 News: San Francisco Opera announces the 2010-11 Season, including Placido Domingo, Karita Mattila and the complete Ring While in the middle of an exciting season with Nicola Luisotti as new music director, the San Francisco Opera has just announced its 2010-11 season, revealing an equally exciting series of operas and events. Ten productions will be on the War Memorial... more> |
 News: BBC Music Magazine Announces Public Voting for its 2010 Awards The BBC Music Magazine Awards are now in their fifth year, and they have become firmly established as a reliable benchmark of mainstream classical repertoire assessment. These particular awards are one of the few opportunities the public have to take active part in the deciding of major classical prizes. The... more> |
 Concert News: The LSO and the Barbican announce details of their forthcoming seasons Valery Gergiev continues his (generally) acclaimed tour through Russian repertoire with a number of concerts featuring major works by Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich, and Rodion Shchedrin. His Mahler cycle continues alike. Highlights include Shchedrin's Carmen Suite and Pianos ... more> |
 Feature: Concerts Review of 2009 - the highlights of the past twelve months Despite
the ongoing global financial crisis, the past year has seen a strong
showing from all of London's major concert halls, with the
resurgent LPO, Philharmonia and BBC SO having
particularly strong years. Smaller and newer venues such as Café
Oto, the Warehouse... more> |
 News: The Rosenblatt Recital at St John's Smith Square present an exciting 2009-10 season Shining as ever, the 2009-10 season of the Rosenblatt Recitals opens on 23 September at St. John's Smith Square. Many are the reasons that make of this venue an superb place for music, and the main one is certainly the excellency of the artists involved in the recital series. First... more> |
 Concert News: Simon Rattle looks to new directions in London and Baden-Baden When some months ago the entire future of the Easter Festival by the Berlin Philharmonic, traditionally held in Salzburg, was for technical reasons in jeopardy, Sir Simon Rattle and the Management of the orchestra approached Dr. Andreas Molich-Zebhauser, Intendant of the Festspielhaus in Baden-Baden... more> |
 Top Story: Christmas Preview It's coming on Christmas - a time of year when music plays a particular part of society's events - so why not take yourself to a concert? The problem is, it's also the time of year when musical fakes tend to creep out of the woodwork. Orchestras that nobody's ever heard of give concerts of so-called 'light classics'... more> |
 Review: November at the Baden-Baden Festspielhaus There are many reasons why one would like to spend one's retirement in Baden Baden, this attractive, cultured Spa-town, without sprawling industrial suburbs, beautifully nestled in the foothills of the Black Forest, and where a waitress never fails to ask if you enjoyed your cup of coffee. There is one that the writer considers... more> |
 Top Story: Previewing major events during November 2009 We take a look at the exciting events we're going to review this month, including Tchaikovsky's Tsarina's Slippers at Covent Garden, Handel's Messiah, Stravinsky's Rite of Spring and Bartok's Bluebeard at ENO, Otello in San Francisco, Semele at the Royal Academy, and the BBC's tribute... more> |
 Preview: The Eighth Oxford Lieder Festival Within less than a decade, Oxford Lieder has become one of the most important promoters of song in the UK, and the Eighth Oxford Lieder Festival, which runs from 16 to 31 October, looks set to build on the success of previous years in considerable style. As fans of the festival have come to expect, the event offers an exciting mixture of... more> |
 Feature: October Preview Already opened is Bizet's Carmen at the Royal Opera House, with by far its most stellar pairing to date: Roberto Alagna is Don Jose to Elina Garanca's Carmen. Bertrand de Billy conducts Francesca Zambello's colourful production. Also at Covent Garden this month is the annual Meet the Young Artists Week, which is now firmly set as a highlight... more> |
 Opera News: Glyndebourne announces its 76th Season Fresh from the success of its seventy-fifth birthday celebrations, Glyndebourne Festival Opera has announced next summer's season, which is scarcely less exciting. Two new productions and four revivals form the skeleton of the festival in 2010, which is notable for the company's first-ever production of Britten's... more> |
 Preview: A look ahead at September's opera and concerts The Royal Opera's new season got underway last night, and in spite of the credit crunch there's an impressive line-up for most of the rest of the year. This month alone sees a revival of Don Carlo with Jonas Kaufmann stepping into Rolando Villazon's shoes, and a new production of Wagner's Tristan und Isolde conducted... more> |
 Opera News: Dawn French returns to the Royal Opera's La fille du regiment The Royal Opera has just announced updates to the casts of various productions for the coming season – and amongst them is the return of British comedienne Dawn French. She'll appear in the revival of Donizetti's La fille du regiment, in which she appeared when the production was first unveiled... more> |
 News: Berlin Philharmoniker and Sir Simon Rattle go on US Tour The long-awaited Berliner Philharmoniker tour is about to start. Thousands of music lovers in the US will have the chance to attend concerts featuring one of the most prestigious orchestras in the world lead by Sir Simon Rattle. The Berlin orchestra will perform ten concerts in six North American cities. The opening night will see them... more> |
 News: New York Met announces free Open Houses After the success of the previous years, the New York Met has announced the fourth season of an exceptional initiative: free Open Houses, a scheme that will allow thousands of people to attend the final dress rehearsals of several productions in one of the most prestigious opera houses in the world. First opera to feature in this project is Luc Bondy's new... more> |
| News: Berlin Philharmoniker and Sir Simon Rattle go on US Tour The long-awaited Berliner Philharmoniker tour is about to start. Thousands of music lovers in the US will have the chance to attend concerts featuring one of the most prestigious orchestras in the world lead by Sir Simon Rattle. The Berlin orchestra will perform ten concerts in six North American cities. The opening night will see them... more> |
News: New York Met announces free Open Houses After the success of the previous years, the New York Met has announced the fourth season of an exceptional initiative: free Open Houses, a scheme that will allow thousands of people to attend the final dress rehearsals of several productions in one of the most prestigious opera houses in the world. First opera to feature in this project is Luc Bondy's new... more> |
 Feature News: Dame Kiri Te Kanawa brings her Marschallin back to life The Dame's operatic silence seems to have come to an end. Kiri Te Kanawa, one of the most beloved opera stars of the last forty years, has confirmed in a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times that she will appear at the New York Met and Oper Köln in 2010, finally marking her return to the opera stage after six years of absence. After her... more> |
 Opera
News: Sarah Connolly's first Maria Stuarda, Alice Coote in Werther
and a Dove premiere for Opera North in 2009-10 There can be no doubt that the Opera North's newly
announced operatic season is one of the most elegantly balanced
programmes around. The music features has not only been handpicked, but
also positioned very expertly in the overall design of the season... more> |
