Santa Fe Opera Review: Time-Swapped Tales of Love

The summer program includes the world premiere of ‘The Righteous’ along with four classics—‘Der Rosenkavalier,’ ‘La Traviata,’ ‘Don Giovanni’ and ‘The Elixir of Love’—brought closer to the present. By  Heidi Waleson Aug. 5, 2024 at 6:15 pm ET Michael Mayes and the Santa Fe Opera ensemble  PHOTO: CURTIS BROWN Santa Fe, N.M.  “The Righteous,” having its world premiere …

‘Le Prophète,’ ‘Anna di Resburgo’ and ‘I Capuleti e i Montecchi’ Reviews: Resurrections and Raucousness

At Bard SummerScape and Lincoln Center, three operas depict fiery conflicts and family feuds, from a Reformation-era religious rebellion to a timeless tale of ill-fated lovers. By  Heidi Waleson July 30, 2024 at 4:58 pm ET Jennifer Feinstein and Robert Watson in ‘Le Prophète.’  PHOTO: ANDY HENDERSON Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y. This season’s opera rarity at Bard SummerScape is Giacomo …

‘American Apollo,’ ‘Pelléas et Mélisande’ and ‘The Fairy Queen’ Reviews: Muses and Mirages at the Opera

Three operas portray the trancelike state of love, from a world-premiere production exploring the intimate bond between John Singer Sargent and his male studio model to Debussy’s classic tragedy and Purcell’s intoxicating adaptation of Shakespeare. By Heidi Waleson July 22, 2024 at 5:27 pm ET Justin Austin and William Burden in ‘American Apollo.’ PHOTO: CORY …

‘Robeson’ Review: Davóne Tines as the Tortured Hero

At Little Island, the life and repertoire of the controversial singer, actor and activist Paul Robeson were explored in a new work performed by Mr. Tines and conceived by the bass-baritone and director Zack Winokur. By Heidi Waleson  July 1, 2024 at 5:30 pm ET Khari Lucas and Davóne Tines.  PHOTO: PHOTO: JULIETA CERVANTES New York Little …

‘Galileo Galilei,’ ‘Julius Caesar’ and ‘La Bohème’ Reviews: Opera History Made New

The Opera Theatre of Saint Louis presents a 2002 chamber work by Philip Glass, along with trimmed and translated Handel and Puccini stagings with a modern feel. By  Heidi Waleson June 24, 2024 at 5:19 pm ET Vanessa Becerra and Sean Michael Plumb in ‘Galileo.’  PHOTO: ERIC WOOLSEY Webster Groves, Mo. Opera Theatre of Saint Louis makes …

‘The Comet / Poppea’ and ‘Innocence’ Reviews: Desperate Couples and Family Secrets

Yuval Sharon melds a modern work with Monteverdi in a staging at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles; at the San Francisco Opera, Kaija Saariaho’s final opera is a both timely and timeless meditation on our capacity for evil. By  Heidi Waleson June 18, 2024 at 5:19 pm ET A scene from ‘Innocence’ at …

THE GUITAR RULES

            These reviews first appeared in The Quarterly of the Lute Society of America in significantly altered form. The modern guitar dominates the commercial music we hear in the west. Since the time of Elvis Presley and the Beatles, bands made up of fretted instruments and percussion have become the convention in popular music. The tradition …

La Serenissima – Italian Music for Lute (and others)

These reviews first appeared in The Quarterly of the Lute Society of America in significantly altered form. La Suave Melodia, Performance Practice in Italy 1600-1660, Ensemble Badinerie, Rahel Stoellger, flauto dolce, William Dongois. Cornetto, 68’09, 21 tracks, Accent Plus ACC10401, Recorded 2000, released 2010 Arguably, modern western musical harmony was born in and around the …

Spoleto Festival USA Review: Timely Opera and Ancient Drama

‘Ruinous Gods’ struggles to find musical or narrative coherence in its depiction of the toll forced migration takes on children; Denis O’Hare and Lisa Peterson’s ‘The Song of Rome’ offers a sophisticated modern spin on Virgil’s ‘Aeneid. By Heidi Waleson May 29, 2024 at 3:11 pm ET Karim Sulayman  PHOTO: WILLIAM STRUHS Charleston, S.C. In the past, …

SEMPER DOWLAND

These reviews first appeared in The Quarterly of the Lute Society of America in significantly altered form. John Dowland (1563-1636) is indisputably the premier composer for the lute. He led a peripatetic life around Europe, including a decade in Denmark as the court lutenist, which brought a cosmopolitan experience to his composing. He was a …