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:...

At the end of my studying abroad in Vienna papers and exams overtook me, making it impossible to keep pace with reviewing operatic performances even as I continued to attend them. Since returning from Vienna, school, work, and other events have interfered in my completing reviews of 12 performances I had the opportunity to see as my time in Vienna came to a close. This lack of closure, however, has had a domino effect, leading me to feel like I couldn't review other performances, DVDs, write on various topics, etc. thereafter until I finished things up. At this point, now that I finally have the opportunity and have mustered the willpower, I've decided the best way to get this done is to seek middle ground. Writing a post each for the twelve performances in as much depth as my previous posts would require far too much time and effort. Additionally, it is impossible for anyone to see these performances with the same production and performers and I don't remember the details ...

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...