Month: March 2018

Eugen d’Albert’s “Tiefland” is an extraordinary operatic work, the only German language opera written in the verismo style that has held its own in the European opera repertory, yet one that has only been mounted three times in North America in its 115 year old history. Its luxurious, melodic music frames a Catalonian story that … Read more

For the Sarasota Opera’s 2018 Winter Festival, the company presented its first performances ever of Puccini’s “Manon Lescaut”, the composer’s only major repertory work previously missing from the company’s performance repertory. [Below: Manon (here, Sandra Lopez, left) with the Chevalier des Grieux (Matthew Vickers, right) in the second act of Puccini’s “Manon Lescaut”; edited image, … Read more

Sarasota Opera presented Bellini’s “Norma”, one of three operas being performed for the first time in company history as part of the 2018 Winter Opera Festival. I attended the sixth of eight performances, in a Saturday matinee performance in a busy weekend that already included a performance the previous night [Review: Sarasota Opera “Carmen” with … Read more

Sarasota Opera’s 2018 Winter Opera Festival is comprised of four operas. Three of the operas  (Puccini’s “Manon Lescaut”, Bellini’s “Norma” and d’Albert’s “Tiefland”) have never been presented by the company before this year. The fourth, Bizet’s “Carmen”, has been revived after a five season absence, using 2012 production sets created by David P. Gordon in … Read more

The Washington National Opera presented Tim Albery’s production of Verdi’s “Don Carlo” with an impressive cast of Verdian singers. Russell Thomas’ Don Carlo In the title role, Florida lyric tenor Russell Thomas gave an impassioned, vocally secure performance of Don Carlo, the anguished heir to the Spanish throne. Throughout the performance and particularly in the … Read more