The singularity of Fauré in Oper Frankfurt's Pénélope

Review

The men indiscriminately abuse Pénélope and the women of her kingdom, theatrically throwing them around like amateur wrestlers. Yet their violence succeeds as seduction and they are rewarded with sexual favors. The men are thinly drawn, each portraying a single affect – incredulity, apathy, viciousness and predation. The women are sexualized totems who have little effect on the larger story.

Sondra's Three Queens earn "thunderous ovation" in Chicago

Review

Billed as selected excerpts from three operas, the event comes across on paper as a kind of combination Donizetti-teaser and superstar feature concert. Yet, the experience was remarkably gratifying artistically thanks not only to the operas’ shared backstories, but also to director Matthew Ozawa’s unity of concept through the scenes and, of course, Radvanovsky’s riveting portrayal of Anne Boleyn, Mary Stuart, and Elizabeth I.

Jones reflects Glass in ENO's Orphée

Review

Much like past productions I've seen at ENO, the singing was a bit of a mixed bag. Many of the characters were played by young singers at the beginning of their careers. Naturally, some flourished while others struggled to keep up.

Ciekiewicz shines in the title role of Manitoba Opera's Susannah

Review

I hope that Ciekiewicz gets many more opportunities to sing this role. You won't hear it sung better anywhere, and her outstanding dramatic ability helped us feel the heartbreak of Susannah's anguish and confusion.

Death in Venice: a near-perfect production

Review

At first glance, this opera based on the Thomas Mann novella of the same name doesn't lend itself to the stage which could, in part, be the reason Britten sat with the piece for so many years.

A perfect-fit Figaro in UofT Opera's Nozze

Review

Incredible music, a beautiful set, and even stunning costumes too. Lisa Magill perfectly rounds out the production with her classic designs. She successfully fits the designs to the 18th century, and manages to have everyone looking their absolute best.

Rightly uncomfortable: FGO's Don Giovanni

Review

The over-the-top, 50's-horror-movie vibes of the opera's finale? Go ahead and laugh (some in the audience did). But an aria cataloguing thousands of victims of rape; a rapist sharply calling a survivor of his violence "You bitch!" – we should feel uncomfortable laughing at these moments.

TAP:EX Augmented Opera lives up to its name

Review

As opera, and theatre in general, is forever evolving with the times, it's quite exciting to see new, cutting-edge approaches being used so successfully.

Check out: the Irish Art Song Project

Editorial

“Even though I was brought up speaking Irish Gaelic, it didn't occur to me to commission composers to write on Irish Gaelic texts,” says Ní Mheadhra. “Colonization does weird things to a country.”

Patience rewarded in Oper Frankfurt's Tamerlano

Review

The characters begin as caricatures. Tamerlano (Lawrence Zazzo), a sadistic Southwestern oil baron who's a cross between Yosemite Sam and Daniel Day Lewis's tics in There Will Be Blood, has a grin (and mustache) glued to his face.