Opera Warhorses

The Los Angeles Opera unveiled a provocative new production of Wagner’s “Lohengrin”, beautifully sung by a cast led by Canadian Tenor Ben Heppner in his Los Angeles Opera debut in the title role, with (also debuting) Finnish soprano Soile Isokoski as Elsa and American mezzo Dolora Zajick as Ortrud. My comments will speak to the [...]

[Read more →]

In 2008 Dallas Opera began a three season project, enlisting the team of British Stage Director Stephen Lawless and Belgian Set Designer Benoit Dugardyn to create new productions of three operas by Gaetano Donizetti – “Maria Stuarda” (2008), “Robert Devereux” (2009), and “Anna Bolena” (2010). The three operas, at least since the time of the [...]

[Read more →]

In the past two months, I have reported on world class performances of Verdi’s “Aida” at the San Francisco Opera (see Brilliant Cast, Colorful Production, Luisotti’s Masterful Conducting Enliven San Francisco “Aida” – September 19, 2010) and Verdi’s “Rigoletto” at Royal Opera House Covent Garden in London (see 21st Century Verdi: Hvorostovsky, Ciofi, Kim, Aceto in McVicar’s [...]

[Read more →]