedy” and he recognizes that he doesn’t like serious operas. He accepted this production because it is supposed to be a comedy. But Wagner’s ideas about comedies are not what we usually see in “opera buffa” and therefore Pally’s trademark of moving the chorus with funny dance movements with the music did not work. Some characters like Beckmesser and all the Meistersingers in general were played with exaggerated gestures, while others like Hans Sachs or Walter have a naturalistic approach. This contrast of acting was shocking, almost like seeing two different operas. As such, Pelly’s production did not work as no one in the audience laughed at all during the performance. I did not understand the concept of filling the platforms, which were placed on the center of the stage with cardboard houses and buildings. But Pelly’s stagecraft and talent is immense, so in general he managed to make the nearly five-hour opera interesting. His best scene by far was the fight at the end of the second act. He really knows how to move lots of people around on the stage.

A Masterful Cast

Canadian baritone Gerald Finley is no stranger to the role of Hans Sachs, as he has already performed it in several productions. His musical phrasing is natural and fluid. The role is quite long and he was able to sustain an uncomfortable tessitura the whole night, including a high G in “wer nichtsweib.” He was quite funny when he was hammering a shoe, interrupting Beckmesser’s serenade. It was a pity that he could not sing over the orchestra in “Tra la lei! Oh!” The highlight of his performance is the monologue which opens the third act, which he sang with great pathos. His characterization was authoritarian but sweet at the same time. He was solemn in his short patriotic intervention at the end of the opera.

Leigh Melrose played the role of Sixtus Beckmesser. His German diction and style were impeccable. Beckmesser’s tessitura is extremely high for a baritone as he is constantly singing around E and F sharp and as such this is sometimes performed by a tenor. Melrose accomplished his role honorably. He obviously opted to sing the long sustained A natural that the score demands in “und wachs!” in falsetto (this is a hard extreme note for a baritone). His characterization was clownish and over acted but I couldn’t tell if it was his choice or Pelly’s direction. His make-up seemed like a gothic character from a Tim Burton movie, and in my opinion did not help much if the intention was to create a funny character.

German tenor Tomislav Mužek played the role of the lover Walther” He has a warm timbre, balancced through his whole register and with a bright high register. He could navigate easily in the passaggio zone of the voice, in a role which is constantly going up to G and As. The role requires stamina and control to sing the whole night in such a high tessitura. He was ardent and passionate during his first scene with Eva in Act one and sang with a beautiful contrast between mezza voce and forte. His high B flat in “Ihr Meister hienied” was strong and carried easily above the soloists, chorus and forte orchestra. The highlight of his performance, because of its lyricism and expansive long lines, was the prize song in the second and third act. His He managed to keep the voice fresh, lacking any sign of strain or vocal fatigue. More importantly, the sound was beautiful.

Nicole Chevalier sang the role of Eva. Her voice has a strong resonant middle register, which is where most of the role is written. She delivered strong A naturals and a high B flat in her longest intervention in Act three, “Sachs! Mein Freund!” Her sound was clear and crystalline, which was ideal for the naïve infatuated girl.

The role of David was portrayed by Sebastian Kohlhepp. The role has a high tessitura and has a long monologue during the first act where Kohlhepp showed his ability for dynamics and his fraseo in the passagio area. But his voice sounds guttural and muffled and therefore his high B flats and B natural sounded distant and small.

Jongmin Park sang the part of Eva’s father Pogner. The role is short, but he has a solo scene at the first act. His voice lacks projection and the high E and F are guttural and small.

Anna Lapkovskaja was an ideal Magdalene, as were all the singers who took on Meistersingers.

A Wagnerian Master

Following his success with “Parsifal” at Bayreuth Festival last year, the Spanish press suddenly named Spanish conductor Pablo Heras-Casado a “great conductor. But the truth is, “Die Meistersinger” was his sixth Wagner opera at the Spanish coliseum after having conducted “The Flying Dutchman” and a whole “Ring cycle.” He was already a great conductor and it was strange that he only got a big recognition after his work abroad despite his numerous successes closer to home. But that’s how the Spanish media works.

Heras-Casado opted for a marked pesante overture, giving weight and protagonism to the “Meistersingers leitmotif” in contrast to the lyrical section of the piece, which was played with lots of dynamic fluctuations and soaring legato lines. He pushed the timbric qualities in Wagner’s orchestration to their limits and the orchestra sounded better than ever. Every single detail, the balance between the brass section and the rest of the orchestra was impeccable. But the intensity was perhaps a bit much as every time the orchestra built up to a forte sound, it covered every single singer. No exceptions. Maybe the balance between the sound of the voices and the orchestra was not fine-tuned, but when seeing a Wagner opera (except in Bayreuth because of the special acoustics) I always doubt if it concerns the director or is just simply impossible for voices to be heard with such a big and dense orchestra. The chorus sounded strong, their voices perfectly melded with the orchestra.

Ultimately, this was an amusing new production by Pelly, although he could not make it as funny as his productions used to be. But Heras-Casado’s delicious music-making and the strong cast made it an unforgettable evening.

The post Teatro Real 2023-24 Review: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg appeared first on OperaWire.

Ciclo Sinfónico

David Afkham conducts Beethoven’s “Fidelio” with soloists Eleanor Lyons, Maximilian Schmitt, Peter Rose, Werner Van Mechelen, Elena Sancho, Roger Padullés, Matthias Winckhler, and Joaquín Notario.

Performance Dates: Sept. 20 & 22, 2024

Pablo González conducts a program of music by Prokofiev, Tōru Takemitsu, and Cécile Chaminade. Soloists include Flautist Emmanuel Pahud, narrator Jose Coronado, mezzo Olesya Petrova, and bass Alexander Vinogradov.

Performance Dates: Oct. 4-6, 2024

Andrés Orozco-Estrada conducts Berlioz and Mendelssohn with Sonja Leutwyler, Steve Davislim, and Hanno MüllerBrachmann.

Performance Dates: Oct. 11-13, 2024

Paul Agnew conducts Händel’s “Messiah” with soloists Mari Eriksmoen, Xavier Sabata, Levy Sekgapane, and José Antonio López.

