William Burnett

Last December, I reported on a performance of the Jean-Pierre Ponnelle production of Rossini’s “La Cenerentola” in Paris, and the confluence of this influential production (which appeared in its first permutation at the San Francisco Opera in 1969) with a revival of interest in Rossini’s great body of operatic work. [See Ponnelle’s Historic “Cenerentola” at the … Read more

Soprano Angela Meade’s role debut as Norma in Bellini’s opera of that name occurred in a Washington National Opera performance at the Kennedy Center. [Below: Angela Meade as Norma; edited image, based on a Scott Suchman photograph, courtesy of the Washington National Opera.] Buttressed by the indulgent but effective conducting of Daniele Rustioni in his … Read more

John Pascoe’s intelligently conceived 2004 production of Puccini’s “Manon Lescaut” returned nine years later to the Washington National Opera for its first revival at the Kennedy Center. Strongly cast in both its major and minor roles, it provided the role debut for Puccini specialist Patricia Racette and introduced Bulgarian tenor Kamen Chanev to new audiences … Read more

The San Diego Opera, whose early years were noted for such adventurous excursions into 19th century French opera as Thomas’ “Hamlet”, Saint-Saens’ “Henry VIII” and Chabrier’s “Gwendoline”, has emerged as one of America’s current champions of the French opera repertoire. In the past seven seasons the San Diego Opera has created new productions of Bizet’s … Read more

The Florida Grand Opera presented a revival of Bellini’s “La Sonnambula”, respectfully staged – as it was in 2007 – by Renata Scotto, herself one of the greatest protagonists of the title role in the 1960s and 1970s. The revival provided the opportunity to hear two young American artists, Georgia’s Rachele Gilmore as Amina and … Read more

The San Diego Opera opened their four opera 2013 season by mounting Emilio Sagi’s immensely amusing production of Donizetti’s melody-filled “La Fille du Regiment”, time-shifted to the era of World War II. Premiering in Paris in 1840 (composed a generation before Gounod’s “Faust”), “La Fille” is the oldest 19th century French opera that can be said to have … Read more

On a bitterly cold January evening, chilled Salt Lake City residents were invited to escape to a fantasy tropical river cruise, as Utah Opera presented Catan’s “Florencia en El Amazonas”. The work is a contemporary opera meant to be accessible to audiences, with lush orchestration and melodic themes, and an absorbing, ultimately surreal storyline. Inspired … Read more

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Bayerische Staatsoper has revived its spectacular production of Puccini’s “Turandot”, first seen in Munich in December 2011, which Spanish Concept Director Carlus Padrissa resets into the year 2046. [Below: Director Carlus Padrissa; edited image, based on a photograph from rtve.es.] In this fifth decade of the 21st century of Padrissa’s imagination, Chinese bond dealers, having taken advantage … Read more

Gluck’s French operatic masterpieces challenge production designers and stage directors, who are seeking to mount the works in ways that can be appreciated by 21st century audiences. In 2009, I had reported on Mexican Director’s Francisco Negrin’s ideas for Gluck’s “Alceste” at the Santa Fe Opera Festival, in which exoticism in costumes and dance styles … Read more

Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro” is the longest running smash hit in the standard operatic repertory, as witty, hilariously funny, and beautifully written as any musical composition ever designed for performance. It is a source of wonder that throughout its 226 years of existence up to the present day, opera goers can attend performances multiple … Read more