Andrea Battistoni has been appointed the Music Director of the Teatro Regio di Torino.

The conductor will begin his tenure on Jan. 1, 2025, and will join for an initial two seasons.

In his first term, Battistoni will conduct at least two productions per season and several concerts. He will interpret operas from the Italian repertoire, standard works, and rarely performed ones.

His first date with the company as Music Director will be “Andrea Chénier” with Gregory Kunde, Maria Agresta, and Franco Vassallo.

In a statement about his new position, Battistoni said, “I am deeply honored and thrilled to have been asked to fill the role of Musical Director of the Teatro Regio in Turin. It is a privilege and a great responsibility for me to be able to contribute to the history of one of the most prestigious musical institutions on an international level. I warmly thank Superintendent Jouvin and Artistic Director Sandri for the trust placed in me. I will do my utmost to honor this nomination, with a spirit of service and dedication towards the artistic workers who are a priceless heritage of talent and professionalism and which the whole world envies us. Together, we will try to build a path that increasingly highlights their precious and extraordinary qualities in order to offer the Turin and international public an increasingly rich and engaging artistic experience.”

Superintendent Mathieu Jouvin added, “The appointment of Andrea Battistoni as Musical Director of the Teatro Regio represents a fundamental step in the relaunch process undertaken over two years ago, with the aim of bringing our Theater back to the artistic level it deserves: the most high. We are proud to welcome such a young and already extraordinarily established artist, whose talent and musical vision will enrich our artistic proposal and strengthen the role of the Regio as a point of reference in the international opera scene. Andrea’s constant willingness to bring classical music closer to an increasingly wider audience, making it accessible and engaging, reflects a fundamental objective for the direction of the Theatre. It is precisely this harmony of intent that made the choice of Andrea Battistoni as the new Musical Director natural and convinced and I am sure that, together, we will be able to build an exciting path for our audience and for the Theater itself.”

Battistoni was born in Verona and has conducted at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Sydney Opera, Royal Opera House, Teatro Regio di Parma, Teatro Carlo Felice, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, and Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège.

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Sometimes one has the impression that anniversaries are used to rationalize our infatuation with the music of an already popular composer. Such is the case this year when opera houses around the globe are commemorating the centenary of Puccini, the most performed opera composer after Verdi and Mozart. The Opéra de Monte-Carlo is no exception and in her third season as the company’s Director, Cecilia Bartoli programmed concert versions of “La Rondine” (whose premiere was given at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo in 1917) and “Tosca,” as well as a staged version of “La Bohème,” and a gala concert “Viva Puccini!” featuring tenor Jonas Kaufmann.

Nov. 17th in Monte-Carlo was the final stop on Kaufmann’s “Viva Puccini!” tour, which took him to Freiburg, Vienna, Mannheim, Frankfurt, Dortmund, Paris, and Munich. The tour follows Kaufmann’s two recording projects for Sony Classical devoted to Puccini’s music: “The Puccini Album (2015),” and most recently “Puccini: Love Affairs (2024).” 

The touring program was a synthesis of the two recordings. The two solo arias were from “Tosca:” Cavaradossi’s “Recondita armonia” and “E lucevan le stelle.” The remainder of the sung numbers were duets featured on the more recent album: Rodolfo and Mimi’s “O soave fanciulla” from “La Bohème,” Pinkerton and Butterfly’s “Viene la sera” from “Madama Butterfly,” and Manon and des Grieux’s “Tu, tu, amore tu” from “Manon Lescaut.” On Kaufmann’s Love Affairs disc, these duos are recorded with Pretty Yende, Maria Agresta, and Anna Netrebko, but on the Viva Puccini! tour, Kaufmann was joined by the Italian soprano Valeria Sepe.