Performance Dates: Dec. 20-22, 2024

Simone Young conducts Tomislav Muzek in music by Mozart and Szymanowski.

Performance Dates: Jan. 10-12, 2025

Jaime Martín collaborates with Jennifer France and Emma Bell for Brett Dean and Rachmaninoff.

Performance Dates: Jan. 25-26, 2025

David Afkham conducts a program of music by Mendelssohn, Schönberg, and Shostakovich.

Performance Dates: Jan. 31-Feb. 2, 2025

Joshua Weilerstein and Saioa Hernández lead a performance of music by Manuel Martínez Burgos, Richard Strauss, and Johannes Brahms.

Performance Dates: Feb. 21-23, 2025

Cornelius Meister conducts music by Raquel García-Tomás, Rachmaninoff, and Mahler. Alexandra Dovgan and Vera-Lotte Boecker are the soloists.

Performance Dates: March 7-9, 2025

Jordi Bernàcer conducts Liszt, Brahms, and Pilar Jurado. Piotr Beczała is the soloist.

Performance Dates: May 9-11, 2025

David Afkham conducts Schumann’s Scenes from “Faust” with Jordan Shanahan, Alastair Miles, Nikola Hillebrand, David Steffens, Jeremy Ovenden, and Maite Beaumont.

Performance Dates: June 13-15, 2025

Ciclo Satélites

Carmen Gurriarán joins Trío Musicalis in music by György Kurtág, Robert Schumann, Peter Eötvös, and Ramón Paús.

Performance Date: Sept. 24, 2024

Delia Agúndez, Irene Badiola, Ariadna Martínez, Patricia González Arroyo, Vanessa García, Manuela Mesa, Marta Caamaño, Rafael Gálvez, and Jesús Campo perform Giuseppe Verdi, Philip Paul Bliss, Eva Ugalde, Agnes Zimmermann, Nathaniel Clifford Page, and Felix Mendelssohn.

Performance Date: Oct. 29, 2024

Miguel Ángel García Cañamero conducts the Coro Nacional de España in a program of music by Mattheus Pipelare, Claudio Monteverdi, and Carlo Gesualdo.

Performance Date: Nov. 5, 2024

Carmen Gurriarán, Agnieszka Grzywacz, Rosa de Segovia, Marta de Andrés, Pilar Pujol, Helia Martínez, Marta Bornaechea, Nuria Llopis, and Sofía Alegre perform a Christmas concert.

Performance Date: Dec. 3, 2024

Ariel Hernández performs works by Frédéric Duvernoy, Franz Schubert, Charles Auguste de Bériot, Hector Berlioz, Camille Saint-Säens, and Johannes Brahms. He is joined by Mario Pérez, Javier Bonet, and Alberto Rosado.

Performance Date: Jan. 21, 2025

The works of Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, Benjamin Britten, Lili Boulanger, Alfred Schnittke, and Bernat Vivancos make up a program performed by the Coro Nacional de España and Mireia Barrera.

Performance Date: Feb. 25, 2025

Margarita Rodríguez, Ane Matxain Mario Pérez, Alicia Salas, Josep Trescolí, Laura Asensio, Álvaro Octavi, Robert Silla, Eduardo Raimundo, Enrique Abargues, Pedro Jorge, Manuel Blanco, Jordi Navarro, and Joan Castelló perform Mahler’s works.

Performance Date: March 17, 2025

Carmen Gurriarán, Gloria Londoño, Marta Caamaño, Marta de Andrés, Ángel Rodríguez, Fernando Cobo, Joseba Carril, Jaime Carrasco, and Felipe López perform music by Arvo Pärt, Javier Busto, and Tomás Luis de Victoria.

Performance Date: April 28, 2025

The Coro Nacional de España and Esteban Urzelai perform music by Antonio José, Padre Donostia, and Pablo Sorozábal.

Performance Date: May 22, 2025

María Isabel González, Ana María Ramos, Fernando Aguilera, Jaime Carrasco, Hugo Abel Enrique-Cagnolo, and Sergio Espejo take on the music by e Matilde Salvador i Segarra, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Clara Schumann, and Saúl Aguado de Aza.

Performance Date: June 17, 2025

The post Saioa Hernández, Levy Sekgapane, Piotr Beczała & Ariel Hernández Lead Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de España’s 2024-25 Season appeared first on OperaWire.

Premieres 

Samuel Penderbayne’s “Wir pfeifen auf den Gurkenkönig” will be conducted by Thomas Barthel and Ann-Katrin Stöcker. Claudia Blersch directs the production which will star Liliana Nikiteanu, Sylwia Salamonska, Irène Friedli, Philipp Mayer, Stanislav Vorobyov, Valeriy Murga, Gary Martin, Martin Zysset, Carl Hieger, Christian Sturm, Indyana Schneider, Céline Akçağ, Sylwia Salamonska, and Rebeca Olvera.

Performance Dates: Sept. 15, 2025 – Feb. 5, 2025

Daniela Köhler and Brandon Jovanovich lead Strauss’ “Ariadne auf Naxos” with Martin Gantner, Ziyi Dai, Lauren Fagan, and Kurt Rydl. Andreas Homoki directs and Markus Poschner conducts.

Performance Dates: Sept. 22 – Oct. 22, 2024

Handel’s “Serse” will star Raffaele Pe, Christophe Dumaux, Noa Beinart, Anna El-Khashem, Miriam Kutrowatz, Miklos Sebestyén, and Gregory Feldmann. Enrico Onofri conducts and Nina Russi directs.

Performance Dates: Sept. 29 – Oct. 17, 2024

Alfred Schnittke’s “Leben mit einem Idioten” will be conducted by Jonathan Stockhammer and directed by Kirill Serebrennikov. Bo Skovhus, Susanne Elmark, Matthew Newlin, Magnus Piontek, Álvaro Diana Sanchez, and Birger Radde.