 Obituary: Sir Edward Downes Legendary conductor Sir Edward Downes, CBE, and his wife Joan ended their lives at the assisted suicide clinic Dignitas in Switzerland last Friday. Their son and daughter released a statement referring to their parents' painful physical condition: 'It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our parents Edward and Joan Downes on Friday 10 July. After 54 happy years together... more> |
 Opera News: Nelly Miricioiu and Angela Gheorghiu take over from Deborah Voigt in The Royal Opera's revival of Tosca with Bryn Terfel The Royal Opera has announced the withdrawal of Deborah Voigt from the high-profile revival of Tosca, opening on 9 July. The American soprano has cancelled all her appearances as the title role of the opera due to 'acute colitis'. In her stead... more> |
 Review of Reviews: Un Ballo's revival at the Royal Opera inspires both praise and criticism Political duties, private torments and supernatural undertones are only a few among the elements that intertwine in Verdi's powerful Un ballo in maschera. The latest Royal Opera revival of Mario Martone's 2005 staging opened on 26 June with Daniel Dooner acting as revival director. Despite the fact that... more> |
 Review of Reviews: A magic Barbiere conquers the critics Only a couple of weeks after a terrific high profile Traviata, the Royal Opera scored another success: the first revival of Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier's 2005 production of Il barbiere di Siviglia left both audience and critics breathless, and standing ovation in the theatre and five star reviews followed the opera's first night on 4 July.... more> |
 News:
Chelsea
Opera Group announces 2009-10 season The Chelsea Opera Group has
announced its three-opera programme for the forthcoming season,
confirming once again its commitment to the rediscovery of rarely
performed and yet unmissable works. The COG plans include concert
performances of Gluck's 1776 version of Alceste, Verdi's
La traviata and Rossini's Guillaume Tell.... more> |
 Review
of Reviews: Renee Fleming shines in the last ROH revival of La traviata
In the current season at the Royal Opera, rarely has
the critics' response been more in unison than for the latest revival
of Sir Richard Eyre's production of La traviata. With a
stellar cast featuring Joseph Calleja, Thomas Hampson, and a terrific
Renée Fleming, Verdi's masterpiece came to life .. more> |
 News:
Christophers and The Sixteen are named Classic FM Magazine's
Artist of the Year The Sixteen and their
conductor and founder Harry Christophers are the
subject of some thrilling piece of news in the year of their 30th
anniversary. Describing them as an 'Ace chamber choir in pursuit of
perfection in everything it does', Classic FM Magazine has
nominated.... more> |
 Review
of Reviews: Critical clashes over Loy's new Lulu at Covent
Garden Reactions to the Royal Opera House's latest production of
Berg's Lulu range from the enthusiasm of The Telegraph
and the Evening Standard (who gave the production a rating of
four stars), to the lukewarm three stars of The Times and Financial
Times, down to the bitter disappointment of The Guardian
and The Stage... more> |
 News:
The BBC Philharmonic announces 2009-10 season The BBC Philharmonic
Orchestra's 2009-10 season will be an extended and exciting celebration
of Gustav Mahler's 150th anniversary. The BBC Philharmonic opens and
closes the season with its Mahler tribute (16 January to 5 June) and
performs five of the symphonies, conducted by Gianandrea Noseda...
more> |
 Opera
News: The Royal Opera announces change of cast for Don Carlo The
Royal Opera has announced the withdrawal of Italian mezzo-soprano Sonia
Ganassi from the role of Princess Eboli in Don Carlo, opening
in the next season at Covent Garden on 15 September 2009. Ganassi
decided to cancel her engagement due to her pregnancy. The role will be
now interpreted... more> |
 Feature
Review: The Met Player experience I have spent the last few days
exploring the Met
Player, the new opera streaming facility offered to a worldwide
home computer audience by the Met, and very exciting it is too. You may
have seen a Metropolitan Opera production in a cinema near you over
recent months, and now the same experience is available over the
internet... more> |
 Review
of Reviews: Alden's Peter Grimes opens to great acclaim at
ENO Few operatic events are bound to gain as much press attention
as a new production of Britten's Peter Grimes. American
director David Alden's dark, nightmarish production
has elicited many of the the most passionately positive responses the
British press has seen in a long time. And while the superb... more> |
 Review
of Reviews: The ROH's L'elisir d'amore is revived Daniel Dooner's
revival of Laurent Pelly's 2007 production of L'Elisir d'Amore has
arrived on the stage of the Royal Opera House. Set in the sun-drenched
Italian countryside of the 1950s, this sweet, gently amusing production
did not quite succeed in charming the critics off their feet, although
it has undeniable assets... more> |
 Opera News:
Domingo returns twice in the Royal Opera's 2009-10 Season The Royal
Opera House has announced details of the resident companies' 2009-10
season at Covent Garden.New productions of Tristan und Isolde, Manon,
Tchaikovsky's The Slippers, Tamerlano, The Gambler and Aida provide
several of the highlights of the season. The stars lined up to appear
include... more> |
 Opera
News: Abbas Kiarostami is unable to attend his production
of Così fan tutte at ENO Abbas
Kiarostami, director of the forthcoming Così fan
tutte at ENO, will not be able to participate in the performances
of his production. This is due to complex issues related to his visa
application at the British Embassy in Tehran, Iran. Associate Director Elaine Tyler-Hall,
who worked with...
more> |
Opera
News: Sarah Connolly's first Maria Stuarda, Alice Coote in Werther
and a Dove premiere for Opera North in 2009-10 There can be no doubt that the Opera North's newly
announced operatic season is one of the most elegantly balanced
programmes around. The music features has not only been handpicked, but
also positioned very expertly in the overall design of the season... more> |
 Opera
News: Scottish Opera announces the 2009-10 season Scottish Opera
recently announced details of their forthcoming 2009/2010 season, and
it promises some fascinating collaborations, the continuation of
innovative schemes such as the Five:15 new works in progress endeavour,
and revivals of some classic shows from the company’s past.... more> |
 Review
of Reviews: Problematic responses to the LPO/Jurowski's
'Post-Soviet Tapestries' Concert It is not often
that a concert exclusively programming classical music written in the
past 30 years manages to elicit dramatically strong reactions in press
and audiences alike. Last Wednesday’s Post-Soviet Tapestries evening
with the LPO and Jurowsky, hosted by the Royal Festival Hall... more> |
 News: Paul
Moseley returns to Decca as part of label's reorganisation An
announcement by Michael Lang, President of the newly-formed Deutsche
Grammophon Decca (DGD), and Christopher Roberts, President of
Universal's (UMGI) Classics & Jazz, seems to allay some of the
widespread fears for the future of Decca, in particular, and its
recording activities. A press-release announces... more> |
 Review of Reviews: Critical
clashes over ENO's After Dido Theatre director Katie Mitchell’s latest experiment
inspired intriguing reflections on the British press. Her After
Dido, a multimedia re-elaboration of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas
co-produced by ENO and the Young Vic, received both utterly
enthusiastic and less positive reviews. Sam Marlowe of The Times is enthused by the lyrical effect of...