A Commanding Vocal Performance from Kaufmann

Kaufmann sang flawlessly, with extraordinary breath support and tonal projection. Although this was a concert performance, he effectively used a minimum of gestures to act his role, thus aiding the audience to imagine the dramatic situation of each aria or duo. His voice easily sailed over the large orchestra, although he had more difficulty doing so in the second half of the concert—which may have been more a result of conductor Marco Armiliato’s reluctance to reign in the musicians of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo. Perhaps the only criticism one could make is that he sometimes came across as being too controlled, and rarely gave the impression of taking spontaneous risks.

There were many highlights in Kaufmann’s interpretations, beginning with the stunningly beautiful diminuendo al niente on the final note of “Recondita armonia.” Also memorable was the intensity of his soft legato singing in “E lucevan le stelle,” particularly on the held note on the word “disciogliea.” [I untied] His judicious use of portamento (sliding between intervals) added a heightened sense of passion to his duet singing. The beauty of his low and medium registers was more impressive than his high register, but the only moment when the latter appeared strained was on the final notes, sung offstage, in the duo “O soave fanciulla” from “La Bohème.”

Sepe sang beautifully, with careful attention to the sweep of long phrases. Her registers were well-matched, and she ascended to high notes with ease. Sharing the stage with Kaufmann is not easy, as his artistic personality is so dominant and his command of softer dynamic ranges is incomparable. Nevertheless, the audience responded warmly to each of Sepe’s contributions.

Armiliato and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo had several opportunities to shine, not incidentally allowing Kaufmann and Sepe to rest their voices. The intermezzi from “Madama Butterfly” and “Manon Lescaut” were particularly effective. Principal clarinetist Marie-B Barrière-Bilote was outstanding in her expressive solo introducing “E lucevan le stelle.”

Five Encores

The full house in the Grimaldi Forum enthusiastically demanded five encores from the singers. Kaufmann went first, delivering a “Ch’ella mi creda” from “La fanciulla del West.” The next two were from “Turandot:” Sepe sang “Signore, ascolta!” followed by Kaufmann’s “Non piangere, Liù.” Sepe then gave what was perhaps her most effective performance of the concert in “O mio babbino caro” from Gianni Schicchi. Kaufmann finished the evening on a triumphant note with “Nessun dorma,” a moment long-awaited by the audience.

The post Opéra de Monte-Carlo 2024 Review: Viva Puccini! appeared first on OperaWire.

The company said that soprano Maria Agresta has withdrawn from her debut in the role of Donna Leonora in “La Forza del Destino’, as she does not yet feel ready to take it on. As a result, soprano Anna Pirozzi will perform the role on performances on Nov. 9, 12, 15, and 18, 2024.

Pirozzi has performed the opera at the Paris Opera, Teatro Municipale of Piacenza, and Teatro Comunale of Modena. She is known for her interpretations of dramatic soprano roles from Verdi and Puccini.

The soprano is set to join a cast that includes Artur Ruciński, Brian Jagde, Caterina Piva, John Relyea, and Pietro Spagnoli. Nicola Luisotti conducts the production by Jean-Claude Auvray. There is another cast that will be led by Saioa Hernández, Amartuvshin Enkhbat, Francesco Pio Galasso, Szilvia Vörös, Giacomo Prestia, and Luis Cansino.

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The Gran Teatre del Liceu has announced a cast change for its production of “La Forza del Destino.”

The company said that Pietro Spagnoli will sing the role of Fra Melitone taking over for Gabriele Viviani, who must exit the production due to medical reasons.

Spagnoli has performed the role at the Opera de Las Palmas and at the Sempoper Dresden. The Italian singer is known for his comic interpretations of Rossini, Donizetti, and Mozart. He has performed at the Wiener Staatsoper, Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera House, Teatro Real de Madrid, and Gran Teatre del Liceu.

Spagnoli is set to join a cast that includes Maria Agresta, Artur Ruciński, Brian Jagde, Caterina Piva, and John Relyea. Nicola Luisotti conducts the production by Jean-Claude Auvray.

“La Forza del Destino” opens Nov. 9 and runs through Nov. 19, 2024. The opera will also star Saioa Hernandez and Francesco Pio Galasso in a second cast.

