May 20, 2009

Freischutz live on Arte


On June 1st, Arte will broadcast live from Baden-Baden Weber's Der Freischutz, starting at 7 pm. The broadcast will also be available via the website arte.tv where the program will begin at 6 pm with several backstage cameras and two reporters showing the preparations for this performance. Thomas Hengelbrock - Musical Direction Robert Wilson - Direction, Stage Design and Lighting Viktor und Rolf - Costumes Klaus Kuttler - Ottokar Reinhard Dorn - Cuno Juliane Banse - Agathe Julia Kleiter - Ännchen Dimitry Ivashchenko - Kaspar Steve Davislim - Max Festspielhaus Chorus Baden-Baden Mahler Chamber Orchestra From Classiquenews.

May 13, 2009

2009-10 European schedules

  • Amsterdam, Die Nederlandse Opera

  • season here highlights: Pierre Audi's production of Halévy's La Juive(Paris 2007) with Annick Massis and John Osborn (Léopold) conducted by Carlo Rizzi in September; Purcell's Dido and Aeneas conducted by William Christie, with Luca Pisaroni as Aeneas in late September/early October; Peter Konwitschny's production of Salomé (Nov.), Nikolaus Lehnhoff's take on Puccini's La Fanciulla del West (Dec.); Kaija Saariaho's Emilie with Karita Mattila (March 18 & 21); Audi's production of Berlioz's Les Troyens (April); Nikolaus Lehnhoff and Yannick Nézet-Séguin exploring Turandot (May); Anna Caterina Antonacci in Altre Stelle (May); René Jacobs conducting Conti's Don Chisciotte in Sierra Morena (June)
  • Barcelona, Gran Teatre del Liceu

  • see there, ticket sales start on July 13 BERLIN
  • Berlin, Deutsche Oper
    season online, premieres here

  • Berlin, Staatsoper Unter den Linden
    season here

  • Berlin, Komische Oper
    season here premieres: Rigoletto (Sept.20), Lear (Nov.22), Don Pasquale (Jan.31), Orlando (Feb.26), Fidelio (Apr.26), La Périchole (June 6)

  • Bologna, Teatro Comunale
    season here(pdf)

  • Brussels, Théâtre de la Monnaie

  • season here
    highlights: Christophe Rousset and Pierre Audi will present two Gluck's pieces: Iphigénie en Aulide and Iphigénie en Tauride (coproductions with Die Nederlandse Opera in Amsterdam) in December; Massenet's Don Quichotte will be directed by Laurent Pelly and conducted by Marc Minkowsky (Jose Van Dam will be Don Quichotte) in May
  • Copenhagen, Royal Danish Opera

  • See there
  • Dresden Semperoper see there premieres: La Traviata, Händel's Giulio Cesare In Egitto, Franz Schmidt 's Notre Dame and Gounod's Faust (June 2010)

  • Frankfurt, Oper
    season here, premieres there

  • Genève, Grand Théâtre
    season here highlights: Don Giovanni with Diana Damrau and Ildebrando d'Arcangelo (Dec.11 to 20); Joyce DiDonato and Gregoru Kunde in Rossini's La Donna del Lago (May 5 to 17)

  • Leipzig, Oper

  • season here
  • Madrid, Teatro Real
    pdf here highlights: I puritani (concert version) with Juan Diego Florez, April 29 and May 2; L'incoronazione di Poppea, William Christie conducting Les Arts Florissants, Philippe Jaroussky, M.E.Cencic and Danielle DeNiese (May 2010); Simon Boccanegra with Carlos Alvarez/Placido Domingo as Simon, Angela Gheorghiu/Inva Mula as Amelia, Ferrucio Furlanetto and Marcello Giordani (July 2010)

  • Milano, Teatro alla Scala

  • season here Highlight: Carmen to open the season (Dec.7 to 23) directed by Emma Dante, conducted by Daniel Barenboim, with Jonas Kaufmann (Don José) and Erwin Schrott (Escamillo)
  • Munich, Bayerische Staatsoper

  • season here PARIS
  • Opéra National de Paris first season of Nicolas Joël here, my comments there


  • Paris, Opéra Comique see there

  • Paris, Salle Pleyel calendar here
    highlights: Juan Diego Florez in March; Monteverdi's Poppée in May (William Christie, Danielle de Niese, Philippe Jaroussky, Max Emanuel Cencic); Netrebko in October; Gustavo Dudamel; Verdi's Requiem with Jonas Kaufman and Daniel Barenboim conducting the orchestra del Teatro alla Scala on Nov.15; Waltraud Meier; Purcell's King Arthur in January; Schumann's Genoveva in June

  • Paris, Théâtre des Champs Elysées see there

  • Strasbourg, Opéra du Rhin

  • season here
  • Toulouse, Théâtre du Capitole

  • season "hors les murs" here
  • Torino, Teatro Regio

  • season here
  • Vienna, Wiener Staatsoper

  • season here, premieres there

    May 3, 2009

    [Gaïa]


    So, why not vote to save the Earth for the upcoming European Elections?

    May 2, 2009

    Muti now, and Muti then



    Vienna Philharmonic, Sept 8 2008

     
    Among the many reasons for my inalienable admiration for Riccardo Muti, perhaps the most precious one is his remarkable ability to evolve, as a musician.

    Obviously the easiest way to do so is to broaden one's repertoire and exhume from the ashes forgotten operas, and Muti has continuously been doing so for many years (Demofoonte in Paris in a few weeks is the most recent example).

    But he also has tremendously evolved in his interpretations of unavoidable pieces. His 1982 recording of Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice for EMI with the Philharmonia pale in comparison to the magnificent performances he gave in the Maggio Musicale in Florence in 2007, that were nothing short of sublime.

    And his interpretation of La Forza del Destino's overture yesterday in Il Teatro di San Carlo di Napoli is also on a different level than earlier recordings. Check for yourselves.

    Capitole renovations in Toulouse



    Nouvelle cage de scène, théâtre du Capitole, Toulouse, © H.Deschamp


    The new season of the Théâtre du Capitole is online and will be happening anywhere in Toulouse but in the Opera House, that will undergo yet another round of heavy renovations.

    In 1996, the entire auditorium was fully restored, from the seats to the sealing and the new paintings of Richard Peduzzi "en trompe-l'oeil", and the Opera House had to be closed for a full year.

    In 2004, the second wave of renovations included the entire stage and the addition of working spaces and a lounge for the musicians (more here), and the 2003-04 season had to be performed elsewhere, "Hors les murs" as we say.

    The third part of the process will be to reinforce the structure of the 2nd and 3rd floors, and to build new 4th and 5th floors (see there). And once again, the 2009-10 season will be "Hors les murs".

    Can someone explain to me why they didn't close the Opera House for two consecutive seasons in 1996 to do all the work other than "in France, the simpler solution is never the chosen one because we just can't resolve to doing it like everybody else" ?
    Seriously.  

    Further reading:
    - Frédéric Chambert's interview in La Dépêche (April 14)
    - History of the renovations in Toulouse