Quinn Kelsey and Lise Davidsen star in a potent production of Verdi’s classic. By Heidi Waleson Sept. 24, 2026 at 4:29 pm ET Lise Davidsen and Quinn Kelsey MARTY SOHL / MET OPERA New York Verdi’s “Macbeth” (1847, revised 1865) is a ferocious work, and the riveting new production by director Louisa Proske that opened the Metropolitan Opera season on Tuesday …
Tag Archives: books
‘El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego’ Review: Painters Reunited at the Met Opera
Gabriela Lena Frank’s work about Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera is full of luxuriant color—visual and musical—in the company’s new production. By Heidi Waleson Updated May 18, 2026 at 4:46 pm ET Isabel Leonard and Carlos Álvarez MARTY SOHL / MET OPERA New York The lavish new Metropolitan Opera production of Gabriela Lena Frank’smagical “El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego” …
Continue reading “‘El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego’ Review: Painters Reunited at the Met Opera”
‘Tristan und Isolde’ Review: At the Met Opera, Wagner’s Vast World
Director Yuval Sharon’s company debut is an imaginative, expansive production headed by two top-flight singers, Lise Davidsen and Michael Spyres. By Heidi Waleson Lise Davidsen and Michael Spyres. MET OPERA New York In his 2024 book, “A New Philosophy of Opera,” the American director Yuval Sharon offered a radical vision for an art form that is often mired …
Continue reading “‘Tristan und Isolde’ Review: At the Met Opera, Wagner’s Vast World”
‘Complications in Sue’ Review: One Woman, 10 Composers
Opera Philadelphia’s world-premiere production—with a libretto by Michael R. Jackson that follows its heroine across 10 decades, each one scored by a different composer—proved a remarkably successful experiment. By Heidi Waleson Feb. 11, 2026 at 3:23 pm ET Justin Vivian Bond STEVEN PISANO Philadelphia During its not quite two years of Anthony Roth Costanzo’s leadership, Opera Philadelphia has been …
Continue reading “‘Complications in Sue’ Review: One Woman, 10 Composers”
‘The Delta King’s Blues’ Review: Robert Johnson at the Opera
A new work in Washington from composer Damien Geter and librettist Jarrod Lee depicts the life and legend of the great guitarist. By Heidi Waleson Dec. 9, 2025 at 5:49 pm ET Albert R. Lee, Marvin Wayne, Anthony Ballard, Christian Simmons STORY MODE Washington At a compact 45 minutes, “The Delta King’s Blues,” given its world premiere …
Continue reading “‘The Delta King’s Blues’ Review: Robert Johnson at the Opera”
Opera in Europe: Established but Adventurous
Recent productions in Germany and the Netherlands—of classics, curiosities and contemporary works by composers ranging from Strauss to Saariaho—powerfully exemplified the scene’s risk-taking artistic ethos. By Heidi Waleson April 7, 2025 at 4:43 pm ET The company of Offenbach’s ‘Die Schöne Helena.’ PHOTO: IKO FREESE Berlin; Dresden, Germany; Amsterdam New Yorkers who visit Berlin often feel at home—the …
Continue reading “Opera in Europe: Established but Adventurous”