Performance Dates: Nov. 3 – Dec. 1, 2024

Jonathan Dove’s “In 80 Tagen um die Welt” will make its world premiere with Michael Richter conducting the production by Peter Lund.  The cast includes Rebeca Olvera, Alina Adamski, Indyana Schneider, Yajie Zhang, Andrew Owens, Christopher Willoughby, Felix Gygli, Nicholas Mogg, Ruben Drole, Andrew Moore, Flavia Stricker, Sylwia Salamonska, Irène Friedli, Liliana Nikiteanu, Christian Sturm, and Tomislav Jukic.

Performance Dates: Nov. 17, 2024 – Jan. 14, 2025

Gianandrea Noseda conducts a new production of Verdi’s “Un Ballo in Maschera” with Adele Thomas directing. Charles Castronovo, George Petean, Erika Grimaldi, Katharina Konradi, and Agnieszka Rehlis star.

Performance Dates: Dec. 8, 2024 – Jan. 19, 2025

Puccini’s “Manon Lescaut” will get a new production by Barrie Kosky. Marco Amiliato conducts a cast that includes Elena Stikhina, Saimir Pirgu, and Konstantin Shushakov. 

Performance Dates: Feb. 9 – March 22, 2025

Rossini’s “Il viaggio a Reims” will be conducted by Dominic Limburg. 

Performance Dates: Feb. 28 & March 2, 2025

Nahuel Di Pierro, Anna Bonitatibus, Christophe Dumaux, Lea Desandre, Jakub Józef Orliński, José Coca Loza, Hagen Matzeit, and Yannick Debus star in Handel’s “Agrippina.” Harry Bicket conducts the new production by Jetske Mijnssen.

Performance Dates: March 2 – 30, 2025

“Das grosse Feuer” by Beat Furrer will be conducted by Beat Furrer and directed by Tatjana Gürbaca. Leigh Melrose, Andrew Moore, Liliana Nikiteanu, Sarah Aristidou, Elina Viluma-Helling, Ruben Drole, Johanna Zimmer, Hugo Paulsson Stove, Matias Bocchio, Christoph Brunner, Cornelia Sonnleither, and Bernd Lambauer.

Performance Dates: March 23 – April 11, 2025

Korngold’s “Die tote Stadt” will be conducted by Lorenzo Viotti and directed by Dmitri Tcherniakov. The cast is headed by Eric Cutler, Vida Miknevičiūtė, Björn Bürger, Evelyn Herlitzius, and Rebeca Olvera.

Performance Dates: April 21 – June 1, 2025

Christian Gerhaher stars in Mendelssohn’s “Elias” with Julia Kleiter, Mauro Peter, and Wiebke Lehmkuhl. Gianandrea Noseda conducts the production by Andreas Homok.

Performance Dates: June 9 – July 6, 2025

Revivals 

Boris Pinkhasovich, Nina Minasyan, Piotr Buszewski, and Maxim Kuzmin-Karavaev star in Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor” which will be conducted by Leonardo Sini.

Performance Dates: Sept 20 – Oct. 26, 2024

Christian Gerhaher headlines Verdi’s “Simon Boccanegra” with Jennifer Rowley, Christof Fischesser, and Omer Kobiljak. Paolo Arrivabeni conducts.

Performance Dates: Sept. 27 – Oct. 25, 2024

Wagner’s “Der fliegende Holländer” will be conducted by Gianandrea Noseda and directed by Camilla Nylund, Liliana Nikiteanu, Tomasz Konieczny, Dimitry Ivashchenko, Marco Jentzsch, and Omer Kobiljak.

Performance Dates: Nov. 21 – Dec. 10 2024

Andrè Schuen, Elbenita Kajtazi, Andrew Moore, Nikola Hillebrand, and Kady Evanyshyn star in Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro” with Antonello Manacorda conducting.

Performance Dates: Dec. 15, 2024 – Jan. 2, 2025

Marina Rebeka stars in Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” with Judith Schmid, Tomislav Mužek, and Massimo Cavalletti. Marco Armiliato conducts.

Performance Dates: Dec. 22, 2024 – Jan. 4, 2025

Julie Fuchs, Stephen Costello, Nicolas Testé, and Svetlina Stoyanova star in Gounod’s “Romeo et Juliette” which will be conducted by Timur Zangiev.

Performance Dates: Dec. 31, 2024 – Jan. 26, 2025

Andrew Moore, Simon Neal, Eric Cutler, Jennifer Holloway, Christof Fischesser, Ziyi Dai, and Andrew Owens star in Beethoven’s “Fidelio.” Krzysztof Urbański conducts.

Performance Dates: Jan. 21 – Feb. 15, 2025

Ben Glassberg conducts Lehar’s “The Merry Widow” with Michael Kraus, Anastasiya Taratorkina, Michael Volle, Vida Miknevičiūtė, and Andrew Owens.

Performance Dates: March 4-26, 2025

Wagner’s “Lohengrin” will star Christof Fischesser, Piotr Beczała, Simone Schneider, Martin Gantner, Anna Smirnova, and Michael Kraus. Axel Kober conducts.

Performance Dates: April 13 – May 4, 2025

Liparit Avetisyan, Quinn Kelsey, Brenda Rae, Brent Michael Smith, and Elena Maximova star in Verdi’s “Rigoletto” with Andrea Sanguineti conducting.

Performance Dates: April 26 – May 15, 2025

“Jakob Lenz” will star Yannick Debus and Maximilian Lawrie and will be conducted by Adrian Kelly.

Performance Dates: May 6 – 16, 2025

Pietro Spagnoli, Florian Sempey, Konstantin Shushakov, Andrew Owens, and Olga Peretyatko star in Donizetti’s “Don Pasquale.” Iván López-Reynoso conducts.

Performance Dates: May 18 – June 3, 2025

Simone Young conducts Strauss’ “Salome” with John Daszak, Michaela Schuster, Elena Stikhina, Kostas Smoriginas, and Omer Kobiljak.

Performance Dates: May 29 – June 15, 2025

Saimir Pirgu headlines Offenbach’s “Les Contes d’Hoffmann” with Marina Viotti, Katrina Galka, Adriana Gonzalez, Lauren Fagan, Maria Stella Maurizi, and Andrew Foster-Williams. Antonino Fogliani conducts.

