The aesthetic violence matches the musical intensity. Remembering that, for its composer, this opera was a “satirical tragedy”, where “satirical” means an indictment of the cynicism and contempt of Russia’s…
DON CARLO | Deutsche Oper Berlin
Long acclaimed for its merits, the current Don Carlo at the Deutsche Oper nonetheless proves a revelation to those approaching it anew. The eye is first caught by Marco Arturo…
SEMIRAMIDE | Teatro Massimo Palermo
Rossini’s monumental opera, composed for Venice’s La Fenice, where it premiered on February 3, 1823, with Isabella Colbran in the title role, returns to Palermo after an absence of nearly…
MACBETH | Teatro Regio Torino
Some evenings at the opera are planned weeks in advance. Others are dreamed about for months. For me, this Macbeth at the Teatro Regio di Torino belonged firmly to the…
SALOME | Bayerische Staatsoper
Somewhere between the 1930s and 1940s, a group of Jewish men and women gathers in a vast and richly stocked library. As in all places where books are handled and…
LA GIOCONDA | Gran Teatre del Liceu
There are operas you fall in love with instantly. And then there are operas like La Gioconda. For me, Ponchielli’s Venetian epic has always been something I listen to in…
RINALDO | Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe
As part of its Internationale Händel-Festspiele, the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe is reviving the production of Rinaldo that was first presented here last year. This production by Hinrich Horstkotte pays tribute…
DIALOGUES DES CARMELITES | Den Kongelige Opera
The spareness of the décor presages that of the work itself. From the instant the curtain rises, space is yielded to the full dramatic amplitude such an act of remembrance…
NORMA | Teatro Regio Parma
This was a date I had been waiting for for a long time. The main reason was Vasilisa Berzhanskaya. I have seen her several times in bel canto repertoire, including…