Living at the Opera

From SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL OPERA REVIEW By: José M Irurzun Production: Bayerische Staatsoper. Stage Direction: Yannis Kokkos. Sets and costumes: Yannis Kokkos. Lighting: Michael Bauer. This production had its premiere in January of last year directed by Yannis Kokkos, who as usual for him, designed the sets and costumes. The production is very traditional [...]

From SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL OPERA REVIEW By: José M Irurzun Production: Bayerisches Staatsoper. Director: Claus Guth. Sets and Costumes: Christian Schmidt. Lighting: Michael Bauer. This production was premiered in May 2007 and has stage direction by Claus Guth, who made his debut in Munich with it. On this occasion Claus Guth focuses his work [...]

1967 was a very good year for Renata Scotto both in the quality of her singing and in her approach to opera as drama. The soprano had three standout performances that year. The May 18th Lucia di Lammermoor in Naples noted on this site. She sang a vocally impressive Gilda in Rigoletto on August 11th [...]

Here is another Renata Scotto Lucia which has come available, and it is one of her best. This performance is one of three which the soprano sang in May 1967, at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples. Again it is the cast and the conductor that make this outing memorable. Along with Riccardo Muti, Gianandrea [...]

This delightful performance on CD of Rossini’s Cenerentola was recorded live on 13 November 2004 at the ROSSINI IN WILDBAD festival. The cast gathered for this production exhibits the highest singing standards possible among today’s Rossini revivals. Joyce Di Donato’s Cenerentola is the total package. She not only sings in an effortless way, but her [...]

“Miss Scotto lives her roles and the standing ovation she received was her just due.” So said Max de Schauensee, Bulletin Music Critic Emeritus about Renata Scotto’s Bolena on December 16, 1975, at the Philadelphia Academy of Music. Scotto sang only five performances of the opera, three in Dallas with mezzo-soprano Tatiana Troyanos as Giovanna [...]

UA Opera Theatre with the Arizona Symphony Orchestra The Crucible, by Robert Ward November 20, Friday, 7:30 p.m. November 22, Sunday, 3:00 p.m. Crowder Hall, $15, 12, 10 Opera Scenes Student Soloists December 1, Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. Crowder Hall, Amelia Rieman Opera Competition Student Competition January 31, Sunday, 2:00 p.m. Crowder Hall, $Free UA Opera [...]