Performance Dates: June 28 – July 12, 2025

Krystian Adam, Mirco Palazzi, and Mark Milhofer star in Monteverdi’s “L’Orfeo” with Ottavio Dantone conducting.

Performance Dates: May 17 – July 11, 2025

Concerts 

Riccardo Minasi conducts a program of music by Telemann and Bach with Carolyn Sampson, Philipp Mahrenholz, and Balázs Nemes.

Performance Dates: Dec. 16, 2024

Gianandrea Noseda conducts Hanna-Elisabeth Müller in Strauss.

The company will present a Benefit concert for the International Opera Studio with the participation of Cecilia Bartoli and conducted by Gianluca Capuano. 

Performance Dates: June 15, 2025

Fabio Luisi conducts a gala concert with Camilla Nylund and Klaus Florian Vogt.

Performance Dates: July 5 & 10, 2025

The Galakonzert Internationales Opernstudio will be conducted by Adrian Kelly.

Performance Dates: July 7, 2025

The post Brandon Jovanovich, Elena Stikhina, Anna Bonitatibus & Christian Gerhaher Lead Opernhaus Zürich’s 2024-25 Season appeared first on OperaWire.

Premieres

Arrigo Boito’s “Mefistofele” is conducted by Andrea Battistoni and directed by Eva-Maria Höckmayr. The production will star Krzysztof Bączyk, Bekhzod Davronov, Marjukka Tepponen, and Martina Gedeck.

Performance Dates: Sept. 28-Oct. 24, 2024

Richard Strauss’s “Intermezzo” will be conducted by Patrick Hahn and directed by Axel Ranisch. The cast will include Maria Bengtsson, Christoph Pohl, Ute Selbig, James Ley, and Jürgen Müller.

Performance Dates: Nov. 1-Dec. 9, 2024

Sergej Prokofjew’s “The Love for Three Oranges” will be directed by Evgeny Titov and conducted by Erik Nielsen. The cast will include Georg Zeppenfeld, Mauro Peter, Nadezhda Karyazina, Aaron Pegram, and Flurina Stucki.

Performance Dates: Dec. 7, 2024-Jan. 3, 2025

Pedro Beriso & Mart van Berckel’s “Ändere die Welt!” is conducted by Pedro Beriso and directed by Mart van Berckel. Magdalena Lucjan, Fernanda Allande, Anton Beliaev, Vladyslav Buyalskiy, and Amara van der Elst star.

Performance Dates: Dec. 19-Jan. 7, 2025

Maurice Ravel’s “Das Kind und der Zauberspuk” will star Nicole Chirka, Michal Doron, Magdalena Lucjan, and Jasmin Delfs. Elias Grandy conducts the production by James Bonas.

Performance Dates: Feb. 16-March 19, 2025

Kaija Saariaho’s “Innocence” is conducted by Maxime Pascal and directed by Lorenzo Fioroni. Paula Murrihy, Rosalia Cid, Anu Komsi, Mario Lerchenberger, and Markus Butter star in the production.

Performance Dates: March 15-April 11, 2025

Tuuli Takala, Oleksandr Pushniak, Liparit Avetisyan, Valerie Eickhoff, Danylo Matviienko, and Georg Zeppenfeld star in Gound’s “Roméo et Juliette.” Robert Jindra conducts the production Barbara Wysocka.

Performance Dates: May 3-June 8, 2025

David Butt Philip, Erin Morley, Tichina Vaughn, and Christoph Pohl star in Leonard Bernstein’s “Candide.” Karen Kamensek conducts.

Performance Dates: May 11-18, 2025

Florian Boesch, Jake Arditti, Jasmin Delfs, Mary Bevan, and James Ley star in Georg Friedrich Händel’s “Saul.” The production will be directed by Claus Guth and conducted by  Leo Hussain.

Performance Dates: June 1-July 2, 2025

Leonard Evers’ “humanoid” will be conducted by Chloé Dufresne and directed by Lars Marcel Braun. Sofia Savenko, Dominika Škrabalová, Johannes Wieners, Jongwoo Hong, Gerrit Illenberger, and Andreas Scheibner.

Performance Dates: June 13-25, 2025

Repertoire 

Axel Kober conducts Wagner’s “Der fliegende Holländer“ with a cast that includes Michael Volle, Jennifer Holloway, Georg Zeppenfeld, Christa Mayer, Tomislav Mužek, and Mario Lerchenberger.

Performance Dates: August 29-Sept. 20, 2024

Anton Rositskiy, Ante Jerkunica, Jérôme Boutillier, Tilmann Rönnebeck, Aaron Pegram, Vladyslav Buyalskiy, Jürgen Müller, Matthias Henneberg, Tuuli Takala, Štěpánka Pučálková, and Anton Beliaev star in Berlioz’s “Benvenuto Cellini.” Giampaolo Bisanti conducts.

Performance Dates: August 30-Sept. 29, 2024

Christoph Pohl, Danylo Matviienko, Julia Kleiter, Elena Gorshunova, Anna El-Khashem, Elsa Benoit, Michael Nagl, and Cecilia Molinari star in Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro.” Riccardo Minasi and Andrés Orozco-Estrada conduct. 

Performance Dates: Sept. 3, 2024-March 29, 2025

Daniele Squeo conducts Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” with Jonah Hoskins, Misha Kiria, Valerie Eickhoff, Joshua Hopkins, and Aleksei Kulagin.

Performance Dates: Sept. 4-21, 2024

Three casts will be showcased in the revival of Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte” with Georg Zeppenfeld, Dimitry Ivashchenko, Tilmann Rönnebeck, Julia Sitkovetsky, Maria Perlt-Gärtner, Maria Perlt-Gärtner, Victoria Randem, Tuuli Takala, Heidi Stober, James Ley, Magnus Dietrich, Michael Nagl, Danylo Matviienko, Timothy Oliver, Aaron Pegram, Markus Marquardt, Sofia Savenko, Martin-Jan Nijhof, and Magdalena Lucjan. Gaetano d’Espinosa, Katharina Müllner, and Giulio Cilona conduct. 