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And I’m back to report on the second cast for the Teatro Real de Madrid’s “Adriana Lecouvreur.” You can check my thoughts on Cast A here.

The Italian soprano Maria Agresta performed the titular role, Adriana. Her voice has developed into a pure lyric soprano, as a result of incorporating heavy roles in later years. She began her career singing “Norma,” “I Puritani,” and “La Traviata.” Her voice has gained power and her timbre has darkened, but she sang the role with her resources without pushing the voice to make it sound bigger or more dramatic. This role is usually sung by lyrico-spinto sopranos. Nevertheless, she showed her bel canto past in the pianissimi and diminuendo that she delivered in her entrance aria “Io son l’umile appena” which she sang with tender emotion. But Adriana’s role is written in the middle register, and Agresta’s middle section of her voice has become big and steady. Therefore she sounded really comfortable in the role and could focus on her acting and interpretation. She had no trouble with her spoken monologue in act three. It is not easy for opera singers to speak and sing during the same opera as it could change the position and emission of the voice, putting the singing at risk. Her performance was very dramatic, and switching to singing strongly and menacing for “che mai debba arrossir” to concluded the act with the spoken line “Chiedo in bontà di ritirarmi.” Her last act was full of sorrow and regret, beginning with her sense of abandonment. Her symptoms of being poisoned were very convincing, offering a moving dying scene which concludes in the arms of the tenor. She gave a performance of her fourth act aria, “Poveri Fiori,” full of pathos and depth.

The American tenor Matthew Polenzani performed the lover, Maurizio. He has been expanding his repertoire in later years by introducing Puccini and Verdi roles, after a long career of singing Mozart and bel canto. The problem is that his voice hasn’t developed to confront this kind of repertoire and therefore his volume is limited and his timbre too light. His first entrance, “Adriana!”, with the orchestra in a big fortissimo climax was inaudible, but Cilea’s orchestration is not heavy in general, and that saved his performance. His entrance aria, “La dolcissima effigie,” paid attention to every dynamic, singing in a whispering mezza-voce during lines like “Bella tu sei.” The problem is that his mezza-voce has a white quality, and it reminds one too much of his bel canto past, sounding more like Mozart. He continued singing beautiful mezza voce lines and diminuendo in his duet with Adriana, and it was noticeable that he was more comfortable singing light than when he had to sustain high notes in forte. His short second act aria, “L’anima stanca,” followed the same standards. He was obviously wonderfully comfortable in his top range and therefore the high B flats of the second act duet with Adriana sounded secure and sustained. This role is very well written for the tenor voice as the tessitura raises gradually from the first act where the highest notes are A flats, to the big, exposed B natural during the third act. But high notes are not a problem for Polenzani. He is clever enough to sing without pushing the sound or giving too much air pressure, making the voice sound more dramatic.

Spanish baritone Manel Esteve as Michonnet made an ardent interpretation of his first brief intervention, “Eccoci soli alfin!”, showing his steady vibrato, correct projection, and even timbre. His interpretation of his aria:” Ecco il monologo…” was very emotional, making big contrasts between the forte and pianissimi sections. He sang with beautiful lyricism the long expansive lines and proved the richness of his voice with a wide palette of colors. The rest of his interventions are mostly in ensemble, and therefore his part is dramatically important. He supports and helps Adriana during the whole fourth act, but his singing role is quite short.

Ksenia Dudnikova was the Princess of Bouillon. She has a powerful dark voice, with a marked vibrato and strong chest voice. Unfortunately her high range proved to be unstable and strained, the high G in “misura” showed signs of tension as her high A in “non mente” turned out to be plain and flat. But the vocal writing of the role is mostly central and low, and she offered a strong dramatic personification of Adriana’s nemesis.

Josep Fadó was incredible in the secondary supporting role Abate with a strong projected voice and a detailed characterization of his role, full of mannerism.

