(Credit: Cory Weaver) Some people might be looking for a hero in these days of pandemic, especially locked down at home. Throughout the month of March, San Francisco Opera (SFO) is offering one such hero: the Virtual Ring Festival. You read that right: a “hero” in the form of a quest. It is the quest to retrieve a stolen golden {…}
(Photo: Anna Cillan) Coming back for more Haymarket performances, after the astonishing “Acis and Galatea” presented this late autumn, was both exciting and a little jittery. The concept of Haymarket season as announced was very integral. The audience would be presented with three filmed performances of Handel’s operas, produced in collaboration with Resolution Studios, in a set designed by Zuleyka {…}
(Credit: Laurie Sparham) In every theatre there is a “ghost light.” It is a single lamp that shines in the middle of the stage when a theatre is deserted. In London, these lights have been doing their duty for longer than most had hoped. The ghost light is there to keep performers and technicians safe when the theatre is in {…}
“Wide Slumber for Lepidopterists” was produced by VaVaVoom Theatre and Bedroom Community and was premiered in May 2014, at the 28th edition of Reykjavik Arts Festival. PROTOTYPE’s annual festival debuted the digital US premiere this year and has reopened conversations about this work and its contemporary significance in the opera world. “This is a song cycle, a collection of songs {…}
“I’m not ill, I’m nervous.” — George III in Sir Peter Maxwell Davies’ monodrama Coming to Bavarian State Opera was always a special event. I consider this theater to be the only one that never fell short of my expectations. And it’s not a surprise that I chose to review a performance from there during these busy weeks when the {…}
Innovation and extraordinary contemporary production which is vital to the continuation of opera-theatre and music-theatre works is at the core of this year’s annual PROTOTYPE Festival. Both international and local new works presented online at this time give audience members across the globe a chance to experience multimedia and interdisciplinary art that challenges perspectives and invites audience members to listen {…}
(Photo: Hugh O’Conor) With the closure of the theatres, opera companies have turned to streaming their productions. However, with all the goodwill in the world, they tend to fall into the category of second-hand, second-rate experiences. In fact, many would argue that watching an opera on the screen in the comfort of your own home does not work at all. {…}
Lockdown has meant more people than ever consuming opera through streams, broadcasts, and archive videos, often from leading houses. It has proved a mixed experience for many. The spectacle of opera, and its broad-brush gestures, can feel boxy on the small screen; so too can its emotional climaxes feel oddly overblown out of a theatrical context. There have been innovative {…}
The Bayerische Staatsoper showcased “La Boheme” as part of its Montagsstücke series. Asher Fisch led the Bayerischen Staatsöper Orchestra and a starry cast that included tenor Jonas Kaufmann as Rodolfo and soprano Rachel Willis-Sorensen as Mimì. The outcome was a performance that came to life on screen and renewed the spirit of opera lovers during a time of lockdown and {…}
I’ll be honest. I frankly turned my back to classical productions being streamed lately, and listened to some exceptional pieces just to keep abreast with what’s happening in the industry. Sometimes, they were beautiful voices. Sometimes it was about an unusual approach. Or maybe another would have a special not-to-miss status. But there were always entire layers of problems — {…}
With Christmas approaching, more and more opera companies — big and small, having no alternative in view, have come to accept the online space as their new address. But still, this new home seems alien and risky. There’s so much to be afraid of, to avoid, to make mistakes with. Streams remain uncharted lands for the opera artists and video {…}