So far in May...

I bet the most important operatic event in Europe this month is the new production of Der Ferne Klang in Zurich, with our fave Ingo Metzmacher rocking the house & a huge cast performing very well too.  On this link you can find a 10 mins long video trailer which only made me regret more that I wasn't able to better organize my travel plans and see this wowzerly-show.
Please see the reviews by Intermezzo and by Welt der Oper.

From the Jens-Daniel Herzog's production of Der Ferne Klang

More after Read more...


Another MAJOR operatic event is the new Stuttgart production of Kat'a Kabanova. The show is directed by Jossi Wieler and Sergio Morabito. Pics look wonderful and it seems the producers decided to put some spice on the relation between Varvara and Katerina (?) ;) Watch also their nicely prepared trailer.
The critics apparently loved the show [including the most irrational FT critics].  This production is symbolic because Jossi Wieler is marking his territory -- in September 2010 he will be the new Artistic Director of the Stuttgart Opera.

Wieler/Morabito production of Kat'a Kabanova in Stuttgart

Is that me or there is quite a bit of visual resemblance between the Vera Nemirova's Rheingold in Franfurt and the one by Guenter Kraemer, recently presented in Paris? The two productions are apparently completely different in content.
The press is very enthusiastic about this new production and the fans apparently love it too...

Guy Joosten produces new Aida for the Hamburg Opera and the pics look as if the production was inspired by a G.G.Marquez's novel ;) Aida is my least favorite Verdi, but the photos below tackle my curiosity. La prima tonight!

Pics from new Aida in Hamburg 

In Lyon The Queen of Spades completed the Pushkin cycle of operas by Tchaikovsky Pushkin. The whole cycle received a bunch of rave reviews, the fans are gushing over the vocal quality of all the shows and a wonderful conducting by Kirill Petrenko  receives the split reactions, as predicted :)

You can see a video clip for each of the three operas on the Lyon Opera website [Eugene Onegin, Mazeppa, The Queen of Spades].

I blogged earlier about the new production of La Calisto in Paris; you can still see the new Laurent Pelly's production of Don Quichotte on Arte Live Web; and new Carmen from Lille, with a wonderful Stéphanie d’Oustrac in the title role. I also mentioned Christof Loy's new production of La donna del lago in Geneva. 

In Spain the press is making a buzz about a very starry new production of L'incoronazione di Poppea which will open tonight in Madrid. I couldn't find any photo or a video trailer. I only came across an interview with a "dream team of countertenors"

 

BTW, the same cast, Art Flo and William Christie will come to Paris on May 30, and perform the same opera in concert at la salle Pleyel.

I didn't blog about the new production of Fidelio at the Komische Oper in Berlin because: (a) I didn't see it and I plan to, (b) it was premiered in April. However, it cannot pass without proper reference as it triggered quite a fuss in Berlin.
The production received very bad reviews --which essentially doesn't mean anything as the Komische Oper is regularly producing the Regie shows that challenge the public and upset the traditionalists. The troubling part was that the musical quality of the show was equally criticized which is very unflattering  for the house known to be a temple of best young conductors [Kreizberg, Jurowski, Petrenko...]

 

Bad reviews of the musical quality of that Fidelio only further deteriorated already bad relations between Andreas Homoki (the house Intendant ) and  Carl St. Clair (Music Director), resulting in St.Clair's resignation two years before the end of his contract.
Therefore 2010-2011 will be quite interesting a season for the Komische: Barrie Kosky [who managed a miracle and produced Rigoletto to look intelligent!] will be the new intendant (Homoki goes to Zurich!), and 29 years old Patrick Lange will be the new Music Director.