The post Teatro Real 2024-25 Review: Adriana Lecouvreur (Cast B) appeared first on OperaWire.

The 25-year-old Italian mezzo-soprano Emma Alessi Innocenti is still at the stage in her career in which she is attempting to establish herself as a known singer within the industry. Of course, at such a young age, she has had relatively few opportunities to perform in fully staged operas. But by sheer chance, OperaWire has reviewed a number of them and, in each case, was very impressed by her performances.

The first occasion was at Vicenza in Lirica’s production of Vivaldi’s “L’Olimpiade” in 2020, when Innocenti was a mere 21-years-old, yet it was her interpretation of Megacle that made her standout among the relatively inexperienced cast, with an expressive and intense performance. It was a more mature Innocenti that appeared in Händel’s cantata “Aci, Galatea e Polifemo” in 2023, in which she was cast in the role of Galatea, with OperaWire drawing attention to “the detail and subtlety with which she is able to furnish the vocal line” and describing the quality of expression as “breathtaking”.

As OperaWire was reviewing Luciano Chailly’s opera, “Procedura Penale” in Spoleto this summer, in which Innocenti was appearing, it seemed a good opportunity to find out more about this up-and-coming young singer.

OperaWire: What made you want to become an opera singer?

Emma Alessi Innocenti: What I find most interesting about singing, is that it gives you the opportunity to be someone else, someone completely different from yourself. This is what I really love about theatre, but I also love singing, so opera is the perfect combination. I believe that the act of singing is one of the most beautiful things a human being is able to do.

OW: What was your pathway into opera?

EAI: I was fascinated by theatre and singing from a young age. However, I didn’t come from a musical family, which had both positive and negative consequences. On the one hand, there was no pressure from my family, but I am very aware that coming from a musical family can have many advantages, even down to choosing the right place to study. I was fortunate that I came from a very supportive family, and they helped me a lot in making the right decisions.

I was born and still live in Florence. As I enjoyed singing, my parents enrolled me in a children’s choir when I was five or six-years-old. I was very lucky because the school provided the children’s choir for the Maggio Musicale, where I sang in “Carmen”, “Tosca” and other operas. It was a really beautiful experience because I had the opportunity to enjoy the theater and appear on stage at an early age, but with the innocence of a child.

I went to a high school that specialized in music, where I studied piano, which has been really useful for my musical education. When I played the piano, I used to get nervous, but when I’m singing, I don’t get nervous at all, even when I am under considerable pressure. I have always found it natural and comfortable, maybe it’s because of the experience I gained at a very young age.

After high school, I had singing lessons at the ‘Luigi Cherubini’ Conservatory in Florence, where I graduated in 2022. Then I spent a year doing concerts, competitions and small roles before I started attending an advanced course in voice at the Santa Cecilia Academy in Rome with Sara Mingardo. She is an excellent teacher. She is very encouraging and very precise, but can be severe; however, it is in a nice way as she wants you to become the best version of yourself. She’s always very positive.

OW: How would you describe your voice?

EAI: I like to think I have a very expressive voice that I can use to interpret the music. In my first years of studying, I used to have a lot of difficulty with my high notes, but I worked a lot on them and now it’s not a problem. My vocal range is quite wide; I can reach from a low G to high C fairly easily.

I think I have an agile voice, and although I sing passages of coloratura, I have to work on them; they’re not always easy, especially if I have not sung any coloratura for a while.

I don’t have a particularly big voice, but for my repertoire, which is mainly the baroque, Mozart and contemporary music, it is suitable. But it is probably too small for the late romantic repertoire. I will never sing Verdi, that is for sure.

OW: You are currently taking part in a training program offered by the Teatro Lirico Sperimentale in Spoleto. What does this involve, and how useful have you found it?

