A star soprano and a stellar debut in Oper Frankfurt's Manon Lescaut

Review

In Puccini's anodyne libretto however, des Grieux and Manon become unwitting martyrs. Des Grieux's self-pity is sublimated into hopeless romanticism too pure for a cruel world. Manon, mercurial and unparsable in the novella, is given a clearly defined voice and a straight-forward moral compass.

A Tosca found wanting in Virginia Opera's production

Review

In general, tempos throughout the performance were sluggish, particularly in the first act. The love duet plodded along and the Te Deum was agonizingly slow, as was Mario's third act aria "e lucevan le stelle."

Greek tragedy meets Sunset Boulevard: Minnesota Opera's new Elektra

Review

With all these different uses of the one dramatic tool, the creative team certainly believed in the effectiveness of the medium. I think it could have been trimmed a bit, because it distracted from the artists on stage.

Immersed and captivated by AtG's Bohème in Winnipeg

Review

Ivany told me that there are always audience members at these performances for whom opera is a new experience, and I think bringing opera to new audiences in this manner is a fantastic idea.

"Transladapted" Bohème offers fresh, intimate production for national tour

Review

At the same time, the limited set design accentuates the quality of the music to tell the story of La bohème, from the virtuosic one-man orchestra in pianist David Eliakis, to the cast. And in a smaller space, the story becomes even more intimate and heart-wrenching.

Brownlee headlines season opener in Chicago

Review

While his vocal brilliance was not at all a surprise, Lawrence Brownlee's spirited stage antics were a consistent delight throughout the evening. Known for virtuosically ornamenting the already-florid lines of his bel canto repertoire, Brownlee seemed to be playing it safe on Saturday night, despite sounding in fantastic voice.

Pagliacci alone makes festive, shocking season opener

Review

This, combined with a note-complete love duet, was enough for the production to justify the bells and whistles of its carnival pre-show, and I found myself not wanting for Pagliacci's much-beloved double-bill partner Cavalleria rusticana.

Grand, if overlong, Henry VIII

Review

Of course, when the music found its dramatic stride, Saint-Saëns could deliver the drama in spades.The septet (actually an octet) that closed Act II made me wonder why it was cut to begin with, for it's the perfect musical climax to the second act.

Burlesque meets opera: OperaTease

Review

I longed for more of this full integration of the two art forms, the burlesque and opera were truly crossing paths in this entertaining act.

A Lucretia rich in symbolism from Journey North Opera

Review

The Male Chorus (sung fiercely and with crystal clear diction by tenor Wesley Frye) was dressed as half man half stag. The Female Chorus, played by lyric soprano Amy Wolf was a more feminine version and also had antlers. The head pieces were quite ornate.