more> |
 Opera News: Netrebko and Villazon in Idomeneo
in Paris Opera's 09-10 Season The Opéra
National de Paris recently announced their 2009-2010 season,
with nine new productions across their two houses, some strong,
occasionally unexpected casting, and plenty of musical variety. They open in September with Gounod's Mireille at the Palais Garnier. Their use of the... more> |
 Opera News: ROH and BBC bring opera to
millions in the summer The summer brings spectacular news for
opera-lovers all over the world: the Royal Opera House and the BBC
announced a partnership which brings the work of the Royal Opera and
the Royal Ballet to millions of viewers and listeners. Covent
Garden productions will be available across many different digital
platforms... more> |
 Classical News: The Scottish Chamber
Orchestra and Royal Scottish National Orchestra announce their 2009-10
seasons It is going to be a rich season for two of the main
Scottish orchestras. In recent weeks, both the Scottish Chamber
Orchestra and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra have announced
details of their 2009-10 seasons. Mackerras will record Ariadne
auf Naxos... more> |
 Classical News: The BBC announces the
2009 Proms season Handel's Partenope, a tribute to the
MGM musicals, Bernard Haitink's 80th birthday,
Purcell's Fairy Queen, Gilbert and Sullivan's Patience,
a celebration of Cambridge University's 800th anniversary and a weekend
commemorating the 75th anniversary of the deaths of Elgar, Delius and
Holst are just a selection of the concerts on offer... more> |
 Review of
Reviews: How did Il trovatore fare with the critics? The latest revival of Il trovatore
directed by Elijah Moshinsky opened at Covent Garden
a few nights ago. Its critical reception was slightly controversial:
although it was in many ways a memorable event, it is interesting to
see the different perspectives of the first-night critics to highlight
some of the (often contrasting) positive and... more> |
 News: Southbank announces
details of Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra Residency
The moment has finally come for the return to London of one
of the world’s most acclaimed youth orchestras. After their celebrated
performance at the 2007 BBC Proms, Gustavo Dudamel
and his Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra will
be at the Southbank Centre for a five-day residency from today... more> |
 Feature Review: Haydn Rarity and
Wagner's Tannhäuser in a Week of Opera in Budapest Haydn's
last opera, composed in 1791 for the King's Theatre in London, was not
performed during Haydn's life. Indeed, the premiere did not take place
until 1951. Although the current Haydn year resulted in sporadic
performances of this opera in various parts of the world, few could
have had... more> |
 Broadcast Review: Handel's Messiah
hits the UK cinemas live from King's College Cambridge Once
again Picturehouse Cinemas has offered to the British
audience a jewel from the crown of classical music panorama. This time
the English tradition was to be celebrated: Handel's Messiah
was performed and broadcast live from King's College Chapel, Cambridge,
featuring the Academy... more> |
 Review
of Reviews: Critical perspectives on the ROH's baroque double bill Generally
positive and yet contrasting reviews have welcomed Covent Garden’s
latest production, a double bill including Purcell’s Dido and
Aeneas and Handel’s Acis and Galatea. This event has
also marked a rare collaboration between the Royal Opera and the Royal
Ballet, with Wayne McGregor creating...
more> |
Opera News: English National Opera
announces the 2009-10 season New productions of Turandot,
Tosca, The Elixir of Love, Handel's Messiah,
Katya Kabanova, Duke Bluebeard's Castle, The
Pearl Fishers, Idomeneo and Le Grand Macabre form
the backbone of a fresh 09-10 season for ENO,
announced at a press conference this morning. Revivals of Rigoletto,
The Turn of the Screw... more> |
 Classical
News: Archive Classics launched today April 3 is going to be a
memorable day for music-lovers and collectors of historical recordings.
Award-winning independent radio producers Classic Arts will launch Archive
Classics, the world's first podcast devoted to historical
recordings. The portal for this initiative is ww.archiveclassics.com.
Accessing this website, users...
more> |
 Preview:
Looking forward to Classical and Opera Events in April 2009 As
we head into April, the focus is on new announcements for London's
opera lovers. The next four weeks bring about the declaration of what English
National Opera (2 April) and the Royal Opera (22
April) will perform during the 2009-10 season, as well as the Proms (8
April). ENO's new season is expected...
more> |
 Recordings
News: The launch of Music Preserved LIVE An exciting new
development for anyone interested in historical performances comes in
the form of Music Preserved LIVE. The new label will be launched and
released exclusively on Chandos's The Classical Shop from mid-April and
will see never before released gems from a variety sources introduced
into the catalogue...
more> |
 Preview:
Looking forward to London's Opera and Classical events in March 2009 With
the Edinburgh Festival, Royal Opera, BBC Proms and English National
Opera all due to announce their forthcoming plans over the next few
weeks, it will be interesting to see how badly the economic crisis is
really affecting the arts, especially in light of The Metropolitan
Opera's well-publicised pruning...
more> |
 News:
Foyles to host early evening concerts in Gallery With the opening
of a new branch of MDC Music & Movies in the music department of
Foyles, the legendary Charing Cross Road bookshop and one of London's
few remaining independent classical music retailers have entered into
an exciting partnership. The bookshop's third floor now not only offers
sheet music and books
... more> |
 Opera News: New recording and
completion of Zaide in Classical Opera Company's future
plans Operatic rarities, exceptional recording projects and
insight events are on the programme of the Classical Opera
Company, one of the most interesting British groups, founded
in 1997 by conductor Ian Page. The Company’s
reputation has grown rapidly, and its artists are now widely... more> |
 Opera News:
Valery Gergiev brings the Mariinsky Ring to Covent Garden The
Royal Opera House is involved in what seems to be one of the most
exciting musical projects of the coming summer. From 29 July, the Mariinsky
Theatre (with producer Victor Hocchauser)
brings to London Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen, in a
production conceived by Valery Gergiev... more> |
 Review
of Reviews: Critical perspectives on Netrebko & Garanca in ROH's
Capuleti The praise is fairly unanimous for this latest
revival of Pier Luigi Pizzi's 1984 staging of
Bellini's I Capuleti e i Montecchi at the Royal Opera House.
More than mere set design, it was a couple of outstanding and amazingly
cast artists, Anna Netrebko and Elīna
Garanča, that made this production memorable,
together with...
more> |
 Classical
Preview: The 62nd Aldeburgh Festival Aldeburgh has a new Artistic
Director. After a decade at the helm of a music and arts festival that
seems constantly to be reinventing itself, Thomas Ades has
passed the baton to the French pianist, conductor and musical thinker Pierre-Laurent
Aimard. The 2009 Festival is the first that bears Aimards full
imprint, although continuity is assured by the...
more> |
 Review of
Reviews: Critical perspectives on Doctor Atomic at ENO
This week, John Adams's Doctor Atomic received its UK
premiere at the London Coliseum, in a new version co-produced by ENO
and the Metropolitan Opera. Originally directed by its librettist Peter
Sellars, this new production is directed by Penny Woolcock and designs
by Julian Crouch. As Rupert Christiansen... more> |
 News: Decca announce deaths of
Christopher Raeburn and James Lock Decca have released the sad
news of the death of Christopher Raeburn, one of the
greatest classical record producers in history, only a matter of days
after the death of one of his long-term colleagues, the legendary sound
engineer James Lock. Between them, the pair notched
up just under a hundred... more> |
 Preview: Barenboim, Fleming, Haitink,
Gheorghiu in 09-10 Southbank Centre season Details have been
announced for the new Southbank Centre 2009-10 classical music season.