EAI: The Teatro Lirico Sperimentale of Spoleto provides one of the most prestigious advanced training courses for young opera singers in Italy. Many great Italian artists have started their careers there, such as Franco Corelli, Giuseppe Di Stefano, Renato Bruson, Anna Moffo, Anita Cerquetti, Leo Nucci, Mariella Devia, Maria Agresta, Eleonora Buratto, Daniela Barcellona, Sonia Ganassi, Roberto De Candia, Bruno De Simone and Riccardo Zanellato. I earned a place on the course after winning first prize in the 2024 “A. Belli” Competition.

All the winners are invited to move to Spoleto for five months from the end of April until October during a two-year period. In my case, this was for the years 2024 and 2025. So far, I have found the experience really useful for me. It provides a perfect balance between musical education and professional activity. During the first three months, I attended several masterclasses with great artists and teachers, such as Marina Comparato, Carmela Remigio, Nicola Ulivieri, Marco Boemi and Raffaele Cortesi. Moreover, we had daily lessons with piano accompanists, studying our repertoire and opera roles for the following season. The last two months were dedicated solely to the opera productions and concerts planned by the Sperimentale. I am playing the roles of Paola in the modern opera “Procedura penale” by L. Chailly and Eurilla in the baroque intermezzo “Eurilla e Beltramme” by D. Sarro.

It has been a very enriching experience; I have learned so much!

OW: What is the story of “Procedura Penale”, and what role are you playing?

EAI: A group of friends meet for an afternoon tea in the home of the Countess Mauritia Delormes. They all appear to be very close. Suddenly, however, the situation changes, and they accuse the countess of committing a murder. It is not a joke; they mean it, and she is forced to defend herself. The dining room becomes a courtroom. In the end, everything returns to normal, and they continue drinking their tea and eating their cake.

My character’s name is Paola. She is one of the countess’ friends.

OW: What challenges did you experience in bringing Paola to the stage?

EAI: My character is cruel, but she doesn’t appear to be on the surface. This is difficult to portray because even when she is drinking tea and chatting with her friends at the beginning of the opera, she is cruel, and I have to be able to show this while appearing to be friendly. I have to show that she is a false person and her relationship as a friend is false.

It is not a particularly difficult role to sing, but it is a modern work, so you have to keep an eye on rhythm and intonation. The role was originally written for contralto, but I have to say I feel comfortable singing the role. One reason is that the orchestra below the singing parts is not heavy, and so I don’t feel overwhelmed by it.

OW: How do you assess your performance?

EAI: I think I did a good job, especially in terms of character rendering. The role of Paola is not very demanding from a vocal perspective. What was hard for me was to convey to the audience the subtle cruelty of her character, especially as it is set against comedy episodes of the Theatre of the Absurd set-up.

The stage director, Bongiovanni, did a great job. He helped us a lot, insisting that all the singers paid attention to every single gesture and facial expression. Paola is also an overweight woman, so it has been interesting for me to deal with different body shapes, in which I have to step into someone else’s body!

OW: What have been the biggest challenges in your career so far?

EAI: I would say discovering my own boundaries, my own limitations, and then getting other people to understand and accept them.

Also, I know my repertoire is not as popular as say Puccini and Verdi, especially in Italy, so it is difficult for singers with voices like mine, such to find opportunities to perform.

OW: What are your goals for the next few years?

EAI: Obviously, to have more opportunities to sing in operas. I want to become established so that I can live and work with singing. Although I am not particularly interested in competitions, maybe over the next couple of years I will take part in more, which will help me in becoming better known if I’m successful in them. I think that this will be the best method for establishing myself as the theaters don’t seem to provide opportunities to unknown singers.

OW: If this interview were taking place 10 years in the future, what would you hope you would be saying about your career?

EAI: Maybe it sounds banal, but I would like to be saying that I have been appearing in beautiful opera productions with great conductors and stage directors at the best opera houses and festivals in Europe and around the world, such as the Salzburg Festival and Early Music Festival in Innsbruck.

The post Q & A: Mezzo-Soprano Emma Alessi Innocenti Talks About The Teatro Sperimentale & Her Role In ‘Procedura Penale’ appeared first on OperaWire.

