Reviews

Don Pasquale: a colorful season starter at Minnesota Opera

Don Pasquale: a colorful season starter at Minnesota Opera

This production had an entertaining concept, though I wish it had been taken further. The "release" of the technicolor was not gradual enough to stay present in the audience minds in the second and third act. Additionally, Doctor Malatesta's apparel was changed into vibrant colors but the Don's was not. It would have been interesting for his clothes to change when he is at the end of his rope with Norina; then, when there was a happy ending to switch back to black and white.

Callie Cooper
Cleaned-up Callas: the remastered live recordings

Cleaned-up Callas: the remastered live recordings

What does an opera lover in the 21st century do with something like Warner Classics' recently released Maria Callas Live Remastered Recordings (1949-1964)? The first thing would be to squeal with glee: the box set includes live recordings of 20 full operas, 5 filmed recitals, and a book detailing each of the iconic roles sung by Callas.

Jenna Simeonov
A bold debut album: Brian Mulligan sings Dominick Argento

A bold debut album: Brian Mulligan sings Dominick Argento

Mulligan has a thrilling quality in his voice, an open-throated sound that's masculine, honest, and completely appealing; his is an exhilarating balance between constant beauty and toeing a risky edge.

Jenna Simeonov
"How did we do?" Second Movement Presents: rough for opera #16

"How did we do?" Second Movement Presents: rough for opera #16

All of the pieces were presented as works in progress, with the possibility of expansion or revision pending audience feedback. Being in this kind of environment, even as a spectator, was thrilling, with everyone in the room contributing to the creative process that goes into creating a piece of music theatre.

John Beckett
Xenophobia, Fake News, & Mental Health: Peter Grimes

Xenophobia, Fake News, & Mental Health: Peter Grimes

Warner's Grimes is far from blameless, mirroring the ambiguity around an attitude that welcomes outsiders when those outsiders pose a perceived threat. For a German audience that is still adjusting to the arrival of a million Syrian refugees in the wake of the 2015 migrant crisis and whose dark history of unfounded scapegoating still looms large, this Peter Grimes struck a resounding chord.

Blanche Israël
Cosmic grandeur and human frailty: Crossing

Cosmic grandeur and human frailty: Crossing

But forgetting this ambiguous relationship for a moment: Crossing is an engaging opera, held together over its generous hour and forty-minute run time (no intermission, thank goodness!) by a cohesive score happily swollen with motivic unity. When a recording becomes available, audiophiles can look forward to listening on repeat like a Wagnerite, collecting and linking more motifs each time.

Jeremy Hirsch
A string of Pearls from Bizet and LA Opera

A string of Pearls from Bizet and LA Opera

Dark fabric billows beneath the set, and one is never allowed to forget that the sea is the underpinning of everything that’s happening. When the inevitable storm comes, the fabric is no longer lovely and tranquil but frightening as it inflates to ever bigger and bigger "waves." Another constant device: during much of the drama in Act I, a lone fisherman bobs up and down in his boat beneath the pillars that hold up the village.

Loren Lester
Searching for superlatives: LOC's suberb Rigoletto

Searching for superlatives: LOC's suberb Rigoletto

Here is when a reviewer typically starts reaching into his bag of superlatives, but at the risk of hyperbolizing, Kelsey's performance sets a new standard. At just 39 years old, the Ryan-Opera-Center-alumnus looked and sounded every bit the part of a father aged and disfigured by paranoia, disillusionment, and delusion.

Michael Pecak
Laughing out loud: The Barber of Seville at ENO

Laughing out loud: The Barber of Seville at ENO

Count Almaviva was sung by Eleazar Rodríguez, a singer who had as much energy in his stage presence as he did in his singing. He brilliantly toed the line between goofy and sincerely lovestruck, playing the character of Almaviva full of youthful optimism and romantic determination. His singing, too, was wonderful - his lovely leggiero voice handled the technical demands of Rossini with ease.

Vivian Darkbloom
Rowley wins the night in Nashville Opera's Tosca

Rowley wins the night in Nashville Opera's Tosca

My companion for the evening hadn't seen Tosca before (or even heard the music!), and quickly read a synopsis in advance ("I get the idea," she texted me, "Opera war Italy love murder. Papal stuff."), but a synopsis can't really prepare one for this opera, can it?

Tracy Monaghan

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