Performance Dates: Sept. 6, 2024-June 6, 2025

“Drei miese, fiese Kerle” will star Larissa Wäspy, Christiane Hossfeld, Sarah Alexandra Hudarew, Doğukan Kuran, and Daniel Pastewski. David Preil conducts. 

Performance Dates: Sept. 7-19, 2024

Gregory Kunde and Najmiddin Mavlyanov star in Verdi’s “Otello” alongside Alexey Markov and Polina Pastirchak. Timur Zangiev conducts.

Performance Dates: Oct. 2-19, 2024

Martin Gerke, Franziska Schuster, Christian Venzke, Bettina Weichert, and Til Ormeloh star in “Woyzeck.“ Max Renne conducts.

Performance Dates: Oct. 2-15, 2024

David Afkam conducts Beethoven’s “Fidelio” with a cast that includes David Butt Philip, Markus Marquardt, Marlis Petersen, Jasmin Delfs, Georg Zeppenfeld, Mario Lerchenberger, and Neven Crnić.

Performance Dates: Oct. 3-26, 2024

Puccini’s “La bohème” will star Marjukka Tepponen, Tuuli Takala, Elbenita Kajtazi, Slávka Zámečníková, Rosalia Cid, Tomislav Mužek, Bekhzod Davronov, Long Long , Navasard Hakobyan, Danylo Matviienko, Gerrit Illenberger, Aleksei Kulagin, Alexander Kopeczi, Anton Beliaev, and Alexandros Stavrakakis. Stefano Ranzani, and Antonello Allemandi conduct.

Performance Dates: Oct. 20, 2024-June 27, 2025

Amanda Majeski stars in Strauss’ “Salome” with Markus Marquardt, Mario Lerchenberger, and Evelyn Herlitzius. Juraj Valčuha conducts.

Performance Dates: Nov. 2-10, 2024

Tuuli Takala and Emily Pogorelc star in Verdi’s “La Traviata” with Piotr Buszewski, Bekhzod Davronov, James Rutherford, and Christoph Pohl. Gaetano d’Espinosa and Marta Gardolińska alternate at the podium. 

Performance Dates: Nov. 9, 2024-Jan. 25, 2025

Humperdinck’s “Hänsel und Gretel” returns for the Holidays with two casts. The opera will star Nicole Chirka, Valerie Eickhoff, Andrea Carroll, Christina Gansch, Markus Marquardt, Oleksandr Pushniak, Christa Mayer, and Evelyn Herlitzius. John Fiore conducts. 

Performance Dates: Dec. 10-26, 2024

J. Strauss’ “Die Fledermaus“ will be star Christoph Pohl, Flurina Stucki, Mario Lerchenberger, Josy Santos, Jasmin Delfs, and Rafael Fingerlos. Marcus Merkel conducts. 

Performance Dates: Dec. 31, 2024-Jan. 17, 2025

“The Toxic Avenger” will be conducted by Alexander Hoetzinger and will star Lukas Witzel, Lara Hofmann, and Anna Overbeck.

Performance Dates: Jan. 16-30, 2025

Georg Fritzsch conducts Weber’s “Der Freischütz” with Markus Butter, Tilmann Rönnebeck, Golda Schultz, Mirjam Mesak, Ante Jerkunica, and Maximilian Schmitt.

Performance Dates: Feb. 15-28, 2025

Marjukka Tepponen, Christa Mayer, Tomislav Mužek, and Neven Crnić star Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly.” Paolo Arrivabeni conducts.

Performance Dates: Feb. 22-March 16, 2025

Pavol Breslik takes on the title role of Wagner’s “Lohengrin” with Georg Zeppenfeld, Johanni van Oostrum, Markus Marquardt, Anja Kampe, and Birger Radde. Sebastian Weigle conducts. 

Performance Dates: March 30-April 6, 2025

Maria Agresta, Joseph Calleja, and Erwin Schrott star in Puccini’s “Tosca” with Marco Armiliato conducting.

Performance Dates: April 5-May 1, 2025

Pretty Yende stars in Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor” with Bekhzod Davronov, Neven Crnić, and Peter Kellner. Roberto Rizzi Brignoli conducts

Performance Dates: April 20-May 8, 2025

Alejo Pérez conducts Puccini’s “Turandot” with a cast that includes Elisabeth Teige, Aleksei Kulagin, Yonghoon Lee, and Elbenita Kajtazi.

Performance Dates: June 7-22, 2025

Oksana Lyniv conducts Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin” with Sabine Brohm, Marjukka Tepponen, Nicole Chirka, Thomas Atkins, Danylo Matviienko, and Tareq Nazmi.

Performance Dates: July 3-11, 2025

The post Erin Morley, David Butt Philip, Pretty Yende, Maria Agresta & Maria Bengtsson Lead Semperoper Dresden’s 2024-25 Season appeared first on OperaWire.

The company said, “the Festival management is extremely pleased that Tomislav Mužek was prepared at very short notice to take over the role of Erik from Andreas Schager, who in turn is standing in for the ill Joseph Calleja in the title role of the new production Parsifal. Many thanks to both singers and welcome back Tomislav Mužek!”

Mužek made his Bayreuth debut in 2003 as the Der Steuermann in “Der Fliegende Holländer.” With the festival, he has performed in productions of “Lohengrin” and “Parsifal. ” He has also performed the role of Erik four times with the company in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2018.

Mužek joins a cast that includes Georg Zeppenfeld, Elisabeth Teige, Nadine Weissmann, Attilio Glaser, and Michael Volle. Oksana Lyniv conducts the production by Dmitri Tcherniakov. 

“Der Fliegende Holländer” opens on August 1 and runs through August 18, 2023.

The post Bayreuth Festival Announces Cast Change for ‘Der Fliegende Holländer’ appeared first on OperaWire.

Opera

Cristina Pasaroiu sings the title role of Dvorak’s “Rusalka” with Tomislav Mužek, Irina Stopina, and Wojtek Smilek. Domingo Hindoyan conducts the production by Olivier Deloeuil and Jean-Philippe Clarac.

