The Passion of Opera

This marked my first foray into live Russian opera. I performed in Smetana's Czech The Bartered Bride , though the text was sung in English. Yesterday I had the opportunity to see Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin ( Евгений Онегин/Yevgény Onégin ). Unfortunately, I found the performance to be, overall, relatively emotionally flat, saved in part by an outstanding performance by Pavol Breslik as Lensky in the second act. First, general information and synopsis followed by cast list:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Onegin_(opera) EUGEN ONEGIN | Peter I. Tschaikowski Louis Langrée |  Dirigent Falk Richter |  Regie Katrin Hoffmann |  Bühne Martin Kraemer |  Kostüme Joanna Dudley |  Choreographie Carsten Sander |  Licht Shugo Ikoh |  Regieassistenz Agnes Hasun |  Bühnenbildasistenz   Olga Guryakova |  Tatjana, Tochter von Larina Markus Eiche |  Eugen Onegin Pavol Breslik |  Lensky, Dichter Ain An...

Don Giovanni is, unequivocally, one of the most cherished canonical operas in existence. It is a drama in the Shakespearean style, a mixture between comedy and tragedy. These factors present two difficulties to any company mounting a production. The first, which has always been, is maintaing the balance between tragedy and comedy. The second, which becomes more true every year, is how to make the beloved opera feel fresh. This production, though not without its foibles, accomplished both. General information & synopsis:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Giovanni Cast information: DON GIOVANNI    | Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Diese Produktion wurde ermöglicht mit Unterstützung von LEXUS Patrick Lange |  Dirigent Jean-Louis Martinoty |  Regie Hans Schavernoch |  Ausstattung Yan Tax |  Kostüme Fabrice Kebour |  Licht Sandrina Schwarz |  Bühnenbildassistentin   Adam Plachetka |  Don Giovanni Myrt...

Not a current poster but... In case you wanted tickets... Yesterday I had the opportunity to see the Wiener Staatsoper's excellent production of Giuseppe Verdi's Falstaff . Falstaff  is remarkable chronologically because it was Verdi's 26th or 28th and final opera, his third collaboration with librettist Arrigo Boito, his third opera based on a Shakespeare text, his second comedy, and his only successful one. Despite this, it is acclaimed as one of Verdi's masterpieces and a standard comedy in the opera repertoire. The Staatsoper's production demonstrated the uncanny ability to remain true to a conservative production while still innovating in exciting ways. First, a link to general information and synopsis as well as the cast. Synopsis & general information:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falstaff_(opera) FALSTAFF | Giuseppe Verdi Alain Altinoglu |  Dirigent Marco Arturo Marelli |  Regie und Licht Marco...

This review comes a bit after the fact due to my hasty departure to Prague (and on the way to Krakow and Budapest). However, I thought I would review my third opera seen in standing room at the Wiener Staatsoper, Richard Strauss' Arabella . The production was avantgarde in some ways, and relatively standard in others. It was well produced and the singing was, for the most part, very well done. On the evening I saw the production, I found that it got better and better as it went along, after a somewhat lackluster first act. I must apologize that this review will be slightly shorter as I am also trying to blog about my travels throughout Europe; I wanted to write this review while Arabella  was still fresh in my mind, but I did not have access to a cast list while travelling. Therefore I will do my best to reconstruct my opinions a week and a half after the fact. Conductor - Franz Welser-Möst Director - Sven-Eric Bechtolf Set Design - Rolf Glittenberg Costumes - Marianne Glitt...