“What? Carmen again? But it’s played everywhere, all the time!” Yes, my friends, and for good reason. Its music is legendary, its arias unforgettable, and the entire opera a masterpiece…
EUGEN ONEGIN |Â BĂĽhnen Bern
Just four days after my discovery of Lucrezia Borgia in Rome—a recommendation from Charles Castronovo—this time, it was my friend and fellow opera enthusiast Henri who led me to a…
LUCREZIA BORGIA | Teatro Dell’Opera di Roma
Rare, very rare, are the occasions when I get to discover an opera I don’t already know—especially from a composer I adore and whose masterpieces I know inside out. But…
ROMEO ET JULIETTE |Â Teatro San Carlo
Some performances remind you exactly why you love opera, why you travel to see it, why you step into these breathtaking theaters hoping to experience something unique. Last night at…
AIDA | Royal Opera House
Under the precise and inspired direction of Daniel Oren, this production of Aida left an indelible mark, impressing both musically and theatrically. Oren’s keen understanding of Verdi’s score allowed for…
GUERCĹ’UR | Oper Frankfurt
Some operas play a pivotal role, both in the careers of those involved in their production and in the public’s experience of them. Pieces that, through the power of their…
THE ENCHANTRESS | Oper Frankfurt
The piece in question is rare enough to start this review with: “how can this story, one of Tchaikovsky’s masterpieces, be summed up?” It couldn’t be simpler: a widowed woman,…
DIE FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN | Deutsche Oper Berlin
Deutsche Oper has taken on the challenge of staging Die Frau ohne Schatten after a hiatus of several years. And let’s face it: the challenge was met! As one of…
DAS RHEINGOLD | Opéra National de Paris
We’ve been waiting a long time for this première, and impatiently. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the production originally scheduled for 2020 has been postponed. Because he is one of…