Over the next year, I will be attending performances in Washington D.C., Los Angeles and Seattle of works by Giuseppe Verdi. Interestingly, Verdi operas are not represented in the 2018-19 repertories of the companies each of whose performances I regularly review.
Don Carlo (Verdi), Washington National Opera, March 3, 5, 8, 14, 16 and 17, 2018
Russell Thomas is Carlo, Leah Crocetto is Elisabetta, Jamie Barton is Eboli, Quinn Kelsey is Rodrigo and Eric Owens is Philip II for five performances. A sixth performance (March 16) has an alternate cast of Rafael Davila (Carlo), Melody Moore (Elisabetta), Daryl Freedman (Eboli), Troy Cook (Rodrigo) and Peter Volpe (Philip). Andrea Silvestrelli sings the Grand Inquisitor with both casts. Maestro Philippe Auguin conducts.
[Below: A scene from Opera Philadelphia’s 2015 Tim Albery production of Verdi’s “Don Carlo”; edited image, based on a production photograph for the Opera Philadelphia.]
The production is Tim Albery’s, whose previous appearance in the United States was in 2015 at Opera Philadelphia (with Crocetto, Owens and Cook performing the roles they are repeating at Washington National Opera).
[For my performance review, see: Review: “Don Carlo” – Washington National Opera’s World Class Verdi Singing, March 14, 2018.]
Rigoletto (Verdi), Los Angeles Opera, May 12, 16, 19, 27, 31 and June 3, 2018
Two casts split the six scheduled performances of “Rigoletto”, reviving Mark Lamos’ production. On May 12, 16 and 19, Leo Nucci is RIgoletto, Lisette Oropesa is Gilda and Arturo Chacon-Cruz is the Duca di Mantua. On May 27, 31 and June 3, Ambrogio Maestri is Rigoletto, with Irina Lungu (Los Angeles Opera debut) as Gilda and Michael Fabiano as the Duca.
[Below: Rigoletto (Ambrosia Maestri, standing) looks down upon the body of Gilda (Adela Zaharia, on ground) in the Los Angeles Opera’s 2018 Mark Lamos production of Verdi’s “Rigoletto”; edited image, based on a Karen Almond photograph, courtesy of the Los Angeles Opera.]
For all performances Morris Robinson is Sparafucile and Ginger Costa-Jackson (Los Angeles Opera debut ) is Maddalena. Maestro Matthew Aucoin conducts, Mark Lamos directs.
[For my performance review, see: “Rigoletto” Review: Spectacular Los Angeles Opera Debuts for Michael Fabiano, Adela Zaharia – May 27, 2018.]
Don Carlo (Verdi), Los Angeles Opera, September 22, 29, October 4, 7m, 11 and 14m, 2018
Ramón Vargas is Don Carlo, Ana María Martínez is Elisabetta di Valois and Plácido Domingo is Rodrigo, Marquis di Posa Ferruccio Furlanetto is King Philip II and Anna Smirnova is Princess Eboli in a revival of Ian Judge’s production of Verdi’s “Don Carlo”.
[Below: a scene from the Los Angeles Opera’s 2006 presentation of Verdi’s “Don Carlo”; edited image, based on a production photograph, courtesy of the Los Angeles Opera.]
Maestro James Conlon conducts. Directing the revival is Louisa Muller.
Il Trovatore (Verdi), Seattle Opera, January 12, 13, 16, 19, 20, 23, 25 and 26, 2019.
Two casts share eight performances. On January 12, 16, 20 and 25, 2019, Issachah Savage is Manrico, Leah Crocetto is Leonora, Elena Gabouri is Azucena and Lester Lynch is Di Luna. On January 13, 19, 23 and 26, 2019, Martin Muehle is Manrico, Angela Meade is Leonora, Nora Sourouzian is Azucena and Michael Mayes is di Luna. Adam Lau (Ferrando) and Nerys Jones (Inez) sing in all performances.
[Below: Elena Gabouri as Azucena; edited image of a Philip Newton photograph, courtesy of the Seattle Opera.]
Maestro Carlo Montanaro is the conductor.
[For my performance reviews, see: Review: Crocetto, Rawls, Lynch and Gabouri Lead Seattle Opera’s Vocally Solid, Rethought “Trovatore” – January 12, 2019 and Review, “Il Trovatore”: Impressive Seattle Opera debuts for Meade, Muehle, Mayes and Sourouzian – January 13, 2019.]
This list is supplementary to previous lists in this “Quests and Anticipations” series of selected operas being performed through August 2018:
Massenet’s “Thaïs” at the Minnesota Opera [See In Quest of Operatic “Exoticism” – July 2017-May 2018.]
d’Albert’s “Tiefland” at the Sarasota Opera and Richard Strauss’ “Ariadne auf Naxos” at the Santa Fe Opera [See In Quest of German Operatic Repertory – September 2017-August 2018.]
Bizet’s “Carmen” at the Sarasota Opera and Berlioz’ “Beatrice et Benedict” at the Seattle Opera [See In Quest of Operas by Berlioz, Bizet and Massenet – November 2017 – March 1018.]
Bellini’s “Norma” at the Sarasota Opera, Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” at The Dallas Opera and Bellini’s “Norma” at the Houston Grand Opera [See In Quest of Mozart and Bellini Operatic Masterpieces – January-April 2018.]