The Passion of Opera

It's been a while since my last post. Life and getting into work somewhat overtook me. That said, I had occasion to write a piece on Washington National Opera's performance of Rossini's La Cenerentola for a work publication and wanted to adapt that here as a review of that performance. This was my favorite performance of the season and a great note to end on. I am looking forward to the momentous season next year with the standard of Carmen , some unusual selections, and the first full Ring  in the city in a single season. I will be out for most of the opera in the area this summer, but hope to make and review a few performances.  General information & synopsis:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Cenerentola La Cenerentola  |  Gioachino Rossini Angelina (Cenerentola):  Isabel Leonard*  (May 9, 13, 16, 19, 21) /  Tara Erraught * (May 11, 15, 17m)           Don Ramiro:...

Pictured just above is the promotional graphic for the Royal Opera House's production of Les vêpres siciliennes . It's an odd graphic that tries to get to the production's vision. That vision was a failure. Despite that, the performance I witnessed was phenomenal because of the performers. It was my first chance to see Verdi's rare opera and it was a wonderful one. I definitely want to listen to more recordings and, if possible, see more performances, including the Italian variant, which is more often performed. As a tenor, it was especially exciting, for the first time, to see a tenor in a truly central role who I might describe as, "on." Synopsis and general information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_vêpres_siciliennes Les vêpres siciliennes | Giuseppe Verdi Credits: Director | Stefan Herheim Dramaturg | Alexander Meier-Dörzenbach Set Designer | Philipp Fürhofer Costume Designer | Gesine Voellm Lighting Designer | Anders Poll Choreography | ...

Having seen film versions of Beethoven's Fidelio  and seen it live in Vienna in a fairly traditional if not period-specific production I was intrigued by the abstract production being offered at the English National Opera. I have no problem with abstract productions but I do tend to think it is easier to do more traditional productions well, or at least acceptably, whereas the bar is higher for abstract productions. Oddly, therefore, I was surprised to find that this production of  Fidelio would have been more pleasing had it actually played on its abstract strengths rather than going to those extremes only at certain moments and falling into complacency between them. This review will be a bit unusual in that I will touch on the performers first before the production, almost in opposite order of my normal order. Synopsis and general information:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fidelio Fidelio | Ludwig van Beethoven Credits: Director | Calixto Bieito Set Designer |...

I have always been fascinated by Richard Strauss' Elektra. Despite never having listened to it in full, it has always been iconic to me of Strauss' dichotomy between viennese slice of life productions, such as Der Rosenkavalier or Arabella, and his emphasis on mythology often incorporated elements of Freudian psychology and madness, such as Salome , Elektra , and to some extent Ariadne auf Naxos . Having heard many of Strauss' other operas but never the iconic Elektra , I was excited. This production by the Royal Opera House won great acclaim from the audience in the house and reviewers. I appreciate the production, especially for its consistency, but found it slightly less convincing. Synopsis and general information:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elektra_(opera) Elektra | Richard Strauss Credits: Director | Charles Edwards Set Design | Charles Edwards Costume Designs | Brigitte Reiffenstuel Lighting Design | Charles Edwards Movement Director | Leah Ha...

Just wanted to throw out there quickly that I've been a bit slow in getting through the mass of blogging I have to do between this and  To Float on a Wayward Wind  while also trying to do stuff and travel while in London in addition to classes and work. It's a bit crazy. Still, I have been to Strauss' Elektra at the Royal Opera House and to English National Opera's production of Beethoven's Fidelio . Both had their highs and lows and reviews will be coming out shortly. I may shortly be at ENO's Madama Butterfly  and would love to see ROH's Les vêpres siciliennes , though scheduling this has been difficult. Meanwhile, The Passion of Opera has broken 30,000 lifetime views and keeps going strong. Thank you for your support and I'll have new reviews up shortly!!

Le nozze di Figaro is, of course, a classic in the operatic canon. The cross-dressing, marriage/fidelity farce is typical of Mozart and Da Ponte in its ability to, like Shakespeare, convey both comedy and serious societal implications simultaneously. The thing is, for me, I went into this performance already weary, never having been very satisfied by either the comedy or the drama in this famous opera. I was reminded of the fact that while sometimes works can become overhyped, the crowds generally have some idea about things. I was reminded also that with something as famous as Nozze , perhaps I just had not seen a production that was good enough. That was exactly the case. This production demonstrated to me the genius of Mozart's beloved opera. Synopsis and general information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Marriage_of_Figaro Le nozze di Figaro | Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Credits: Director | David McVicar Designs | Tanya McCallin Lighting Design | Paule Constable Mo...