FRONT OF HOUSE
EDITORIAL How Harry Kupfer made opera matter LETTERS Your thoughts and suggestions OPINION Are women opera’s victors or its victims? NEWS AND NOTES In memoriam: legendary East German director Harry Kupfer; Mike Volpe retires after 30 years with Opera Holland Park LETTER FROM… Zurich: far-reaching innovations at an award-winning opera house
REVIEWS - LIVE PRODUCTIONS Idomeneo at Teatro dell’Opera, Rome (54), Don Carlo at Greek National Opera (56), Tosca at Malmö Opera (58), Les Contes d’Hoffmann in Brussels (61), La bohème at Theater Basel (62), Belshazzar at Zurich Opera (64), highlights from Germany (Märchen im Grand Hotel at Hanover Opera, Lohengrin at Theater Dortmund)(66), Dialogues des Carmélites at Royal Northern College of Music (70) CD & DVD REVIEWS Eugene Onegin in Dmitri Tcherniakov’s revolutionary production, Weill’s Street Scene on DVD, new releases from the Gabrieli Consort and Ravi Shankar’s only foray into opera COLLECTOR’S CORNER 10 recordings that illustrate Renée Fleming’s evolving career
R E A L
D E L
I E R
: J A V
P H OTO
C O V E R
- SPOTLIGHT YOUR MONTHLY GUIDE TO OPERA WORLDWIDE New Productions • World Premieres • Exceptional Casts Rarities • Opera Now Choice
14
J A V I E R
D E L
R E A L
‘Being an artist is a mixture of egocentricity and humility’
CONTENTS
LESSONS FOR LIFE AND LOVE Sonya Yoncheva has a powerfully intense stage presence, likened to that of Maria Callas. How did her upbringing in communist Bulgaria make her determined to become the international star she is today?
IN PROFILE The eminent French director Olivier Py discusses the clash between Romanticism and Nationalism in opera
THE ART OF AGILITY Japanese singer Aya Wakizono’s distinctive voice defies categorisation, excelling in both mezzo and soprano roles OVERTURE TO AN ITALIAN SUMMER Make the most of a visit to Italy this summer with our guide to Italian Opera Festivals: repertoire highlights, practical tips, best places to stay, and where to wine and dine www.operanow.co.uk
Contents
24
38
66
RARE BUT WELL DONE As Opera Rara celebrates its 50th anniversary, meet the visionary artists who have helped unearth score after score of lost bel canto masterpieces COURTROOM DRAMAS Exploring the comical to complex roles that the law and justice play on the operatic stage FROM THE WINGS Adrian Mourby becomes insanely confused as he unpacks the illogical mix of speech and song in some of opera’s well-loved works TRAVELS IN GERMANY You want to experience some rare gems from the French operatic repertoire? Don’t go to France… WHY I LOVE OPERA As told by cultural éminence grise Nicholas Snowman
OperaNow February 2020 3