Performance Dates: Nov. 8-12, 2023

Louise Foor, Jonah Hoskins, Florian Sempey, and Matthieu Lécroart star in Bizet’s “Les pêcheurs de perles.” Pierre Dumoussaud conducts the production by Yoshi Oïda.

Performance Dates: Jan. 20-26, 2024

Puccini’s “La Boheme” will star Svetlana Lachina, Arturo Chacón-Cruz, Thomas Dolié, Timothée Varon, Goderdzi Janelidze, and Francesca Pia Vitale.

Performance Dates: April 18-28, 2024

Bernstein’s “West Side Story” is set to star Jason Webster, Melanie Sierra, Kyra Sorce, Taylor Harley, and Antonio Sanchez. Lonny Price directs the production.

Performance Dates: Feb. 9-18, 2024

Lucie Leguay conducts “The Carmen Case” with Alexandra Lacroix directing. Anne-Lise Polchlopek, François Rougier, Alban Legos-Le Moine, and Angèle Chemin star.

Performance Date: Jan. 25, 2024

The company will present “La Traviata Revisited.”

Performance Dates: Feb. 3 & 4, 2024

Fabien Hyon, Lauranne Oliva, Adrien Fournaison, Louise Pingeot, Olivier Gourdy, Charlie Guillemin, and Anne-Sophie Petit star in “Un Petite Flûte.” Joël Soichez conducts the production by Julie Depardieu.

Performance Dates: June 7 & 9, 2024

Great Voices 

Sonya Yoncheva performs works by Giuseppe Verdi, Paolo Tosti, Giuseppe Martucci, Giacomo Puccini, Henri Duparc, Léo Delibes, Gaetano Donizetti, and Ernest Chausson alongside Malcolm Martineau.

Performance Date: Nov. 7, 2023

Jakub Józef Orliński will join forces with Il Pomo d’Oro.

Performance Date: Nov. 14, 2023

Emmanuel Villaume conducts Pene Pati in Italian arias. The concert also includes Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 4. 

Performance Date: March 14, 2024

Pretty Yende and Vanessa Garcia Diepa perform music by Gioachino Rossini, Vincenzo Bellini, Charles Gounod, Francesco Paolo Tosti, and Franz Liszt.

Performance Date: March 23, 2024

Gemma New conducts Natalie Dessay in Mozart arias. The program also includes Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4.

Performance Date: May 30, 2024

Concerts 

Joseph Swensen leads Christiane Libor and Christian Elsner in excerpts from Wagner’s Ring Cycle.

Performance Date: April 4, 2024

Chorus

Salvatore Caputo conducts Dvorak’s Stabat Mater.

Performance Dates: Oct. 23, 2023

Salvatore Caputo conducts Verdi’s Requiem.

Performance Date: Dec. 1, 2023

Salvatore Caputo conducts an Offenbach Christmas.

Performance Date: Dec. 23, 2023

Salvatore Caputo conducts Faure with soloists Amandine Portelli and Maria Luisa Macellaro La Franca.

Performance Date: Feb. 20, 2024

The chorus is set to present John Rutter’s Requiem and Edward Elgar’s Sonata.

Performance Date: May 31, 2024

Raphaël Pichon conducts Mozart’s Requiem with Ying Fang, Beth Taylor, Laurence Kilsby, and Alex Rosen.

Performance Date: Oct. 15, 2023

Raphaël Pichon conducts Bach’s Mass in B Minor with Ying Fang, Beth Taylor, Lucile Richardot, Emiliano Gonzalez-Toro, and Christian Immler.

Performance Date: April 2, 2024

The post Sonya Yoncheva, Arturo Chacón-Cruz, Natalie Dessay & Ying Fang Lead Opéra National de Bordeaux’s 2023-24 Season appeared first on OperaWire.

Opera

Maria Agresta, Saioa Hernández, and Maria Pia Piscitelli star in Cherubini’s “Medea“ alongside Nancy Fabiola Herrera, Silvia Tro Santafé, Jongmin Park, Alexander Vinogradov, Sara Blanch, Marina Monzó, Enea Scala, and Francesco Demuro. Ivor Bolton conducts the production by Paco Azorín.

Performance Dates: Sept. 19-Oct. 4, 2023

María Luisa Manchado Torres’ “La Regenta” will be performed in a new production by Bárbara Lluch. The work will star María Miro, David Oller, Vicenç Esteve, Cristian Díaz, Pablo García-López, María-Rey Joly, Anna Gomá, Laura Vila, and Gabriel Díaz. Jordi Francés conducts.

Performance Dates: Oct. 24-29, 2023

Elīna Garanča sings the title role of “Luisa Fernanda.” She is joined by María José Moreno, Ismael Jordi, and José Antonio López. Karel Mark Chichon conducts.

Performance Date: Oct. 25, 2023

Christophe Dumaux, Gabriel Díaz, Anna Prohaska, Francesca Lombardi Mazzulli,  Anthony Roth Costanzo, Giulia Semenzato, and Florian Boesch star in Handel’s “Orlando.” Ivor Bolton and Francesc Prat conduct the production by Claus Guth.

Performance Dates: Oct. 31-Nov. 12, 2023

Haydn’s “Orlando Paladino” will star Emőke Baráth, Renato Dolcini, Alasdair Kent, Krystian Adam, Silvia Frigato, Josh Lovell, and Núria Rial.

Performance Date: Nov. 1, 2023

Łukasz Borowicz conducts Moniuszko’s “Halka” with Corinne Winters, Piotr Beczala, Maxim Kuzmin-Karavaev, Tomasz Kumiega, Tomasz Konieczny, Olga Syniakova, and Javier Povedano.

Performance Date: Nov. 9-11, 2023 

Nicola Luisotti and Christoph Koncz conduct Verdi’s “Rigoletto” in a new production by Miguel del Arco. Javier Camarena, Xabier Anduaga, John Osborn, Ludovic Tézier, Étienne Dupuis, Quinn Kelsey, Adela Zaharia, Julie Fuchs, Ruth Iniesta, Andrea Mastroni, Peixin Chen, Marina Viotti, Ramona Zaharia, and Martina Belli.

