Category: Opera

blog posts about operas

Opera in NYC: Tosca at the Metropolitan Opera

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Opera in NYC: Tosca at the Metropolitan Opera

Performances have been cancelled through March 31, 2020

Love, idealism, and ruse in a thrilling drama by Giacomo Puccini

Returning to the MetOpera in the Spring 2020 with Anna Netrebko and Jennifer Rowley alternating in the title role; performances start from March 26, 2020 

Scene from act I of Pucinni's Tosca at MetOpera
Act I of David McVicar’s new production of Puccini’s “Tosca”;photo: Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera

A superb production of Puccini’s Tosca by Sir David McVicar at the Met Opera, which has premiered in the 2017-2018 season, offers a grand theatrical experience for the opera fans. The performances are restarting from March 26, 2020. This season the production features an extraordinary cast of singers with a forceful presence on stage. Two opera divas, Anna Netrebko and Jennifer Rowley are sharing the title role with Najmiddin Mavlyanov and Brian Jagde singing Cavaradossi, and George Gagnidze and Michael Volle alternating as Scarpias. Maestro Bertrand de Billy is conducting.

The set and costume design for this production is done by John Macfarlane, who as a painter is adding to the depth of the characters through the rich design of the decorations and the period costumes. McVicar’s production which a review by AP describes as “similar to Zeffirelli’s” is replacing a spare modern staging of Tosca by Luc Bondy which was not warmly received by the Met opera buffs. Get tickets at 20% off ; from $30.

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Opera in NYC: Mozart’s Le Nozze Di Figaro at The MetOpera

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Opera in NYC: Mozart’s Le Nozze Di Figaro at The MetOpera

The Metropolitan Opera presents Le Nozze Di Figaro by Mozart in the modernized setting with two exceptional international casts; performances continue in February 2020    

Susanna Phillips as the Countess, Nadine Sierra as Susanna, and Luca Pisaroni as Figaro in Mozart's "Le Nozze di Figaro."
Susanna Phillips as the Countess, Nadine Sierra as Susanna, and Luca Pisaroni as Figaro in Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro.” Photo: Marty Sohl / Met Opera

A cornerstone of any opera house’s repertoire, Mozart’s Le Nozze Di Figaro is presented by the MetOpera in Sir Richard Eyre’s dynamic production with two exceptional casts. In the Fall 2019 sopranos Nadine Sierra and Susanna Phillips; mezzo-soprano Gaëlle Arquez; baritone Mariusz Kwiecien; and bass-baritones Luca Pisaroni and Adam Plachetka sing. Sopranos Anita Hartig and Hanna-Elisabeth Müller; mezzo-soprano Marianne Crevasse; and bass-baritone Mariusz Kwiecien take the charge in February 2020.

Premiered at the Met in the 2014-2015 season, the current production transposes the action from the late 18th century Spain to an elegant villa of the 1930s. Cleverly employing the rotating stage for the fast change of the decor and uninterrupted action when moving from scene to scene, the creators and the cast present a highly entertaining and instructive storyline about the virtues of love, decency, loyalty, and the vice of jealousy. The orchestral fluidity under the baton of Antonella Manacorda, sets the pace.

The libretto for the opera was written by Mozart’s favored collaborator Lorenzo Da Ponte. Da Ponte adapted a popular play La Folle Journée, ou Le Mariage de Figaro by Beaumarchais for his libretto which he completed even before Mozart started writing music for the opera. Ingeniously sequencing the comic scenes with hidings and cross-dressings, Beaumarchais’s play denounces the feudal rules and highlights the wits and smarts of the lower classes. According to Beaumarchais’s contemporaries, the play foreshadowed the French Revolution.

At the MetOpera, Le Nozze’s magical music and catchy arias are delivered by the incredible cast with confidence and mastery. Luca Pisaroni as Figaro sings with grace and warmth and is perfectly attuned to the velvety palette of Nadine Serra’s voice as Susanna. The beauty of the duets and the ensemble arias are well-matched by the orchestral work while the comic scenes and the moments of tension are skillfully calibrated and are presented with vitality and affection.

Enjoy the vibrant production of the timeless masterpiece by Mozart and Da Ponte.

The opera’s run time is 3 hours and 30 minutes with one intermission; sung in Italian with the subtitles.

