“Winterreise” by Franz Schubert – unquestionably one of the best known works in the lieder repertoire – engages with its audience in a new and unexpected form: in a creative encounter with Schubert’s masterpiece, the celebrated lieder specialist Matthias Goerne, pianist Markus Hinterhäuser and South African director, set designer and
theatre artist William Kentridge joined forces on stage and traced newly imagined, deeply moving images. In short animated films, Kentridge visualises Goerne’s and Hinterhäuser’s sonic contribution. A memorable meeting “of melancholy and magic” (La Marseillaise).
In September 1975 Leonard Bernstein celebrated a triumphal return to Paris after a four-year absence, conducting the Orchestre National de France in two concerts. One featured exclusively works by Maurice Ravel, the other the Berlioz Requiem. Both concerts were recorded by Unitel. Bernstein had the good fortune to be able to conduct the monumental Requiem at the venue of its 1837 world premiere, the church or St. Louis des Invalides.
Opera legend Plácido Domingo returns to the spectacular Arena di Verona with a programme dedicated to the great Italian composers Verdi and Giordano. Jordi Bernàcer conducts the orchestra of the Arena di Verona from the center of the Arena, which creates an incredible surround sound, embedded in a perfectly staged light show. The musical heart of the evening are long excerpts from La Traviata, where Domingo’s dark voice fits wonderfully for the role of Germont. An extraordinary evening, culminating in long applause for the charismatic singer. “Domingo performed with bravura, alternating with the spectacular Saioa Hernández” (operaactual.com).
Passion that burns, consumes and sometimes kills – it’s the central theme of this concerto lirico, which marks the finale of a very special summer festival at the Arena. The two star singers Sonya Yoncheva and Vittorio Grigolo present “with dramatic and passionate synergy” (OperaClick) some of the most beautiful love duets of opera history. Accompanied by Plácido Domingo as conductor, they combine French repertoire (Gounod, Massenet, Bizet) with famous Italian pieces by Verdi and Puccini, like “E lucevan le stelle” from Tosca, “Un bel di vedremo” from Madama Butterfly or “Mimì?!…Speravo di trovarvi qui” from La Bohème.
Da Ponte and Friends takes audiences on a journey through the life of Lorenzo Da Ponte, highlighting his pivotal role in introducing Italian opera to America. The show explores the diverse worlds Da Ponte inhabited: the court of Vienna, revolutionary Europe, and the birth of the New World. Through his collaborations with Mozart, Salieri, and others, Da Ponte’s work bridges the classical and the revolutionary, connecting the past with the present. Conceived by Claudio Orazi and Francesco Zimei, this project honors Mozart’s legacy and beyond, featuring the Carlo Felice Theatre Orchestra, conducted by Alvise Casellati, with soloists Salome Jicia (soprano), Giovanni Sala (tenor), and Levent Bakirci (baritone). Actor Giampiero Judica narrates as Da Ponte, bringing to life the librettist’s memoirs. The performance includes famous arias from operas by Da Ponte, Mozart, Salieri, Martín y Soler, and others, showcasing both beloved and rarely heard works
A concert in honor of the 85th birthday of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI. The Cappella Musicale Pontificia “Sistina” is one of the oldest and most prestigious musical institutions the “Choir of the Pope”. Under the direction of Massimo Palombella they perform some concerts of the most beautiful and most popular composers of sacred music; from Gregorian chant to the Kyrie and Gloria Papae Marcelli di Palestrina. A highlight of the evening is also the premiere of “here est Operatus” by Lorenzo Perosi. This is a new piece of the great composer, found recently in historical archives.
Repertoire: Claudio Monteverdi, Tempro la cetra (Libro VII dei madrigali) / Claudio Monteverdi, Voglio di vita uscir (Scherzi muiscali) / Benedetto Ferrari, Voglio di vita uscir (Musiche varie a voce sola, libro II) / Francesco Cavalli, Scene dall’Egisto / Claudio Monteverdi, Aria di Ulisse; Dormo ancora (Il Ritorno di Ulisse in Patria) / Tarquinio Merula, Folle è ben (Madrigali et altri capricci)
In order to honor the anniversary of Claudio Monteverdi’s (1567- 1643) the ensemble Cappella Mediterranea and their founder Leonardo García Alarcón were given the special permission, to perform in an outstanding venue, the Chiesetta del Doge at the Palazzo Ducale in Venice for an unique musical project: The first performance of Monteverdi’s music in more than 300 years at the Doges chapel, the heart of the old Venetian republic, where Monteverdi was the official court composer. Based on the theme of “Angels and Demons” the ensemble perform extracts from Monteverdi’s opera and madrigal compositions. The half-scenic production is staged by Olivier Lexa, founder and artistic director of the Venetian Centre for Baroque Music. The works, illustrate the contrasts of sins and virtues which are beautifully mirrored in Jacopo Guarana’s and Agostino Colonna’s frescos in the Chiesetta del Doge.
What a pompous and exquisite gala to celebrate opera legend Plácido Domingo in the breathtaking Arena di Verona! 50 years ago the young Madrilenian singer Plácido Domingo gave his debut at the ancient open-air theatre: the beginning of a lasting and exceptional relationship. To mark the anniversary, Domingo presents a programme entirely dedicated to Verdi, performing three of his most complex and majestic baritone roles. No effort was spared to create an unforgettable evening in a unique atmosphere in the completely sold-out amphitheatre, which has been at the heart of Italian entertainment for almost 2,000 years. Whether as Babylonian king Nabucco, Scottish general Macbeth or as Doge Simon Boccanegra: Domingo’s versatility and aura is more than impressive, with “top phrasing and articulation, his baritone with full and sonorous intonation and a unique timbre – all this substantiates his exceptional position” (Das Opernglas). At the side of Domingo shines an excellent cast including Anna Pirozzi and Arturo Chacón-Cruz, supported by a perfectly rehearsed ballet under the baton of conductor Jordi Bernàcer who sovereignly leads the Orchestra of the Arena di Verona from scene to scene. A triumphal, almost historic moment for Domingo and the Arena di Verona!
The Rossini Festival celebrates its 40th anniversary and its prominent name-giver with a top-class gala concert. The quality of singing is unmatched, bringing together renowned and frequent artists of the Festival with a new generation of promising Rossini voices. With the passionate direction of Carlo Rizzi and the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI one can enjoy a firework of scenes and arias, starring star tenor Juan Diego Flórez, American tenor Lawrence Brownlee, Italian baritone Nicola Alaimo, Russian mezzo-soprano Anna Goryachova or American soprano Angela Meade, to name only a few. The reviews were full of praise for this All Star Game: Viva Rossini!
