Diana Damrau Conducts

After Having Surprised Audiences with Cartwheels at the La Sonnambula, the soprano Diana Damrau continued her antics at a Carnegie Hall Concert. She conducted the Vienna Philharmonic.

La Sonnambula Review

Last night I had the pleasure of seeing Sonnambula at the Met. While I hated the production and was utterly confused throughout the night, Diana Damrau was incredible and Javier Camarena was a break out.

Here is a snippet of my review. For the full review you'll have to click on the link below. Enjoy!

Opera is often considered the ultimate art form in which all other forms come together to create a potent whole. It is often unrealistic to expect the wholes to come together in perfect harmony every single time an opera is staged and often times the transcendence of certain elements is more than enough to make up for other subpar qualities in a performance. This is precisely what happened on Friday March 14 when the Met Opera revived Bellini's "La Sonnambula" for the first time since 2009.

The first major touchstone of Friday's performance was soprano Diana Damrau, who was making her role debut as Amina. Damrau is one the finest artists in the opera world today and always seems to maintain a wondrous balance between her vocal dynamism and her terrific acting ability. Click Here For the full Review

Bayerische Staatsoper 2014-15 Season

The Bavarian State Opera have announced their 2014-15 season with six new productions and a numbr of a list singers. The following are the new productions:  

• Věc Makropulos - Conductor: Tomáš Hanus  Production: Árpád Schilling with Nadja Michael in the title role. 
• Manon Lescaut - Conductor: Alain Altinoglu Production: Hans Neuenfels - Anna Netrebko and Jonas Kaufmann
• Lucia di Lammermoor - Conductor: Kirill Petrenko  Production: Barbara Wysocka - Diana Damrau and Pavol Breslik head the  cast
• Lulu - Conductor: Kirill Petrenko  Production: Dmitri Tcherniakov - Marlis Peterson and Bo Skovhus 
• Pelléas et Mélisande (festival) - Conductor: Constantinos Carydis  Production:Christiane Pohle 
• Arabella (festival) - Conductor: Philippe Jordan  Production: Andreas Dresen - Anja Harteros and Thomas Mayer star.

Other highlights in the season include the Kriegenburg Ring cycles which will be conducted by  conducted by Kirill Petrenko and stars Evelyn Herlitzius, Stuart Skelton, Stephen Gould and Anja Kampe.

Harteros will sing revivals of Tosca, Il trovatore, Don Carlo and La forza del destino. The latter is with Jonas Kaufmann.

Rolando Villazon will also return to L' Contes d'Hoffman.

 Kristine Opolais tackles Eugene Onegin, with Mariusz Kwiecen in the title role. Opolais will also perform La Clemenza di Tito and Madama Butterfly. Irene Theorin and Evelyn Herlitzius share the title role in  Elektra.

The legendary Edita Gruberova will return for  Roberto Devereux and Don Carlo will also feature Rene Pape, Ramon Vargas and Simon Keenlyside. Tristan und Isolde will be conducted by Philippe Jordan, features Pape with Waltraud Meier and Peter Seiffert.

Tell us what your most excited about!

Zurich Opera 2014-15 season to be headlined y Anna Netrebko, Diana Damrau, Joyce Didonato, and Cecilia Bartoli

The Zurich Opera has announced the 2014-15 season. The season will feature nine new productions.

The full list of premieres:

• Lohengrin - Simone Young, Andreas Homoki - with the great Klaus Florian Vogt in his signature role and Elza van den Heever as Elsa.
• The Turn of the Screw - Constantin Trinks, Willy Decker - with Pavol Breslik rounding those vowels as Quint
• Robin Hood by Frank Schwemmer - a children's opera
• Die Zauberflöte - Cornelius Meister, Tatjana Gürbaca 
• Juliette - Fabio Luisi, Andreas Homoki - Annette Dasch takes the title role
• Rote Laterne by Christian Jost - Alain Altinoglu, Nadja Laschky
• La traviata - Marco Armiliato, David Herman - Anita Hartig/Ailyn Perez, Pavol Breslik/Matthew Polenzani, Quinn Kelsey
• La verità in cimento - Ottavio Dantone, Jan Philipp Gloger  - a Vivaldi obscurity with an impressive period-specialist cast
• I Capuleti e i Montecchi - Fabio Luisi, Christof Loy - Anita Hartig and Joyce DiDonato are the lovelorn couple

There will also be a few revivals with big names. Among them are the revival of the Guth/Luisi Ariadne auf Naxos. Cecilia Bartoli will return to the theater  to perform "La Cenrentola"alongside Lawrence Brownlee. 