Jonas Kaufmann – its titular singer – represents the main selling point. The German tenor is his usual self, both suave and nonchalant, albeit constrained vocally to some unusual huskiness, and a propensity to use the voix mixte instead of his signature muscular sound. Unfortunately, his prolonged efforts do not hold their own, as his multiple partners fail to raise the proverbial heat above lukewarm temperatures at the very best. His “Love Affairs,” if anything, are a tepid postlude, rather than an eruptive celebration of Puccini’s romantic genius.

An Affair à Six

The title alludes to Puccini’s many infidelities which have repeatedly put his marital relationship to the test: from the uncovered liaison with the mysterious Cori – nicknamed “La Torinese” – to his tragically, and unjustly presumed affair with the young housekeeper, Doria Manfredi. Each has, to some extent, reverberated in his operas, and the relationships between tenor and soprano in particular.

More prosaically, the album reprises the template of Roberto Alagna and Aleksandra Kurzak’s “Puccini in Love” (2018; also on Sony Classical). But Kaufmann, not content with just one duetting partner, took it upon himself to engage six of the world’s leading sopranos for a different role each. The results, far from being fortuitous, appear mixed: Netrebko is a very matronly Manon Lescaut whose frivolity barely translates to anything more than a pastosely layered emission, particularly in the lower register. Similarly, Sonya Yoncheva’s Tosca remains strangely nondescript, and Maria Agresta – as Butterfly – does not nearly display the urgency Angela Gheorghiu so eloquently conjured in EMI’s 2008 recording of the complete opera (opposite Kaufmann, as well). By far the most idiosyncratic are both excerpts from “La Fanciulla del West,” brought to life by Malin Byström’s intrinsic vulnerability, and endless compassion clad in a steely timbre (not unlike Mara Zampieri), and intelligent phrasing.

“The Boy of the Golden West”

Johnson is also Kaufmann’s best role, as it significantly deviates from the Puccinian youthfulness ascribed to the composer’s earlier operas. He relies on a certain playfulness, liberties perhaps in phrasing the lines which one would not typically expect from an Italianate tenor. The distribution of accents, for instance, in the ariose “Quello che tacete”, or the performative and suave “Avrei voluto salire… nella vostra capanna” are discretionary concessions to a more logocentric, if not Wagnerian, approach.

For obvious reasons, this proves less effective in the triad of “La Bohème,” “Tosca,” and “Madama Butterfly,” where the vocal limits are less easily camouflaged. In “O soave fanciulla” (with the alluring Pretty Yende) Kaufmann resorts to a slightly odd voix mixte on the culminating “amore;” conversely, the high C in “Che gelida manina” rings freely, albeit with considerably less luminosity than in “Romantic arias” from 2008.

As Cavaradossi, he generously spins the legato from “s’affisa intero” to the beautifully transitioned “occhio all’amor soave.” Yet the vocal profile does not match the painter’s hot-blooded exuberance, and while flawless otherwise the singing’s gently toned-down character feels suspiciously disengaged. Part of the malaise stems from the recording conditions: Asher Fish’s orchestra was taped separately from the singers, making every attempt to achieve deeper levels of dramatic syntony a painfully taxing enterprise. It is best in the quasi-symphonic backdrop of “Madama Butterfly,” where the Israeli conductor effectively dwells on chromatic variability.

A Marketing Affair

Not unexpectedly perhaps, Kaufmann’s compilatory love affairs do not match the artistic craftsmanship of his earlier publications, notably his 2015 monograph (with Antonio Pappano). Gone is the seductiveness with which Kristine Opolais appeased his intemperate Des Grieux; gone is also the roundness, let alone the spontaneity of his Rodolfo. Instead, there is a tendency away from the mellifluous towards the slightly choppier, if not mannered, enunciatory style of the dramatic heavyweights, Johnson and “Il Tabarro’s” Luigi in particular.