The programme includes concerts by Resident Orchestras), monographic
cycles (focusing on Beethoven, Bernstein, Leonidas Kavakos) and
international singers and instrumentalists such as... more> |
 News: Glyndebourne on Tour appoints
Jakub Hrůša as next Music Director Young Czech conductor Jakub
Hrůša has been appointed next Music Director and Chief
Conductor of Glyndebourne on Tour (GOT). Hrůša's
collaboration with the GTO will start in January 2010, when he will
take the post currently held by Robin Ticciati.
Hrůša, born in 1981, was a pupil at the Academy of Performing... more> |
 News: Barbican
announces 2009-10 Great Performers season The Great
Performers season at the Barbican is a project that brings on
stage the best international singers, ensembles and composers, as well
as offering special in-depth events that allow the audience to
familiarise themselves with these artists. The 2009-10 programme was
announced yesterday, and... more> |
 Preview Feature: Beyond
the Wall - Chinese music at the Barbican The Barbican, LSO
St. Luke's and Union Chapel in Islington will host a remarkable series
of concerts over the next few months as part of their Beyond the
Wall festival. Focusing on a wide range of Chinese music - from
folk to classical, crossover to underground - the festival boasts an
impressive line-up of performers... more> |
 Opera Preview:
Tosca on the road and full casting for Opera Holland Park's 2009
season Details have been announced for the 2009 productions at Opera
Holland Park. Highlight of the season is a series of
performances of Puccini's Tosca at Richmond Theatre from 24
February to 1 March. It's the first time that the Opera Holland Park
soloists, together with the City of London Sinfonia and... more> |
 News: Italy's
Grand Operas in Britain's Cinemas from February 2009 Cinema-goers
in London are given the opportunity to attend some of the most
prestigious productions from Italy's 2007-08 operatic season. These
events are presented by alternative content distributor More2Screen in
partnership with Emerging Pictures, both leading companies in providing
a great audience with the best classical... more> |
 Opera
Preview: John Adams' Doctor Atomic comes to ENO John
Adams is at the forefront of contemporary opera composition. Only
Harrison Birtwistle rivals him for fecundity and invention in
theatrical composition amongst the senior ranks of contemporary
composers. Favouring engagement with modern political issues and the
experiences of the key players involved thereof, Adams' operas... more> |
 Opera News:
Fleming's Armida, Domingo's Boccanegra & Gheorghiu's Carmen in the
Met's 09-10 season It won't be news to anybody that opera
is just as susceptible to the effects of the global economic situation
as any other business. The Metropolitan Opera's
endowment of $300m is said to have had a third of its value wiped out
as investments have become depressed... more> |
 New opinion column: The Airing
Cupboard - Stephen Pettitt on Music Why am I here? About
three years ago my name slipped very quietly from the arts pages of the
London Evening Standard. I was at least allowed to bid a modest adieu
to my readers in my last review, which at my own request was of a
recital by Mitsuko Uchida, but there were no farewell parties, no
announcements, and... more> |
 Preview:
Classical and Opera highlights for February 2009 As orchestras and
opera companies start to announce their 2009-10 seasons, it's
interesting to observe how the credit crunch is impacting on the opera
and classical worlds. The two WNOs – Welsh National Opera and
Washington National Opera – have both gone for box office safety, with
the cancellation of the Washington... more> |
Preview Feature: Beyond
the Wall - Chinese music at the Barbican The Barbican, LSO
St. Luke's and Union Chapel in Islington will host a remarkable series
of concerts over the next few months as part of their Beyond the
Wall festival. Focusing on a wide range of Chinese music - from
folk to classical, crossover to underground - the festival boasts an
impressive line-up of performers... more> |
 Classical News:
BBC appoints Gruber and Knussen to Orchestral Posts It has been an
eventful week for the BBC musical division. Austrian composer HK
Gruber has been appointed the BBC Philharmonic's
Composer/Conductor, starting from September 2009. Moreover, a
further announcement reveals that Oliver Knussen has
become the BBC Symphony Orchestra's new Artist... more> |
Opera Preview:
Tosca on the road and full casting for Opera Holland Park's 2009
season Details have been announced for the 2009 productions at Opera
Holland Park. Highlight of the season is a series of
performances of Puccini's Tosca at Richmond Theatre from 24
February to 1 March. It's the first time that the Opera Holland Park
soloists, together with the City of London Sinfonia and... more> |
 Opera News: Washington and Los Angeles
Opera companies announce their 2009-10 seasons With Plàcido
Domingo serving as General Director, Washington and Los
Angeles have become inspiring stages for operatic performances along
the years. Their respective 2009-10 seasons include interesting
artistic projects, such as a new production of Thomas's Hamlet with
Damrau ... more> |
 Opera
News: Terfel's Sachs among the
highlights announced in WNO's 2009-10 Season Welsh National Opera
has announced details of its 2009-10 season, the first under new Music
Director, Lothar Koenigs.
New productions of Wagner's Meistersinger, Verdi's La
traviata and Mozart's The Abduction from the Seraglio
and revivals of Rigoletto and Madama Butterfly are
amongst the other highlights...
more> |
 Recording News: Opera Rara
announces studio and release plans for 2009 Opera Rara – the
world's foremost bel canto specialist record label – has announced the
full line-up of recordings and releases for 2009. Five new recordings
will be released during the next twelve months, including complete
operas by Donizetti, Offenbach and Mercadante, while a further three
complete operas will be...
more> |
 Classical
News: The LSO announces the 2009-10 season Complete performances of
Strauss' Elektra and Verdi's Otello, a cycle of the Nielsen symphonies
and a celebration of the music of Henri Dutilleux are at the heart of
the London Symphony Orchestra's 2009-10 programming, announced today.
