Harry Fehr’s New Production of The Elixir of Love at the London Coliseum

It is once more a try to reactivate this opera by the famous Lied Composer Franz Schubert. Fierrabras is a romantic opera of medieval heroes and love based on a French medieval heroic epic of the same name. Franz Schubert composed it in 1823 during the period of growing nationalism and the political outcome of the post Napoleon time. The plot takes place in the time of the Frankenking Karl and his fight against the Arabic occupation in Europe. It is the happy...

The prosperous town of Menton, close to the border to Italy at the French Côte d'Azur has built up a reputation for her festival and products a really high quality music one. Since 65 years, well known national and international musicians are invited to perform at the stunning location in front of the baroque Saint Michael Church. Embedded in this little square, growing up the stairs of the lovely medieval city this open air concert hall offers a very good accoustic and an...

Sung drama - What a singing, what a drama in this impressive realisation of one of the most reknown operas by Verdi. The love story of the Ethopian slave at the Egyptian court was put into modern times and ambience. We encounter Aida veiled in a black shadora, Radames is a modern Arabian soldier. The Egyptian court is a colourless simplified environment, its members dressed in modern suits, women in typical islamic kind of coat-dresses and white trousers. The stage remains empty filled...

"Happy Birthday" Mr Strauss - were the welcoming words of artistic director Brigitte Fassbender of the Garmisch Partenkirchen Festival for his most famous inhabitant, the Bavarian composer Richard Strauss. It is the 26th version of the festival and the150th anniversary of birth of the mostly played composer of the 20th century. This makes it a special edition with a very prestigious programme. The opening was made with a performance (in a concert version) of the very seldom...

This year the Salzburg Whitsun Festival was dedicated to Gioacchino Rossini and his works. The festival opened with a new production of La Cenerentola. A special opportunity to meet the artistic head of the festival, Cecilia Bartoli, in one of her renowned roles on stage. The audience could feel the joy and energy she put into her appearence on stage and singing. Damiano Michieletto and his stage designer Paolo Fantin created a typical Italian ambiance. Alidoro...

It was a long expected event, being the first Verdi Premiere of the musical director Christian Thielemann. Highly regarded for his Wagner and Strauss Interpretations his admirers in the sold out Semperoper were reluctant to get acquainted with his talent for Italian operas. One could feel the excitement throughout the orchestra and all participants. Sensible, very symphonic and romantic was his conducting of this dramatic dark tragedy of the unlucky giftful genovese doge. As always...