Performance Dates: Dec. 2, 2023-Jan.2, 2024

Monteverdi’s “Il Ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria” will be conducted by Emiliano González Toro and will star David Hansen, Nicolas Brooymans, Lysa Menu, Emoke Baráth, Fleur Barron, Alix Le Saux, Mathilde Etienne, Álvaro Zambrano, Christian Immler, Juan Sancho, Emiliano González Toro, Nicholas Scott, Fulvio Bettini, Zachary Wilder, and Anders Dahlin.

Performance Date: Dec. 4, 2023

Strauss’ “Die Fledermaus” will star Huw Montague Rendall, Jacquelyn Stucker, Marina Viotti, Magnus Dietrich, Leon Košavić, Krešimir Špicer, and Alina Wunderlin. Marc Minkowski conducts.

Performance Date: Dec. 9, 2023

Albert Reiman’s “Lear” will make its Teatro Real premiere with Asher Fish conducting a production by Calixto Bieito. Bo Skovhus leads the cast that includes Torben Jürgens, Derek Welton, Michael Colvin, Kor-Jan Dusseljee, Lauri Vasar, Andrew Watts, Andreas Conrad, Ángeles Blancas, Erika Sunnegårdh, Susanne Elmark, and Ernst Alisch.

Performance Dates: Jan 26-Feb. 7, 2024

Cavalieri’s “Rappresentatione di Anima, et di Corpo” will star Stefanie True, Raffaele Giordani, Massimo Lombardi, André Pérez Muíño, Jan Kullmann, Roberto Rilievi, Guglielmo Buonsanti, Estelle Lefort, Hugo Oliveira, and Zsuzsi Tóth.

Performance Dates: Jan. 27, 2024

Joyce DiDonato, Fatma Said, and Andrew Staples lead Purcell’s “Dido and Aeneas” with Maxim Emelyanychev conducting.

Performance Date: Feb. 4, 2024

Schoenberg’s “Pierrot Lunaire” will star Xavier Sabata with  Jordi Francès conducting. 

Weinberg’s “The Passengers” will star Amanda Majeski, Gyula Orendt, Anna Gorbachyova, Lidia Vinyes-Curtis, Marta Fontanals-Simmons, and Nadezhda Karyazina. Mirga Gražinytè-Tyla conducts the production by David Pountney.

Performance Dates: March 1-24, 2024

Poulenc’s “La voix humaine” and Schoenberg’s “Erwartung” will be performed in a double bill. Ermonela Jaho will star in Poulenc’s work while Malin Byström will star in Schoenberg’s work. Jérémie Rhorer conducts the production by Christof Loy.

Performance Dates: March 17-28, 2024

Gaëlle Arquez, Julien Behr, Thomas Dolié, and Sabine Devieilhe star in Bizet’s “Carmen” with René Jacobs conducting.

Performance Date: March 27, 2024

Wagner’s “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg” will be conducted by Pablo Heras-Casado with Laurent Pelly directing. The cast will include Gerald Finley, Jong Min Park, Leigh Melrose, Tomislav Mužek, Sebastian Kohlhepp, Nicole Chevalier, and Anna Lapkovskaja.

Performance Dates: April 24-May 25, 2024

Tomás Marco’s “Tenorio” makes its world premiere with a cast that includes Joan Martín-Royo, Juan Franciso Gatell, Adriana Gónzalez, Juan Antonio Sanabria, Cristina Faus, and Sandra Ferrández. Santiago Serrate conducts the production by Agrupación Señor Serrano.

Performance Dates: May 13-19, 2024

Caccini’s “La liberazione di Ruggiero” will star Vivica Genaux, Lidia Vinyes-Curtis, Jone Martínez, Sebastià Peris, and Francisco Fernández-Rueda. Aarón Zapico conducts the prodiction by Blanca Li.

Performance Dates: June 4-9, 2024

Charpentier’s “Medea” will be conducted by William Christie and will star Véronique Gens, Emmanuelle de Negri, Reinoud van Mechelen, Lisandro Abadie, Cyril Costanzo, Marc Mauillon, Ana Vieira Leitem, and Élodie Fonnard.

Performance Dates: June 6-10, 2024

Saioa Hernández, Alexandra Kurzak, Ailyn Pérez, and Lianna Haroutounian share the title role of Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly.” They will be joined by Silvia Beltrami, Nino Surguladze, Gemma Coma-Alabert, Matthew Polenzani, Charles Castronovo, Michael Fabiano, Leonardo Capalbo, Lucas Meachem, Gabriel Bermúdez, Gerardo Bullón, and Luis Cansino. Nicola Luisotti and Luis Miguel Méndez conduct the production by Damiano Michieletto.

Performance Dates: June 30-July 24, 2024

Concerts 

Franco Fagioli performs music by Mozart and Castrati with Jan Tomas Adamus conducting.

Performance Date: Nov. 7, 2023 

Riccardo Frizza leads Sondra Radvanovsky in “The Tudor Queens” concert.

Performance Date: Jan. 6, 2024

Lise Davidsen sings music by Verdi, Beethoven, Strauss, and Wagner with José Miguel Pérez-Sierra.

Performance Date: Jan. 7, 2024

Nadine Sierra and Pretty Yende join forces for a program of music by Rossini, Donizetti, Bellini, Verdi, Délibes, Offenbach, and Giménez. Pablo Mielgo conducts.

Performance Date: April 25, 2024

Nina Stemme performs a Wagner program with Gustavo Gimeno.

Performance Date: May 26, 2024

The post Saioa Hernández, Piotr Beczala, Joyce DiDonato & Ailyn Pérez Lead Teatro Real’s 2023-24 Season appeared first on OperaWire.

Premieres 

Puccini’s “Turandot” is set to star Elisabeth Teige, Aleksei Kulagin, Yonghoon Lee, and Elbenita Kajtazi. Ivan Repušić conducts the new production by Marie-Eve Signeyrole.