Returns from regular LSO conductors Bernard Haitink, John Eliot
Gardiner and Marin Alsop... more> |
 News:
RLPO is oldest surviving UK orchestra according to new book The
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic is the UK's oldest surviving symphony
orchestra, it has been revealed. In The Original Liverpool Sound –
The Story of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, to be published 4
February 4 2009, authors Darren Henley and Vincent McKernan have
discovered that the Royal Liverpool... more> |
 Classical and Opera
January 2009 Preview With the New Year firmly rung in and the
Christmas trees headed for the shredder, a certain ennui can set in at
this time. So we've decided to take a look at some of the classical
music events taking place during January 2009 in order to whet your
appetite for the weeks ahead. The opera schedules are relatively quiet
in January... more> |
 Opera news: Royal Opera announces
cast changes for Tote Stadt, Lohengrin The Royal
Opera has announced cast changes to three of its productions in the
current season. The new production of Korngold's Die Tote Stadt, which
is from a co-production between the Vienna State Opera and the Salzburg
Festival (2004) and opens in late January 2009, will now feature
American tenor Steven Ebel... more> |
 Review
of the Year: we look back on the ups and downs of 2008 and pick our
highlights Money makes the world go around, and as we approach
2009 the big question is whether the arts can survive at a time when
many people are forced to prioritise their spending. Music, and art in
general, is a key method of personal expression, and its importance in
our lives goes far beyond...
more> |
 Opera news: Operatic rarities by
Schubert, Haydn, Gluck and Mozart for Bampton Opera in 2009 The
enterprising small Bampton Classical Opera company has announced plans
for its 2009 season. Operas by Schubert, Haydn, Gluck and Mozart will
feature in a range of venues, including London's Wigmore Hall and St
John's Smith Square. The season opens in March with... more> |
 Opera news: English Touring Opera
announces full casting details for Spring 2009 tour Entering their
30th year of touring productions - of which there have been more than
100 to date - English Touring Opera has just announced full details of
their Spring 2009 season, including new stagings of The Magic Flute and
Katya Kabanova, as well as concert performances of Bellini's Norma... more> |
 News: Conductor Richard Hickox dies
aged 60 Only a few days in advance of being due to conduct English
National Opera's new production of Vaughan Williams' opera Riders
to the Sea, the leading conductor Richard Hickox has
died of a suspected heart attack. He was just 60 years old. Hickox is
survived by his wife, the mezzo-soprano Pamela Helen Stephen,
and his three children, Tom... more> |
 Opera News: English Touring Opera
celebrates Handel's 250th Birthday with a Festival English
Touring Opera has announced a five-production festival of the
operas of Handel for autumn 2009 to celebrate the composer's 250th
birthday.
This extremely ambitious project will begin the weeks of 12 and 19
October 2009 with fully staged productions of five of Handel's operas
at the Britten... more> |
 Opera
News: Glyndebourne Festival Opera announces 75th Anniversary Season for
2009 Still the UK's premiere summer opera festival at the ripe age
of 75, Glyndebourne has announced details of next summer's season,
which will run from 21 May to 30 August and include three new
productions. In the year of the Purcell and Handel anniversaries,
Glyndebourne will present its first... more> |
 Opera News: Bel
canto legend Richard Bonynge conducts Opera Holland Park's opening
production of 2009 Korn/Ferry Opera Holland Park has announced
that Richard Bonynge will conduct their new production of Donizetti's Roberto
Devereux in June 2009. Working alongside him on the staging of the
bel canto classic will be double-Olivier-Award-winning
Director, Lindsay Posner. more> |
 Opera News: Chelsea Opera Group chairman
steps down as 1857 Boccanegra replaces William Tell
The Chairman of the London-based Chelsea Opera Group,
R. W. Montgomery, has announced his decision to retire after
twenty-two years in charge. At the end of his fifty-seventh
thrice-yearly newsletter, just published, Montgomery writes that it has
'been a great privilege...' more> |
 Review-Feature:
'Risen from the Ashes' - Ten Years of the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden Ten
years ago, barely three months after its opening, as maliciously and
vociferously predicted by many who felt that building Europe's largest
opera house in a town of barely 50000 inhabitants smacked of illusions
of grandeur, went bankrupt. It was only an unprecedented act... more> |
 Opera News: Birtwistle's The
Minotaur comes to Opus Arte DVD Opus Arte, the DVD company
owned by the Royal Opera House, is to release Covent
Garden's acclaimed production of Sir Harrison Birtwistle's
The Minotaur on 1 October. Given its world premiere in
April, The Minotaur opened to almost universally positive
reviews: The Independent described it as... more> |
 Opera
News: Opera Rara announces plans for 2009 Opera Rara, the world's
foremost record label specialising in the bel canto repertoire,
has disclosed initial plans for its recording schedule in 2009. In
addition to releasing recordings of music by Offenbach, Donizetti,
Mercadante, Ricci and Rossini made this year, the company will record
three new accounts of operas by Rossini & Donizetti... more> |
 Opera News:
English Touring Opera announces the Autumn 2008 tour Taking opera
to the regions is no easy task, but after a strong spring season
including Anna Bolena, English Touring Opera has
now announced the two productions for its autumn tour. Dvorak's
underrated masterpiece Rusalka will be presented alongside La
tragédie de Carmen, Peter Brook's revision of Bizet's Carmen. more> |
 News: Opera stars Kunde,
Poplavskaya and Alvarez in Rosenblatt Recitals announced for 08-09
season The new season of
the Rosenblatt
Recital Series has just been announced for 2008-09. Mostly
taking place at St John's Smith Square, the concerts bring together a
range of operatic talent, from young singers at the start of their
careers to established names. Gregory Kunde... more> |
 News: A complete Götterdämmerung
with Ben Heppner for the Halle's 2008-09 Season Manchester's Halle
Orchestra has announced details of the 2008-09 season at the
Bridgewater Hall, including a complete performance of Götterdämmerung,
the last part of Wagner's Ring, under Music Director Mark
Elder. A leading Wagnerian, Elder has long desired to bring
the Ring to Manchester. more> |
 News: Scottish
Opera announces 2008-09 Season Scottish Opera has
announced its first season under new Music Director, Francesco
Corti. Five new main-stage productions, a concert presentation
of Bellini's I Puritani, the second instalment of Five:15
and a touring production of The Merry Widow make for an
optimistic line-up for the beleaguered company in 2008-09. more> |
 News: Opera Holland Park announces
2009 & 2010 Seasons Their current season is only two days old,
but the ever-forward-looking Opera Holland Park has
already announced productions for the 2009 and 2010 summer festivals.
As is customary, six operas will be performed each summer, with the
repertoire ranging from Offenbach to Janacek and Mozart to Debussy. more> |
 News: Opera North
stages Gershwin, Shostakovich, Bellini rarities in 08-09 You
really have to hand it to Opera North. While most companies rely
staunchly on operatic war horses to keep the budget ticking over, their
newly-announced 2008-09 season includes only one work, Puccini's Tosca,
from the standard repertoire. The rest is so exciting and innovative
that it's slightly difficult...
more> |
 Opera feature: A history of the
Budapest Opera House and reviews of three productions Nearing
its 125th birthday, the Budapest Opera House remains
what Hungarians lovingly call 'the world's most beautiful opera house'.