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Opera in NYC: Andrea Bocelli at Met Opera

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Opera in NYC: Andrea Bocelli at Met Opera

Andrea Bocelli returns to MetOpera stage with Italian Opera Favorites recital on February 10, 2020 at 7.30 pm

Andrea Bocelli at the piano at Premio Faraglioni 2009
Andrea Bocelli at Premio Faraglioni 2009; photo by Sannita / Image licensed by Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported

Andrea Bocelli returns to New York for two Sunday evenings of operatic recitals at the Metropolitan Opera House. The program will feature the opera fan’s favorite love duets, arias, and songs. Bocelli will appear with renown international stars and members of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra under the baton of Eugene Kohn. These unique musical events promise an unforgettable joy and entertainment.

This year recital by the master of Italian Opera follows a pair of triumphant recitals on the MetOpera stage in 2019. Before 2019, Bocelli was absent from the Met Opera stage for the past seven years, so his return was highly anticipated by the delighted fans. This year recital is another treat for the lucky audience promising a genuine performance of the timeless favorites. Click below for tickets:

Monday, February 10, 2020 at 7.30 pm         BUY TICKETS

 

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Opera in NYC: The Queen of Spades at The MetOpera

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Opera in NYC: The Queen of Spades at The MetOpera

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s opera about the vices of gambling and greed is performed at The MetOpera by the impressive international cast

Larissa Diadkova as the Countess, Lise Davidsen as Lisa, Yusif Eyvazov as Hermann, and Igor Golovatenko as Prince Yeletsky in Tchaikovsky's "The Queen of Spades" at the MetOpera
Larissa Diadkova as the Countess, Lise Davidsen as Lisa, Yusif Eyvazov as Hermann, and Igor Golovatenko as Prince Yeletsky in Tchaikovsky’s “The Queen of Spades.” Photo: Ken Howard / Met Opera

Mysterious and alluring, the Imperial Russia of Catherine the Great’s time takes the stage of the Met Opera this December. The critics call The Quees of Spades, a masterpiece created by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, the highlight of the season so far. The splendid and imperially rich set and costume design by Mark Thompson recreates the times of extreme fashion, endless balls, and futile gambling and drinking nights. Premiered in 1995, Elijah Moshinsky’s production of The Queen of Spades is also memorable to the opera fans for Dmitriy Hvorostovky’s debut at the Met Opera.

This year’s production features a superb cast of international stars with a radiant soprano Lise Davidsen as Lisa, an expressive tenor Yusif Eyoavazov as Hermann, impeccable baritones Igor Golovanenko and Aleksey Markov as  Tomsk and Yeletsky, and a moody mezzo-soprano Larisa Diadkova as the countess. The conductor Vasily Petrenko makes his debut on the Met stage and takes full control of the splendid music score, leading the musicians in perfect alignment with the singing and acting.

Alexey Markov as Count Tomsky in Tchaikovsky's "The Queen of Spades."
Alexey Markov as Count Tomsky in Tchaikovsky’s “The Queen of Spades.” Photo: Ken Howard / Met Opera

Davidsen’s stormy entry into the opera world can only be fully appreciated when her powerful performance is observed on stage. With an understatement so suitable for Lisa, a young Russian lady of modest means, Davidsen uses her vocal strength to deliver the angst and desperation because of her lover’s betrayal in the name of material possessions. The colorful and exquisitely designed chorus scenes contrast with the gloomy mood and greedy aspirations of the high society. But the gorgeous music and the impressive signing save the day to the elation of the audience.

The opera is sung in Russian with subtitles; run time 3 hours and 35 minutes with one intermission. Performances are from December 5 – 21, 2019. 

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Music in NYC: Andrea Bocelli 2019 Holiday Concert at Madison Square Garden

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Music in NYC: Andrea Bocelli 2019 Holiday Concert at Madison Square Garden

Tickets to the unforgettable Christmas-themed concerts on December 18, 2019 and December 19, 2019 at Madison Square Garden in New York City

Italian Singer Andrea Bocelli playing piano
Andrea Bocelli at Premio Faraglioni 2009; photo by Sannita / Image licensed by Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported

Andrea Bocelli, an Italian classical and pop music singer returns to Madison Square Garden in New York City to celebrate the holidays with his fans and followers. Bocelli will be sharing a stage with the conductor Eugene Kohn, soprano Larisa Martinez, and guest artist Heather Headley. Nominated in 2016 for three Latin Grammy Awards including Album of the Year and awarded a 2017 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for “Cinema”, a Holiday concert by Bocelli will offer an unforgettable experience and bring a lot of joy.

Dates and Tickets :

Wednesday, December 18, 2019, 7.30 pm        BUY TICKETS

Thursday, December 19, 2019, 7.30 pm             BUY TICKETS 

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