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...

Debates rage about what " bel canto " really means. Is it a style, or a period, a technique? Does it apply to the Baroque period, to Mozart, only to Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini? How about Verdi, Verismo, and Wagner? There are lots of answers and lots of arguments on every side. In this case however, when I say this is the first  bel canto  opera I've seen at the Staatsoper I mean in the very limited sense that it is the first Rossini, Donizetti, or Bellini opera this season. The interesting thing about this production was the traditionalism in the way that it was presented. So much of what the Staatsoper produces is either modern in an abstract or interpretive way, or a traditional presentation infused with modern technology. This production both in its design and performance style. General information & synopsis:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Barber_of_Seville IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA |  Gioachino   Rossini Michael Güttler |  Dirig...

Not only was this visit to the Wiener Staatsoper a first for me (a Handel Baroque opera), but also, apparently, a first for the Staatsoper. I was informed that they either have not, or very unusually have utilized before this production of George Frideric Handel's  Alcina  period instruments, tuning, and technique for a Baroque work. Despite this focus on historical accuracy and musical fidelity, the staging and the set were relatively modern in many ways, taking some liberties with even the ideas of the original story (an arrival on a balloon rather than a hippogryph, for instance). I will say that the production felt very long, with a lot of  da capo  arias. That said, it was extremely well put together, and the abilities of the singers, though not without a few stumbles, were astounding. I must here enter one apology: I do not know Alcina well enough, and the information on the internet is scarce enough such that I will be unable to give aria names, but will...

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...

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...