Built after years of wrangling and financial difficulties, its very
concept was an act of proud defiance, proving that the new partner in
the Austro-Hungarian Empire... more>
|
 Classical news: BBC
Philharmonic announces 2008-09 under Noseda Since Gianandrea
Noseda's arrival at the BBC Philharmonic in
2002, the Manchester orchestra has gone from strength to strength. In
the coming season, he conducts an opera by Rachmaninoff, Haydn's Creation
and Te Deum, Berlioz's La damnation de Faust and
Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, amongst other highlights. more> |
 Opera news: Villazon,
Voigt, Kaufmann in Opera national de Paris 08-09 season The
Opéra national de Paris has announced
details of its 2008-09 season, which will feature appearances by opera
stars Rolando Villazon, Waltraud Meier, Jonas Kaufmann, Deborah Voigt,
Ramon Vargas, Susan Graham, Joyce DiDonato and Violeta Urmana. The
season proper starts on 24 September... more> |
 Opera
News: English National Opera announces 2008/09 season Details have
been announced for the opening productions of ENO 's
2008-09 season, providing a broad range of repertoire including new
productions of Cav and Pag, Handel's Partenope and,
in his anniversary year, Vaughan Williams's rarely-heard Riders to
the Sea. Peter Rose will take on the title role
in Boris Godunov ...
more> |
 Feature:
Contemporary Opera in London: Three Premieres, a New Staging and a
Revival For Londoners committed to the cause of contemporary
music, and for those interested in adventurous productions of fresh and
innovative operatic works, the coming months should prove something of
a boon. Starting in March and concluding in May, this de facto
mini-festival of contemporary opera... more> |
 Classical News:
Proms 2008 announced Details have been announced for BBC Proms
2008 which run from 18 July to 13 September. It is the 114th season and
the first under the festival's new Director, Roger Wright. The
headlines are likely to draw attention to the Doctor Who Prom on the
morning of 27 July, which features music from the TV series, and is
followed in the evening...
more> |
 Opera news: ROH
announces Fleming, Terfel, Alagna for 2008-09 The Royal
Opera has announced details of the 2008-09 season at London's Covent
Garden. The new productions include Cavalli's La Calisto,
Rossini's Matilde di Shabran with Juan Diego Florez,
Hansel und Gretel with Angelika Kirchschlager,
Korngold's Die todte Stadt with Gerald Finley,
Wagner's Der fliegende Hollander with Bryn
Terfel... more> |
 News:
Operatic highlights with De Niese, Evans and Coote at
Barbican's Mostly Mozart Festival The Barbican Hall has
announced details of this summer's annual Mostly Mozart Festival, which
is this year rich with operatic treasures. Rebecca Evans,
Danielle de Niese, Alice Coote and
Toby Spence are just some of the big names
which the major venue has attracted for the summer concert season. more> |
 CD
competition: WIN Copies of Karl Jenkins' new Stabat Mater EMI
Classics have recorded a major new work by Karl
Jenkins, the Stabat Mater, and to celebrate we are
giving you the opportunity to win your very own copy! The work will be
released to coincide with the world premiere performance on Saturday 15
March 2008 in Liverpool Cathedral, performed by the Royal
Liverpool Philharmonic. more> |
 Opera news: Harteros
replaces Stemme in ROH Boccanegra Following the announcement that
Swedish soprano Nina Stemme will no longer be making her role debut as
Amelia Grimaldi in the Royal Opera's revival of Simon Boccanegra in May
2008, the company has now confirmed that she will be replaced by German
soprano Anja Harteros for most of the performances, with Austrian... more> |
 Preview: Baden-Baden's
Festspielhaus If Rome is the Eternal City, Baden-Baden
is the Eternal Spa. During this season, Baden-Badeners can witness the
Glyndebourne Tristan as well as new productions of The
Flying Dutchman, Fidelio (a co-production with the
Teatro Real Madrid under Claudio Abbado) and the new
Mariinsky Tannhäuser; Cecilia Bartoli
in La sonnambula... more> |
 News: Royal
Festival Hall's 2008-09 season The Southbank Centre
has announced the line-up for its 2008-09 Shell Classic
International Series.Featuring several of the world's greatest
orchestras, conductors and soloists, it will see the Royal
Festival Hall play host to mouth-watering visits from the Vienna
Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta... more> |
 News:
Philharmonia's 2008-09 season
The Philharmonia Orchestra has announced initial details of the 160
concerts which make up its 08-09 season – Esa-Pekka Salonen's
first as Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor. There's a project
based around the music and culture of Vienna between 1895-1935, and the
return of Muti, Schiff, Mackerras & Dohnányi, plus Alfred
Brendel's last-ever UK concerts. more> |
 News:
LSO announces 2008-09 season Principal Conductor Valery
Gergiev will lead ten concerts of music by composers who went
into exile from their homeland, including Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev and
Bartók, plus Act III of Parsifal with René
Pape, while President Sir Colin Davis will
return for seven programmes including the Verdi Requiem and a series
focusing on British music of the 1930s. more> |
 News:
ROH Young Artists' Summer Concert; BP Big Screens; Aronica in ROH Boheme;
Copley stages ENO Widow; Buxton Festival The Royal Opera
House has unveiled details of the annual summer concert given by the
talented professionals on its Jette Parker Young Artists Programme. In
their most ambitious concert yet, the Young Artists will perform two
fully-staged extracts. more> |
 News: LPO announces
2008-09 season
Tchaikovsky is the order of the day as Vladimir Jurowski slides
into his second season as Principal Conductor of the London
Philharmonic Orchestra. The LPO will present a feast of the
Russian composer's lesser-known works under the heading Revealing
Tchaikovsky. World premieres and opera in concert form the
backbone of the rest of the season more> |
 News: ITV's South
Bank Show to profile Lang Lang Chinese Pianist Lang Lang is to be
profiled on ITV1's flagship arts programme, the South Bank Show. The
pianist is already a mega-star in his native China as well as a Unicef
Ambassador and 'global ambassador' for Rolex and Audi. He records
exclusively for Deutsche Grammophon and is credited with bringing
classical... more> |
 News: BBCSO
cancels Composer Weekends in favour of Composer Days The BBC
Symphony Orchestra has decided to end its annual January Composer
Weekend format after 21 years of highly-acclaimed programmes
celebrating the work of a single composer over a weekend packed full of
events. Today the orchestra announced that the festival of the music of
Judith Weir which took place... more> |
 Casting news: Anna
Netrebko cancels two performances of ROH Traviata After a
thrilling performance as Violetta on the first night of Covent Garden's
current revival of Verdi's La traviata, Anna Netrebko has had to
withdraw from the third performance of the run tomorrow, Sunday 20
January 2008. She also withdrew from last Thursday's performance, after
a bronchial infection from which... more> |
 Casting news: Nina
Stemme out of ROH Boccanegra; Kristin Chenoweth in ENO Candide
The Royal Opera has fallen victim to yet another star singer
withdrawing from a major production. Nina Stemme
will not now perform the role of Amelia Grimaldi in the 2008 revival of
Simon Boccanegra. Tony Award-winner Kristin
Chenoweth will sing Cunegonde in ENO's production of
Bernstein's Candide. more> |
 News: WNO announces
2008-09 season
International opera stars Rebecca Evans, Dennis O'Neill, Ann Murray,
Sally Burgess, Amanda Roocroft and Rosemary Joshua will all appear in
Welsh National Opera's 2008-09 season. Sir Charles Mackerras will also
return to conduct a one-off concert performance of Mozart's Mitridate,
re di Ponto. The season is characterised by strongly-cast... more> |
 Opera news: Barbican joins Met
Opera HD Broadcasts scheme London's Barbican Cinema has announced
that it will broadcast six of the Metropolitan Opera's productions live
from New York. Audiences in London will be able to experience a range
of productions starring world-class singers, many of them in roles we
might not normally get to see them perform at Covent Garden. more> |
 Feature:
January 2008 Concerts Preview With the Christmas rush
out of the way, it's time to start thinking of how to fill those long
January nights. The wealth of concerts on offer can be bewildering,
with as many as five different venues presenting a diverse range of
programmes on any one night. The temptation may be to stick to safe
bets such as Gergiev's Mahler cycle.... more> |
 Top 12 Operas and Review of
the Year 2007 The 61 performances of operas reviewed in these
pages since the creation of Musical Criticism are a salutary reminder
of the breadth of productions staged every year in the UK. For me, the
reports in the national press about the demise of ENO and the
consistency of the ROH... more> |
 Movie review:
Kenneth Branagh's The Magic Flute I am all in favour of
the idea of making films of operas. So many of them seem to invite
cinematic treatment, since they frequently contain stage directions
which are impossible to realise convincingly in the theatre. The Magic
Flute has its fair share of fantastical goings on, so I was very
excited at the prospect of a film version. more> |
 Barbican:
Great Performers 2008 The first details have been released for the
Barbican's flagship Great Performers series for the 2008-2009 season.
