News
01.02.2023
Saverio Mercadante’s “Francesca da Rimini” at Frankfurt Opera
Following the highly acclaimed recent performance at the Tirol Festival in Erl (photo), Saverio Mercadante’s enthralling setting of “Francesca da Rimini”, the unhappy love story of Paolo and Francesca, is to be performed for the first time ever in Germany. The premiere is on 26 February at the Frankfurt Opera, named “Opera House of the Year” in Germany for the sixth time by “Opernwelt“ magazine. The performances use Hans Walter Richter’s production of Felice Romani’s two-act “dramma per musica” after Dante’s “Divina Commedia”, but with a vocal cast with different singers in the leading roles. The title role will be sung by leading soprano Jessica Pratt, with Spanish conductor Ramón Tebar directing the Opera and Museum Orchestra. – Oper Frankfurt
06.09.2022
„Rusalka“ – finally revised. The new Urtext Edition of Dvorák’s Opera
The new edition of Antonín Dvoráks masterwork presents not a “new” Rusalka – conductors, performers, and audiences will find the same Czech masterpiece that has been enjoyed for over 100 years but the oprea in its definitive form, with all practical and musicological issues considered, well-documented, and clearly presented. »more«
06.09.2022
Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin” from Bärenreiter
Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s “Eugene Onegin” is probably the most frequently-performed Russian opera. But its success was not assured from the outset. Now this stagework is being published by Bärenreiter in an edition reflecting the latest state of research, taking into consideration the somewhat complicated history of its composition. The new edition finally clears up the many mistakes and inconsistencies in the previous editions of the score. It follows the 1885 St Petersburg version which can be regarded as the final authorised version since Tchaikovsky prepared it for the second edition of the score published by Jürgenson in 1891. »more«
02.06.2022
Donizetti’s “Caterina Cornaro” at the Klangvokal Musikfestival Dortmund
It is hard to believe, but Gaetano Donizetti’s lyrical tragedy, premiered in 1844 in Naples, has never before been performed in a German opera house. The story deals with the Queen of Cyprus, who came from a noble Venetian family, and the work is full of entrancingly beautiful, almost soulful music. »more«
02.06.2022
First performance of the tenor version of Thomas’s “Hamlet”
Ambroise Thomas initially conceived the role of Hamlet for high male voice, and wrote the first sketches in the tenor clef. When it became known that the charismatic singer-actor Jean-Baptiste Faure was to play the part of Hamlet, the composer adapted the existing music for bass-baritone. »more«
02.06.2022
„Il Xerse“ by Francesco Cavalli at the Festival della Valle d’Itria
83 years before George Frideric Handel’s opera „Serse“ was premiered, Francesco Cavalli had opened his dramma per musica „Il Xerse“ with the very same verses. The work very probably received its first performance on 12 January 1655 in Venice. The text was by Cavalli’s preferred librettist Nicolò Minato, whose work was revised by Silvio Stampiglia, the version also used by Handel. »more«
