Elza van den Heever and the MET Orchestra: A stunning all-Strauss program
The astonishing product: Glass Handel at O18
ReviewAs the audience made their way to seats, there was a rising sense of tension. We had been informed at least six times that we would be moved around during this multimedia event. One had to question why there were so many disclaimers. Do we really want a stranger moving our chairs during a performance? Well, it turns out, yes we do.
Racette an unmissable Elle in O18's Ne Quittez Pas
ReviewDelivering a one-person show is an arduous creative task to accomplish, and Racette does it with astonishing success. When the monodrama is finally over, it takes a moment to return to reality, as Racette has completely transported her audience to Poulenc and Cocteau's world.
LA Opera season opens with The Rodrigo Show
ReviewMorris Robinson hits his third home run in a row at LA Opera as the blind, self-righteous, single-minded Grand Inquisitor. Having wowed us as Zaccaria in Nabucco, and Sparafucile in Rigoletto, he’s become a regular at LA Opera and he lifts any production to the sublime in any role that he plays.
Odyssey Opera's grand La reine de Saba a great season opener
ReviewOdyssey Opera's work restored all of the finales of the middle three acts to their complete forms, with a note in the program adding that they believe most of the material they restored had never been heard prior to their performance. That this content was cut to begin with should come as an absolute shock: the restored content felt absolutely vital to how the work unfolds dramatically.
Don't miss: Countertenor Madness!
NewsThe concert - aptly titled Countertenor Madness! - is likely to be a crash course in what makes the countertenor one of opera's most exciting voice types.
Brenda Rae earns her ovation in O18 Lucia
ReviewAs a musical force, opera is an art form that relies on the power of the unamplified human voice to move audiences. The voices of this cast undoubtedly provide the power to bring this opera to life. Whether you have never seen Lucia before, or you are a bel canto connoisseur, these vocalists and musicians make for a rewarding and awe-inspiring night at the opera.
Sky on Swings a must-see of O18
ReviewThe most captivating moments in the opera are those that involve only von Stade and Simpson together onstage. They create a sense of emotional intimacy and truth, by superb acting and unshakable presence. Their performance is the epitome of genuine artistry and truthful expression.
Psycho meets Sartre at the Nigredo Hotel
ReviewDirector Alan Corbishley describes Nigredo (blackening) as a process that ancient alchemists believed was necessary to create the Philosopher's Stone, and thus find immortality. In psychology, this process is a metaphor for the "dark night of the soul" that is necessary for a person to confront in order to reach acceptance of oneself.
Lyric Opera kicks off a starry season at Millennium Park
ReviewThe night's theme, (and requisite hashtag) #LongLivePassion was on-point — we were treated to some of opera's most impassioned moments from Puccini's beloved "O mio babbino caro" to the seductive "Mon coeur s'ouvre à ta voix" from Saint-Saën's Samson et Dalila. It was a glamorous, fun-filled night that featured the headliners of the Lyric's upcoming production of La Bohéme as well as four young artists from the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Center.
Don't miss: Odyssey Opera's season opener
Interview"This year marks the bicentennial of the birth of French composer Charles Gounod, and it felt like the perfect time to explore his lesser-known works. We are thrilled to be opening our season with the U.S. premiere of Gounod's La reine de Saba, composed in the years between Gounod's acclaimed grand operas Faust and Roméo et Juliette."