Performance Dates: Oct. 7-Nov. 25, 2023

Mary Plazas, Katerina von Bennigsen, Peter Tantsits, and Andrew Nolen lead Thomas Ades’ “Powder Her Face.” Tim Anderson conducts the production by Georg Schmiedleitner.

Performance Dates: Oct. 20-28, 2023

Maxim Mironov, Roberto De Candia, Cecilia Molinari, Andrei Zhilikhovsky, and Taras Shtonda star in Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia.” The opera will also include Marco Filippo Romano, Lilly Jørstad, and Emmett O’Hanlon. Evelino Pidò conducts.

Performance Dates: Nov. 10, 2023-Jan. 2, 2024

“Blues Brothers” is set to star David Whitley, Vanessa Weiskopf, Gerald Hupach, and Bettina Weichert. Max Renne conducts.

Performance Dates: June 28-July 7, 2024

Elbenita Kajtazi, Katerina von Bennigsen, Tomislav Mužek, and Sebastian Wartig star in Puccini’s “La Bohème.” The opera will also star Ofeliya Pogosyan, Alexey Markov, Katerina von Bennigsen, and Nikola Hillebrand. Srba Dinić and Stefano Ranzani conduct.

Performance Dates: Sept. 1, 2023-May 3, 2024

Marina Viotti headlines Rossini’s “La Cenerentola” with Levy Sekgapane, Peter Kálmán, and Edward Nelson. Alessandro De Marchi conducts.

Performance Dates: Sept. 7-15, 2023

Offenbach’s “Les Contes d’Hoffmann” is set star Enea Scala, Štěpánka Pučálková, Hrachuhí Bassénz, Anna Hofmann, Magdalena Anna Hofmann and Egils Silins.

Performance Dates: Oct. 31-Nov. 16, 2023

Daniel Harding conducts Weber’s “Der Freischütz” with  Sebastian Wartig, Tilmann Rönnebeck, Jacquelyn Wagner, Nikola Hillebrand, Georg Zeppenfeld, and Tomislav Mužek.

Performance Dates: Sept. 21-Oct. 3, 2023

In time for the New Year, the company will present “Die Fledermaus” with Jürgen Müller, Hulkar Sabirova, Galeano Salas, Štěpánka Pučálková, and Alice Rossi. Georg Fritzsch conducts.

Performance Dates: Dec. 27, 2023-Jan. 13, 2024

Korngold’s “Die tote Stadt” will star Klaus Florian Vogt, Elena Guseva, Christoph Pohl, Michal Doron, and Jürgen Müller. Dmitri Jurowski conducts. 

Performance Dates: Dec. 15, 2023-Jan. 3, 2024

Tuuli Takala, Khanyiso Gwenxane, Sebastian Wartig, and Markus Marquardt star in Donzietti’s “L’Elisir d’Amore.” Gaetano d’Espinosa conducts.

Performance Dates: Oct. 20-Nov. 7, 2023

Humperdinck’s “Hansel and Gretel” will star Nicole Chirka, Nikola Hillebrand, Štěpánka Pučálková, and Katerina von Bennigsen.

Performance Dates: Nov. 24-Dec. 26, 2023

Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods” is set to star Arnold Beckert, Aaron Pegram, Bettina Weichert, Sarah Maria Sun, Elke Kottmair, Ricardo Frenzel Baudisch, Lawson Anderson, and Markus Störk.

Performance Dates: March 15-31, 2024

Christoph Pohl, Elena Gorshunova, Nikola Hillebrand, Michael Nagl, and Cecilia Molinari star in Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro.” The opera will star Johannes Kammler, Julia Kleiter, Katerina von Bennigsen, Martin-Jan Nijhof, Anna Stéphany, Sebastian Wartig, Tuuli Takala, and Lawson Anderson. Gaetano d’Espinosa, Georg Fritzsch, and Johannes Fritzsch conduct.

Performance Dates: Sept. 8, 2023-June 1, 2024

Rolando Villazón, Alice Rossi, Štěpánka Pučálková, Georg Bochow, Ute Selbig, Tilmann Rönnebeck, and Simeon Esper star in Monteverdi’s “L’Orfeo.” Wolfgang Katschner conducts.

Performance Dates: May 26-June 6, 2024

Verdi’s “Otello” will star Gregory Kunde, Aleksei Isaev, and Hrachuhí Bassénz. Ivan Repušić conducts.

Performance Dates: May 5-17, 2024

Tchaikovsky’s “Pique Dame” will star Sergey Polyakov, John Lundgren, Christoph Pohl, Vida Miknevičiūtė, and Michal Doron. Mikhail Tatarnikov conducts. 

Performance Dates: Sept. 29-Nov. 19, 2023

Georg Zeppenfeld, Emily Pogorelc, and Maxim Mironov star in Bellini’s “La Sonnambula.” Antonello Allemandi conducts. 

Performance Dates: Oct. 13-26, 2023

“The Toxic Avenger” is set to star Lukas Witzel, Lara Hofmann, Anna Overbeck, Maren Somberg, Timo Dentler, and Okarina Peter. Alexander Hoetzinger conducts.

Performance Dates: Nov. 4-11, 2023

Elbenita Kajtazi, Nina Minasyan, Liparit Avetisyan, and Alexey Markov star in Verdi’s “La Traviata.” Stefano Ranzani conducts.

Performance Dates: Jan. 20-Feb. 17, 2024

Klaus Florian Vogt, Camilla Nylund, Georg Zeppenfeld, Martin Gantner, Christa Mayer, and Sebastian Wartig star in Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde” with Christian Thielemann conducting.

Performance Dates: Jan. 21-Feb. 3, 2024

Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte” will star artists of the Semperoper Dresden.

Performance Dates: Sept. 2, 2023-June 16, 2024 

Recitals 

The Semperoper Ball will be presented.

Performance Date: Feb. 23, 2024

Christiane Karg and Gerold Huber perform in recital.

Performance Date: March 31, 2024

Semper Matinee & Soiree will perform.

Performance Dates: Oct. 5, 2023-April 21, 2024

The post Camilla Nylund, Amanda Majeski & Lise Lindstrom Lead Semperoper Dresden’s 2023-24 Season appeared first on OperaWire.