It suits him well, and despite Kaufmann’s recent health concerns, “Puccini: Love Affairs” is a powerful reminder of his enduring vocal charisma, and ability to draw its very limited set of antiheroes in finely shaded chiaroscuro. But overall, it is not enough to evince the lingering suspicion that market conditions have yet again taken precedence over the quality of execution – after all, the centenary does not just represent a cultural opportunity, but also a monetary one.

The post CD Review: Jonas Kaufmann’s ‘Puccini: Love Affairs’ appeared first on OperaWire.

This week audiences will get to hear one of the great tenors of his generation alongside some of the greatest sopranos in one album dedicated to Puccini. There are also world premiere recordings of new works and one debut album. Here is a look.

Robeson

In a statement, Tines said, “This album is my most personal artistic statement to date. I’ve endeavored to compare and contrast my journey as an artist with that of my artistic ancestor and hero, Paul Robeson, the unparalleled singer, actor, and activist. Standing on his beliefs of egality for the disenfranchised led to governmental and public attacks that almost ended his life. This album is the fever dream of the universal journey to battle internal and external persecution in order to find one’s self and decide what you need to say the most now that you’ve survived.”

Bach: Arias for Alto

Zoltán Daragó makes his long-awaited album debut showcasing the countertenor in 11 arias from well-known and lesser-known cantatas by Johann Sebastian Bach. Les Talens Lyriques and Christophe Rousset are featured on the album.

The post Jonas Kaufmann, Anna Netrebko, Davóne Tines, Sonya Yoncheva & Zoltán Daragó Lead New CD/DVD Releases appeared first on OperaWire.

The Gran Teatre del Liceu has announced a cast change for its production of Verdi’s “La Forza del Destino.”

The company said, “Mezzo-soprano Caterina Piva will sing the role of Preziosilla in ‘La Forza del Destino,’ replacing Vasilisa Berzhanskaya, who has reached an agreement with the Liceu to leave the production.”

Piva will sing the performances on Nov. 9, 12, 15, and 18, 2024. The mezzo has performed at the Teatro alla Scala, Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Salzburg Festival, Royal Opera House in Muscat, Teatro di San Carlo, Festival Verdi di Parma, and Teatro Carlo Felice di Genova.

Piva joins a cast that includes Alejandro López, Maria Agresta, Artur Ruciński, Brian Jagde, John Relya, Gabriele Viviani, and Moisés Marín. “La Forza del Destino” opens on Nov. 9 and will run through Nov. 19, 2024 with a second cast headlined by Saioa Hernández and Francesco Pio Galasso.

The post Gran Teatre del Liceu Announces Cast Change for ‘La Forza del Destino’ appeared first on OperaWire.

(Update: While in Verona, I unfortunately started experiencing cold like symptoms which turned into a rather awful flu. This forced me to reschedule my performance in Bratislava and cancel my performance in Hollywood. As you can imagine, this is a great disappointment, and I always feel badly letting down my fans. By resting this week, I look forward to a full recovery and to my concert at the Musikverein in Wien on the 21st of September.)

Jonas Kaufmann has canceled his participation in a concert at the Hollywood Bowl on Sept. 12, 2024.

The concert organizer said, “Please note that Jonas Kaufmann, who was previously scheduled to perform, has withdrawn from his LA Phil engagement due to an illness.”

The news comes after the tenor postponed his concert with the Slovak Philharmonic on Sept. 8, 2024.

As a result, Diana Damrau will perform alongside Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Philharmonic in works by Lehár, Lincke, and more. The program has also been updated to include arias by Mozart from “Le Nozze di Figaro” and “Don Giovanni.”

Kaufmann is set to return to the stage at the end of September at the Musikverein. He is also set to celebrate Puccini with his “Viva Puccini” tour alongside Maria Agresta. Kaufmann will also open the Teatro alla Scala in “La Forza del Destino” with Anna Netrebko and Ludovic Tézier.

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