As one of the highlights of the Holland Festival 2016, renowned director Stefan Herheim staged Tchaikovsky’s much-loved opera about a young man who, for the prospect of earthly wealth, gambles away his chance for love and happiness. Herheim gives an exciting visualisation of how Tchaikovsky’s unspeakable homosexuality and passion rises through the music to the surface of the story of gambling and love. The life he has acted and forfeited is played out against the drama. Mariss Jansons returned to Amsterdam to conduct Pique Dame with “his” Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. He encounters a noteworthy cast, including star tenor Misha Didyk, a sought after interpreter of the Russian repertoire, who was making his Amsterdam debut in the role of Herman. The critics agree about the production’s quality: “A Pique Dame of extraordinary musical and scenical power” (Avant-Scène Opéra), which it is “absolutely worth seeing!” (Die Welt).
Madama Butterfly
La Traviata
Verdi’s La traviata at the Chorégies d’Orange Festival on the open air stage of the ancient Roman Théâtre has all ingredients for a big success: a popular title, renowned artists with luxury voices, a tasteful staging and a great show in a stunning ambience – and it lived up to the expectations: “We have seen many La traviatas, and heard, but this one will rest in our memories” echoed the press after the first night. Placido Domingo in the role of Giorgio Germont is celebrating a triumphal return to the Festival after nearly four decades of absence. Albanian soprano Ermonela Jaho, immediately elevated to “the queen of the Chorégies”, is a stunning Violetta at eye level with the great interpreters of this role, tenor Francesco Meli as a vibrant Alfredo completes the supreme cast.
Don Quixote
The centuries-long dialogue between Spanish folk dance and high culture stage dance reached its zenith in the ballet „Don Quixote“, which was premiered in 1869 in Moscow. For his ballet, Frenchman Marius Petipa drew inspiration from episodes in the legendary novel by Cervantes. The music was composed by Austrian Ludwig Minkus. In the East a fixture in the repertoire since its première, in the West „Don Quixote“ became part of the international repertoire only following the adaptation by Rudolf Nureyev for the Vienna State Opera. From Vienna the ballet went around the world and now returned to the opera house on the Ring after an extended absence. “A Don Quixote to love … Legris and company can count the evening a total success” (Die Presse);
Lohengrin
This most anticipated premiere features Anna Netrebko and Piotr Beczala in their first ever Wagnerian roles as Elsa and Lohengrin under the baton of Christian Thielemann, doubtlessly today’s foremost conductor of this repertoire. Outstanding Wagnerians Evelyn Herlitzius and Tomasz Konieczny are starring as the opponents Ortrud and Friedrich von Telramund and Georg Zeppenfeld is Heinrich der Vogler at the prestigious Semperoper Dresden, with the Staatskapelle Dresden in the pit. The production with its psychologic depth, timeless setting and stunning costumes is staged after the original production by Christine Mielitz, the internationally acclaimed director, who is affiliated with the Semperoper since her beginnings alongside Harry Kupfer. “Netrebko and Beczala are Wagner Stars (New York Times)”; “Pure bliss! Never ending applause! (FAZ)”
Madama Butterfly
One of Puccini’s most popular works, Madama Butterfly contains some of the composer’s loveliest music. Its themes of love and heartbreak are common in almost every human experience and its plethora of beautiful melodies make it immediately attractive to audiences everywhere. This superb Verona production is memorable both visually and musically, and brilliantly evokes the opera’s Japanese setting. Raina Kabaivanska as the tragic heroine and Nazzareno Antinori as her American husband Pinkerton, who deserts her, give performances that capture the profound but elegant drama of the work.
Aida
Verdi’s enduring masterpiece of musical theatre, Aida, is a marvellous blend of human emotion and grand spectacle, full of Egyptian pomp and pageantry. In Sam Wanamaker’s lavish production, highly acclaimed for its extraordinary musical performances, Margaret Price is outstanding as the Ethiopian slave, Aida, Luciano Pavarotti makes a triumphant debut in the role of Radames, commander of the Egyptian Army, and the entire performance is masterfully shaped by the Spanish conductor, García Navarro.
Manon Lescaut
Manon Lescaut is one of the world’s great love stories. It is a tragic tale of a beguiling young woman, torn between true love and a desire for wealth, who discovers she can’t have both. A young student, Des Grieux, meets the beautiful, but capricious, Manon. They fall in love and he saves her from abduction by a rich old roué. But Manon cannot resist the lure of wealth and later allows herself to be seduced by the old man. Before long, however, she is bored, and when Des Grieux appears, her love is reignited. When the old man catches them together, Manon is arrested and deported to Louisiana. The compassionate ship’s captain allows Des Grieux to go with her, and she dies in his arms in the desert.
Salome
In Petr Weigl’s production of Richard Strauss’s powerful and erotic one-act opera, Catherine Malfitano produces a spellbinding performance as Salome, a role which demands the utmost physical and emotional commitment throughout the complex vocal passages and choreographed scenes. During a banquet, Jochanaan (John the Baptist) proclaims, from his prison cell, the coming of the Messiah. He is brought for Salome to see and she, fascinated by him, makes an advance which he shuns, urging her not to follow the ways of her mother, Herodias. When Jochanaan is taken back to his cell, Herod asks Salome to dance, and she agrees on condition that she will be granted a wish. After her Dance of the Seven Veils, she demands the head of Jochanaan, which Herod is forced to have brought to her. She fondles and kisses it until the revolted Herod orders his soldiers to crush her with their shields.
Ermione
Recorded at Glyndebourne’s superb opera house, this lavishly praised production of Rossini’s forgotten and unusual tragic opera has proved to be an unequivocal success. Based on Racine’s Andromaque, this account of the Greek and Trojan love tangle has been set by Graham Vick in the classically-inspired auditorium of an Italian opera house, rather than in ancient Greece. The set designs, with their striking colours, forms and lighting are as if created especially for the small screen. “Ermione leapt into the house as a drama – engaging, fiery, tragic, profound” OPERA