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Fidelio, confronting life’s great questions
Says Helga Rabl-Stadler, president of the Salzburg Festival: ‘‘My favorite part of ‘Fidelio’ is when Leonore comes down to the prison and does not recognize Florestan because he is so starved. Yet she says, ‘Whoever you are, I will rescue you.’ Not because this is her husband, but rather because everyone who has been unjustly imprisoned must be saved. I find this humanistic declaration fantastic.’’ Beethoven’s only opera, with its...
Published onthe 01 of August
Covent Garden: "A rich past informs a bright future"
For a major opera house in the modern world, looking toward the future can sometimes seem daunting, but the leaders of London’s Royal Opera House seem not only unfazed but positively enthusiastic about what lies ahead. Alongside Antonio Pappano, who has overseen musical direction since 2002, Kasper Holten, director of opera, and Alex Beard, chief executive, have a clear vision of how to preserve the house’s rich tradition, and transform and adapt it for the future. Both...
Published onthe 22 of July
Portrait : Cecilia Bartoli Back in Salzburg
Cecilia Bartoli has had several careers.Since she set out to conquer the opera world twenty-five years ago, the Mozart and, especially, Rossini specialist has turned into an explorer of forgotten repertories with albums that became skilful marketing tools, accompanied by long tours with an unchanging programme:there was something highly displeasing in this carefully calculated spontaneity, with the same encores accompanied from one city to the next with the same gestures, the same...
Published onthe 19 of May
Anja Harteros : Aida young at last
Linked for a long time to Wagner's repertoire, Anja Harteros is nowadays obviously more dedicated to Verdi's one. Next friday, she embodies Aida at the Accademia Santa Cecilia in Roma, alongside Jonas Kaufmann and Ludovic Tezier. After referring to the work a few days ago, we now look at the role-title singer. *** Are divas condemned to live on an aeroplane between two triumphant appearances? They have been roundly criticised, perhaps...
Published onthe 25 of February
Fidelio: Beethoven’s only opera opens La Scala season
Article proposed by An ode to freedom, love and humanity, Fidelio is Beethoven’s only opera but it’s a masterpiece. It opened the new season at Milan’s La Scala, a highlight of Italy’s cultural calender. It also marks the end of Daniel Barenboim's era as musical director there. Beethoven slaved for over a decade on his opera, which is based on a true story of the French Revolution. “I really like the story. It’s a tangible...
Published onthe 09 of December
Dresden still spellbound by Strauss
Proposed by Richard Strauss had a special bond with the city of Dresden lasting several decades. His legacy still resonates in the Saxon capital. Among the celebrations marking the 150th anniversary of his birth the Semper Opera House staged Arabella, with top stars Anja Harteros and Thomas Hampson in the lead roles. The performance was a homage to the German composer, over half of whose operas premiered on this prestigious stage. “Richard Strauss is one of the...
Published onthe 14 of November
When Chagall and Malraux shook up the Palais Garnier opera house
On the 23rd of September 1964, exactly 50 years ago, the French Ministry of cultural affairs André Malraux was inaugurating the new Palais Garnier opera house’s ceiling, made by Marc Chagall – and hiding the original ceiling of the Parisian edifice created by Jules Lenepveu. This work didn’t leave indifferent and aroused strong polemics still vivid nowadays. This anniversary gives us the opportunity to revisit the passionate history of the Garnier Opera’s...
Published onthe 23 of September
Stars are born at Operalia
Article presented by In partnership with: Operalia is a pinnacle for aspiring opera performers and can be a launchpad for illustrious careers in the field. The singing contest is staged every year in one of music’s world capitals. This prestigious competition took place recently in Los Angeles, where Placido Domingo, its founder and president, is also music director of the LA Opera. Among some 1,000 entrants, just a dozen get to the finals. Being among them...
Published onthe 19 of September
Verdi’s Il Trovatore takes Salzburg by storm
Content provided by Rolex Partner, Verdi’s ‘Il Trovatore’ is a highlight of this year’s Salzburg Festival, thanks in part to an outstanding cast. It is one of the most popular operas of all time, despite being so ‘dark’ in many ways. Love, revenge, a mother burnt alive and a brother lost and tragically found are just some of the ingredients in this masterpiece. Vying for the heart of the fair Leonora is the tenor, and the baritone, the...
Published onthe 21 of August
The Salzburg Festival 2014 outlines its program
Each year the Salzburg Festival stands out as one of the highlights of the opera season, and Cecilia Bartolli (who has served as the event’s artistic director since 2012) will be presenting the details of the 2014 programme over the next few weeks. The Salzburg Festival's first notes, however, are already being sounded on the event's official website, outlining the coming edition’s schedule. And, as usual, it’s an enticing programme featuring some...
Published onthe 22 of November
Stéphane Lissner recounts La Scala
La Scala is undeniably one of the world’s greatest temples of opera; each year its season opening (on December 7, Saint Ambrose Day, named for Milan’s patron saint) is a major event for opera fans. Since 2005, when he was appointed the first non-Italian superintendent and artistic director in La Scala’s history, Stéphane Lissner has established himself as one of the architects of the Milan opera house’s international influence. As we await the...
Published onthe 22 of November
Jonas Kaufmann recounts Don Carlo
This year, in commemoration of the bicentenary of Giuseppe Verdi's birth, the Salzburg Festival presented this summer a new production of Don Carlo, directed by Peter Stein, provided with a impressive cast, and especially with Jonas Kaufmann in the title role. We met him in Salzburg and he recounted us about his Don Carlo during a pleasant interview. See also Jonas Kaufmann in "Don Carlo’s sensational cast delights Salzburg audiences"...
Published onthe 13 of September