Claus Guth's Tristan und Isolde reappears conducted by Jiří Bělohlávek, and featuring Nina Stemme and Stephen Gould. Anna Netrebko will return to her acclaimed portrayal of Anna Bolena. She will be joined by Luca Pisaroni. There will also be a revival of Elektra with Evelyn Herlitzius in the title role and Emily Magee. Luca di Lammermoor will also be performed with Sonya Yoncheva while Aida will be revived with Latonia Moore in the title role. Finally Diana Damrau will sing Adina in L'Elisir d'Amore, 

Anna Netrebko and Jonas Kaufmann To Reunite for Manon Lescaut

While the season has yet to be announced, a recent rumor is confirming that Anna Netrebko and Jonas Kaufmann are set to sing a new production of Manon Lescaut at the Bayerische Staatsoper. The rumor has been circulating for a number of months.

The rumors also stated that Diana Damrau will return to the Staatsoper for a new production of Lucia Di Lammermoor and will sing alongside Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja.

The Bayerische Staatsoper is scheduled to release their season in March. 

La Traviata Livestream

The exciting soprano Diana Damrau will open La Scala in a New Production of La Traviata. ARTE will live stream the opera at 3 pm for those of you are excited for this work. Piotr Beczala will sing Alfredo and Zeljko Lucic will sing Germont. So if you saw Rigoletto at the Met last year, then you know what to expect.


Here is a Video La Scala Just released 

Recent HD's That Need a DVD Release

Two years ago I posted an article on performances that never obtained a DVD release and that should. These performances were a number of historical telecasts starring some of the best from the past. Out of the list only one was released, the Andrea Chenier from the Met with Pavarotti and Maria Guleghina. However the rest are still on a shelf collecting dust. Some of them have been added to the Met opera on Demand but the rest are either on Youtube or not available. The following is a list of recent performances that have made history or that are exceptional but have been ignored by distributors.

Damrau's Lucia Live Stream

Diana Damrau's famous Lucia di Lamermoor will be live stream on sonostream from Munich. The opera will also star Joseph Calleja and Ludic Tezier and will be conducted by Jose Lopez Cobos.  For more information on the live stream click here.

Notable CD and DVD Releases For the Month of June

The month of June will conclude the Tutto Verdi celebration as well as will bring a new CD by Alekandra Kurzak and Cecilia Bartioli's new Norma. Additionally Renee Fleming's Ariadne Auf Naxos will finally be released.

The most anticipated release of the month is by far Cecilia Bartoli's Norma. The new recording also stars Sumi Jo and John Osborn and brings a new critical edition that should prove revealing for audiences and the musical world around. It may also split many but it is one to listen to if for mere curiosity. 

Las Vegas Rigoletto Coming to DVD

The art work to the Met's new Rigoletto has been revealed. The production by Michael Mayer was a huge hit and stars Piotr Beczala, Zeljko Lucic and Diana Damrau in the principal roles. The DVD will be released on May 21 months before it is televised on PBS.

La Traviata Open Tonight

Diana Damrau makes her role debut as Violetta in Willy Decker's acclaimed production. Placido Domingo and Saimir Pirgu also star with Yannick Nezet-Seguin in the pit.

For more on Diana Damrau Click here for our exclusive interview.

For more on Saimir Pirgu click on our exclusive interview with the tenor.

Diana Damrau Interviewed by the Salazar's

In a recent interview with my brother David Salazar for Latinos Post, Diana Damrau revealed that she would be singing La Sonnanbula, Daphne, and The Pearl Fishers. Here is an excerpt: 

"In the busy café of the Elinur Bunin Munroe Film Center a mother and her two children share an intimate moment. The woman, internationally renowned soprano Diana Damrau, has brought along her children: two-year old Alexander and four-month old Colyn. The baby lies in his carriage begging for his mother while Alexander bustles about the space, exploring his environment. Damrau looks after Alexander as she picks up Colyn from the carriage and for the next hour, the superstar soprano speaks while keeping her two greatest treasures near.

"It's wonderful. It keeps you in the world and makes your life complete," says Damrau as she admires little Colyn resting in her arms. To Continue Click Here."

2014-2015 Met Opera Season Rumor

After the long awaited 2013-2014 was announced we now have some news on the next season. 2014-15 looks to be even more exciting with 6 new productions and even more exciting revivals.

