Living at the Opera

While watching the Turandot HD Telecast on November, 7th, it became apparent that the performance in the house was definitely superior to the one shown in selected movie theaters around the world, or to be specific at the El Con in Tucson, AZ. Just a few minutes into Act One, the audience realized the [...]

From Seen and Heard International
By: José M Irurzun; picture © E. Moreno Esquibel
Soloists, Orquesta Sinfónica de Euskadi. Coro de Ópera de Bilbao.Conductor: Rani Calderón.Palacio Euskalduna de Bilbao. 14.11.2009 (JMI)
Production from the Théâtre Capitole de Toulouse.

My father used to say: “Days of plenty, nights of famine” and I can hardly find a more appropriate [...]

From Seen and Heard International
By: José M Irurzun, Picture © Javier del Real
Soloists, Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid. Coro de la Comunidad de Madrid. Conductor: Jesús López Cobos. Teatro Real de Madrid. 1 and 3.11.2009 (JMI)

This is the premiere of the new production by Joan Font (Les Comediants) in co -production with three other opera houses [...]

From Seen and Heard International
By: James L Zychowicz, Picture courtesy of Chicago Lyric Opera
Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of Lyric Opera of Chicago, Renato Palumbo (conductor) Civic Opera House, Chicago, 31.10.2009 (JLZ)

Lyric Opera of Chicago has created an energetic new production of Verdi’s early masterpiece Ernani. In the program, soprano Sondra Radvanovsky says that Ernani deserves [...]

For the second opera in the Cinema in Opera series the Loft Cinema chose La Traviata staring Angela Gheorghiu in her La Scala debut as Violetta in 2007. Considering all the publicity, pro and con reviews and personal comments on YouTube surrounding the Romanian soprano’s performance, its safe to assume that the Opera World [...]

From Opera Britannia
By: Anthony Lias

She came, she saw, she sang practically nothing. Last night’s concert at the Royal Festival Hall on London’s Southbank was ostensibly part of the so-called “International Voices” series, but Renée Fleming gave us precious little of that commodity all evening. In the first half she did not feature at all, [...]

From Seen and Heard International
By: Bernard Jacobson
Seattle Opera, soloists, cond. Brian Garman, dir. Mark Streshinsky, set designer John Conklin, costume designer David Walker, lighting designer Connie Yun, Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, Seattle, 17 and 18.10.2009 (BJ)
Unlikely as it may seem, given the presence of one of the world’s finest Violettas in what is traditionally called [...]

From Seen and Heard International
By: Harvey Steiman; Picture © Cory Weaver
Soloists, orchestra and chorus of San Francisco Opera. 28.10.2009 (HS)
photo below: Diana Damrau (Marie) Juan Diego Flórez (Tonio) and Bruno Praticò (Sulpice)

Director Laurent Pelly’s Donizetti-meets-Laurel and Hardy production of The Daughter of the Regiment introduced soprano Diana Damrau to San Francisco audiences. In the [...]

From Seen and Heard International
By: José M Irurzun; Pictures © Tato Baeza/Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía
Soloists, Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana. Cor de la Generalitat Valenciana.Conductor: Valery Gergiev. Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia de Valencia. 31.10.2009 (JMI)

There are very few opportunities even in a life time, for seeing a performance of this [...]