In a press reception before the first concert of Esa-Pekka Salonen's
Sibelius cycle – a highlight of this season's series – the Barbican's
Managing Director, Nicholas Kenyon, and Head of Music, Robert van Leer,
seemed impatient to reveal the delights they... more> |
 Top 20 Concerts and Review
of the Year 2007 After only ten months of existence,
MusicalCriticism.com has covered nearly a hundred concerts in London,
Manchester, Dublin, Edinburgh and beyond, and if nothing else this
collection of reviews is an ample reminder of the vast amount of
high-quality music making available to us in the UK. Our experiences
have varied... more> |
 Top 12 Recordings
and Review of the Record Industry in 2007 Each year there's more
gloom-mongering yet each year music-lovers remain spoilt for choice in
terms of recordings. Opera fans in particular have been enjoying the
fruits of several unusual and exciting projects. Naxos continue with
their issues of Rossini operas, the universally acclaimed Vivaldi
series on Naïve... more> |
 Recordings
news: Deutsche Grammophon launches DG Web Shop As record companies
look for ways to exploit technology and reach a larger audience, one of
the classical world's oldest and most established players, Deutsche
Grammophon (part of Universal Classics) has unveiled their DG Web Shop
offering CD quality downloads of 'the majority of their huge catalogue.' more> |
 Cast
change: Christopher Maltman withdraws from ROH Ariadne Hot
on the heels of the announcement of Elina Garanca's departure from The
Royal Opera's forthcoming production of Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos has
come the news that British baritone Christopher Maltman will no longer
appear as Harlequin in the same production. He will be replaced by
Markus Werba. more> |
 Feature: Why is the Wigmore Hall at
the forefront of London's classical music scene? The Wigmore Hall
has retained its distinction as the UK's premier venue for smaller
scale concerts ever since it opened as The Bechstein Hall in 1901. A
change in ownership during the First World War saw it renamed and
reopened in 1917 in its current guise, but the interior is essentially
unchanged. more> |
 Cast change: Elina Garanca
withdraws from ROH Ariadne Yet another high-profile singer
has pulled out of a Royal Opera House production. Elina Garanca, the
glamorous Latvian mezzo whose performance in the company's recent
revival of Cosi fan tutte won high plaudits all round, will not be
singing in the June 2008 revival of Ariadne auf Naxos. She will be
replaced by Kristine Jepson. more> |
 News: Star singers in Chelsea Opera
Group's 2007-08 season A number of excellent singers, including
Majella Cullagh, Sally Silver, Nelly Miricioiu and Liora Grodnikaite,
will appear in this year's performances of Italian bel canto and
Romantic French rarities by the Chelsea Opera Group. The season opens
this coming Saturday with Donizetti's Maria Stuarda, a work which was
lost for many years... more> |
 'I hope
Five:15 will help to make opera an important energy in Scotland' says
Scottish Opera When Alex Reedijk, General Director of Scottish
Opera, announced his plans for the 2007-08 season, the big news was the
commissioning of Five:15, 5 new 15-minute operas by leading
Scottish composers and writers who are new to the art form, including Ian
Rankin and Craig Armstong. more> |
 News:
Mackerras appointed Honorary Member of the Guildhall At an awards
ceremony in Central London yesterday, The Guildhall School of Music
& Drama appointed the great opera and orchestral conductor Sir
Charles Mackerras an Honorary Member of the School. In addition, ten
further distinguished professors and past students of the School have
been made Fellows. more> |
 Feature: Opera on the Big Screen Two
leading opera houses have taken the initiative to bring opera out of
the theatre and into the cinema in the coming months. The Met's 'HD
Live' scheme premiered in the 2006-07 season and was so successful that
they have increased the number of relays this year. Hot on their heels,
Glyndebourne Festival Opera has hatched a deal with Odeon to
broadcast... more> |
 News: Opera Holland Park
Announces 2008 Productions Opera Holland Park has announced the six
operas which will make up its summer 2008 season. According to the
London-based summer opera company, Verdi's Il trovatore, Donizetti's La
Fille du régiment, Mozart's The Magic Flute, Puccini's Tosca,
Ponchielli's La Gioconda and Tchaikovsky's Iolanta will make up the
season. more> |
 Feature: The ROH's Student Rheingold
It has to be one of the boldest and most admirable initiatives in the
recent history of the Royal Opera, then, to put on a performance of Das
Rheingold exclusively for students. Tickets for last Friday's
performance were sold at a fraction of their normal cost (top price
tickets, normally costing over £200, were made available for
under forty pounds). more> |
 Review round-up: ENO's Carmen
'Free your mind of every picture-postcard image of Bizet's Carmen.' So
opens Edward Seckerson's review for the The Independent. He could be
talking directly to the critics of the other national broadsheets,
whose reviews displayed a bewildering range of disagreements regarding
the key performances and the designs, but all felt excluded by Potter's
production. more> |
 Cast
change: Korchak and Secco replace Villazon at the ROH The Royal
Opera House has announced who will step into Rolando Villazón's
shoes in an important new production of Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore
after the tenor cancelled all his autumn engagements for health
reasons. Two young singers will now share the role of Nemorino. more> |
 Opera news:
Glyndebourne Festival Opera announces the 2008 Season Glyndebourne
Festival Opera, the original and most prestigious summer opera festival
in the UK, has announced details of its productions and some casting
information for next year's season, which runs from 18 May-31 August. A
world premiere, two new productions and three revivals... more> |
 Classical Feature: Sir Colin Davis at 80
A champion of the works of Mozart, Berlioz, Sibelius and Tippett, Sir
Colin has brought many previously neglected works back into the
repertoire, while his substantial discography includes many recordings
that are considered benchmarks against which few others compete. He has
held many of the major conducting jobs this country has to offer. more> |
 Opera Feature:
Opera North 2007-08 Preview Following on from another season in
which the company has received almost unanimously positive reviews,
Opera North has announced its plans for the 2007-8 season and beyond.