Opening night will  be with a new production of Le nozze di Figaro, a production that is in a bit of flux at the moment since Anna Netrebko elected not to add Contessa Almaviva to her stage repertoire at the moment.  As it stands now, the new Mozart  will be conducted by James Levine in a production by Michael Grandage. The cast will be Maija Kovalevska, Marlis Petersen and Mikhail Petrenko but by the lack of stars the Met will most likely add a more marketable singer to the list.

Five further new productions dot the season:

The Death of Klinghoffer. Director: Tom Morris (ENO production]

Iolanta/Duke Bluebeard’s Castle. Conductor: Valery Gergiev. Director: Mariusz Trelinski. Cast includes Anna Netrebko and Alexei Tanovitski in theTchaikovksy, with  Nadja Michael and Mikhail Petrenko in the Bartók.

The New Year’s Eve extravaganza this season will be The Merry Widow, Conductor TBA. Susan Stroman directs Renée Fleming; later in the season the show returns with Susan Graham and Rodney Gilfry.

La Donna del Lago. Conductor: Michele Mariotti.  Director: John Fulljames.Joyce DiDonato, Daniela Barcellona, Juan Diego Florez.

Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci. Conducto: Fabio Luisi. Director: TBA. Marcelo Alvarez, Barbara Frittoli.

The repertoire will further include revivals of:

Aida with Liudmyla Monastyrska, Dmitry Belosselskiy.

Un Ballo in Maschera  with Sondra Radvanovsky, Yonghoon Lee.

Il Barbiere di Siviglia.

La Boheme with Maria Agresta.

Carmen with Elina Garanca/Anita Rachvelishvili, Roberto Alagna, Anita Hartig/Ailyn Perez.

Les Contes d’Hoffmann with Susanna Phillips, Matthew Polenzani.

Don Carlos with Barbara Frittoli, Nadia Krasteva, Jonas Kaufmann/Yonghoon Lee, Simon Keenlyside, Ferruccio Furlanetto. Chef d’orchestre for the first-ever Met performances in the original French will be Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

Don Giovanni

Ernani  with Placido Domingo as Don Carlo.

Faust with Anna Netrebko, Joseph Calleja, Rene Pape. [This production was described to La Cieca as "hanging by a thread," with nobody involved feeling enthusiastic about the project.]

Hansel and Gretel

Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk with Eva-Maria Westbroek, Brandon Jovanovich,Raymond Very.

Lucia di Lammermoor with Olga Peretyatko, conducted by Maurizio Benini.

Manon with Diana Damrau, Vittorio Grigolo.

Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg with Emily Magee, Karen Cargill, Johan Botha, Matthew Polenzani, Bryn Terfel, conducted by James Levine.

The Rake’s Progress with Lisette Oropesa, Stephanie Blythe, Gerald Finley.

La Traviata with Marina Rebeka, Francesco Demuro.

Die Zauberflote.

What do you guys think of this season!

Rigoletto Opens tomorrow

After having seen the rehearsal of Rigoletto I decided not to do a preview for Rigoletto so that I do not assume anything. I am pretty sure that many will enjoy the production which is in Las Vegas. The opera is very much traditional and it will not have much controversy as Micael Mayer is very respectful to Verdi. The production stars Piotr Beczala, Diana Damrau, and Zeljko Lucic. Michele Mariotti conducts. 

For pictures and information click here 

For videos click here 

Rigoletto's First Video

The Met has released the first video of their 1960s Vegas production from yesterday's rehearsal. The production is quite striking if a bit safe. More it later. Enjoy the video!

Met's Rigoletto Rehearsal pictures

Rigoletto stills have been revealed on the Facebook. The photos show a glimpse of Piotr Beczala, Diana Damrau and Zeljko Lucic in character and on stage. Enjoy!

The complete 2013-2014 Met operas (These are Rumors)

Last we revealed the HDs on my post Rumor article and today  Parterre has revealed the complete 2013-2014 Met Opera season which includes some of the casts and all the new productions. 

As it stands there will only be 6 new productions as I Puritani will be a revival. There is no soprano attached to the role. Other mystery casting is Wozzeck which was rumored to include Karita Mattila and Thomas Hampson but at the moment nothing is confirmed. And a surprise is that L'Elisir d'Amore will be revived with Netrebko and Ramon Vargas. Enjoy the list!

Don Giovanni to be released

Today news comes that Don Giovanni starring Ildebrando D'Arcangelo, Luca Pisaroni, Diana Damrau, Joyce Didonato, Rolando Villazon, and Mojca Erdmann will be released. The recording, done last year at Baden Baden, is slated to be released on September 7, 2012. Stay tuned.