The Passion of Opera

Just as in the Wiener Staatsoper's recent production of  Il barbiere di Siviglia  this production of Donizetti's  L'elisir d'amore  goes back to the basic, classic style of  bel canto  performance, stripping away many of the inventions and conventions developed in the past several decades and returning to the basis of the art form. The production of  Barbiere  was certainly funny, but eschewed hilarity in favor of what felt like a very pure representation of  bel canto  melodrama. Synopsis & general information:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L'elisir_d'amore L'elisir d'amore | Gaetano Donizetti Dirigent | Marco Armiliato Nach der Regie von | Otto Schenk Ausstattung | Jürgen Rose Chorleitung | Martin Schebesta Adina | Aleksandra Kurzak Nemorino | Stephen Costello Belcore | Marco Caria Doktor Dulcamara | Adam Plachetka Giannetta | Jeanine De Bique Ein Trompeter | Konras Monsberger Diener de...

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...