And in spite of the Government's delayed decision as to the future
financing of the arts in this country, the company's plans include five
new productions. more> |
 Feature: Luciano Pavarotti dies aged 71
Amongst the most iconic figures of the twentieth century, Luciano
Pavarotti will probably be remembered by the majority of people for his
concert appearances in outdoor arenas. He entertained the crowds with
arias such as 'Nessun dorma' and Neapolitan songs such as 'Torna a
Surriento'. But what the world has lost through his death at 71... more> |
 Cast change: Rolando Villazon at the ROH
Only a week after The Royal Opera announced that Bryn Terfel has
withdrawn from the new production of The Ring Cycle, a further press
release has just announced that tenor Rolando Villazón has
similarly withdrawn from all performances of the company's new
production of Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore. more> |
 Feature: BBC Proms 2007 retrospective
And so, the world's greatest classical music festival, the 113th season
of Henry Wood Promenade Concerts presented by the BBC (to give it its
full title!), is over, at least for this year. It marks the end, too,
for Nicholas Kenyon, who after twelve years as Director of the BBC
Proms leaves the BBC for the Barbican Centre, where he will replace Sir
John Tusa. more> |
 Scottish Opera: 2007-08 the beleaguered company's
fortunes have been turning round. Last year, a highly-acclaimed new
production of Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier by David McVicar became one of
the big events of the opera calendar, and will be seen next year at
English National Opera. Their current tour includes Lucia di Lammermoor
and Madama Butterfly, both of which have been extremely... more> |
 ENO:
2007-08 For a company that is supposedly on the brink of
collapse (though haven't we been hearing that for years now?), English
National Opera's 2007-8 season shows remarkable artistic confidence and
imagination. Every production without exception features at least one
singer of international importance; and there are 11 new productions...
more> |
 Royal
Opera: 2007-08 An important new account of the history of music
written and presented by one of Britain's most respected broadcasters
is the focus of this special competition. The Making of Music shows the
BBC at its best, devoting significant airtime to this important
project. more> |
 LSO:
2007-08 After more than a decade as Principal Conductor of the
London Symphony Orchestra, Sir Colin Davis recently became their
President, with Russian maestro Valery Gergiev taking charge in his
place. Gergiev has inherited the LSO in top condition and it's clear
from his plans for his first complete season as Principal Conductor
that he intends to cherish and sustain their history and musicianship. more> |
 South
Bank Centre: 2007-08 Perhaps the most important event for
classical music enthusiasts this year is the reopening of the Royal
Festival Hall after a two-year refurbishment. Time will tell whether
the new facilities and reconfigured acoustics are up to scratch but
there's no doubt that the programming for the new season is thoroughly
exciting. more> |
 Barbican:
Great Performers 2007 Building on an exciting mix of music and
artists in the current season, the Barbican's Great Performers Series
2007-8 once more brings together the best of the world's singers,
conductors and musicians in an eclectic feast of great music. As ever,
some of the most renowned singers are appearing in a number of
programmes. more> |
 Andras
Schiff: Bartok Festival 2007 The forthcoming Bartók
mini-festival at the Queen Elisabeth Hall (5, 7 and 10 June) is likely
to be of an exceptional artistic quality and it provides an unusual
programme. All six of Bartók's string quartets will be
performed; each concert will feature two of them (at the beginning and
at the end of the concert respectively)... more> |
 Birthday Honours 2007 Mezzo-soprano Rosalind
Plowright and tenor Stuart Burrows have been awarded the Order of the
British Empire in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to music.
In addition, the early music soprano Emma Kirkby has been appointed
Dame of the British Empire. One of Britain's most beloved singers,
Rosalind Plowright has graced the stages of all the world's great opera
houses. more> |
 Opera
Holland Park: 2007 It's business as usual this summer for Opera
Holland Park - which means a selection of six diverse operas, both
well-loved and almost unknown, performed in tranquil surroundings. The
good news is that the old tent that used to house the productions is to
be replaced by a new, larger canopy, which will provide an even better
environment for performers and audiences alike. more> |
 Edinburgh
Festival: 2007 The new director of the Edinburgh International
Festival, Jonathan Mills, has just announced his plans for this year's
programme. From the classical music point of view it promises to be as
ambitious and varied an event as is traditional, marrying musical works
to their ideal performers in many cases. Running from 10 August to 2
September 2007, the Festival starts two days earlier than has normally
been the case in the past. more> |
 Royal
Opera House buys Opus Arte The Royal Opera House has long wanted
to consolidate its transmission of productions to a wider audience by
releasing more recordings by the Royal Ballet and Opera companies, so
it ought to come as little surprise that the House has today announced
the purchase of the leading DVD label, Opus Arte UK Ltd, in order to do
just that. more> |
 Cast
changes: Thais/Benvenuto Cellini Concert performances of two
operas in London have just announced late artist replacements. At the
Royal Opera House, baritone Thomas Hampson has withdrawn from the role
of Athanaël in next week's sold-out concert performances of
Massenet's Thaïs. Simone Alberghini will now play Athanaël.
Alberghini has appeared in the role in Louisville, USA. more> |
 Cardiff
Singer of the World: 2007 Twenty-three-year-old bass-baritone
Shen Yang from China was crowned BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2007
last night after a nail-biting final. The youngest competitor, Yang
performed Banquo's aria from Verdi's Macbeth, Mozart's 'Mentre ti
lascio, o figlia' (K. 513) and Aleko's cavatina from Rachmaninov's
Aleko. more> |
 The Making of Music: competition An important new
account of the history of music written and presented by one of
Britain's most respected broadcasters is the focus of this special
competition. The Making of Music shows the BBC at its best, devoting
significant airtime to this important project. more> |
 BBC
Proms 2007: preview There are a number of very high-profile
conductors and symphony orchestras appearing throughout the summer.
Antonio Pappano conducts the Orchestra and Chorus of Santa Cecilia,
Rome, in Rossini's Stabat Mater on 16 July; Kurt Masur conducts both
his orchestras - the London Philharmonic and Orchestre National de
France... more> |
 Royal Opera Ring Cycle Cast Changes Bryn
Terfel, one of the most beloved singers of today, has withdrawn
from The Royal Opera's production of the Ring Cycle in Autumn 2007, the
company announced today. He will be replaced in the role of
Wotan/Wanderer by Sir John Tomlinson, widely acclaimed for his
assumptions of the role around the world... more> |
Classical and Opera: News and Features
Feature: Opera Review of 2009 - the ups and downs of the past twelve months The financial crisis has dominated every aspect of life in 2009, and the opera world is no exception. Slashed budgets have led to the cancellation of new productions and even the closure of several opera companies in America; touring companies have reduced their number of performances... more>