Reviews, appreciation and analysis of all things opera
After an absence of 19 seasons, Tchaikovsky’s richly melodic, intensely dramatic 1879 opera “Eugene Onegin” returned to the Santa Fe Opera in a new production by Italian director Alessandro Talevi. “Onegin” is an opera in which the relationships between four major characters – Onegin, Tatyana, Lensky and Olga – can be presented in different ways. … Read more
Santa Fe Opera, in its second week of resuming performances after cancellation of its 2020 season, assayed the world premiere of John Corigliano’s and Mark Adamo’s opera “Lord of Cries”. The opera combines select characters of Euripides’ “The Bacchae” and Stoker’s “Dracula” and loosely weaves together bits of plot from each work. I attended the … Read more
Note from William: My most recent review of an operatic performance was that of the Sarasota Opera’s production of Catalani’s “La Wally” on March 7, 2020. Although I was scheduled to review subsequent operatic performances in Chicago, San Francisco, the Glimmerglass Festival, Los Angeles, Dallas and Houston, every one of these performances was canceled as … Read more