In his ‘new life’ as a baritone, Plácido Domingo has triumphed in the role of Francesco Foscari in Los Angeles, London and Vienna. Now he takes to the role to La Scala, Milan, the theatre that is the symbol of Italian opera. I due Foscari, premiered in 1844, famously one of Verdi’s darkest operas, is staged by Alvis Hermanis, who made such an impact at the Salzburg Festival with “Die Soldaten” and “Il trovatore”. Domingo is joined by two of Italy’s most exciting singers, the soprano Anna Pirozzi and the tenor Francesco Meli, and the acclaimed Italian conductor Michele Mariotti. The Financial Times was deeply moved by Domingo’s performance, calling his interpretation of the role “sublime”.
Tosca
Premiered in 1900 with huge success, Puccini’s “melodramma” Tosca is a political thriller with a heart-breaking love story. With his gripping opening scene, stage director Michael Sturminger sets the tone for a cinematic, richly detailed Tosca which is set in the Mafiosi world of modern day Rome and which is “the perfect thriller … reminiscent of Scorsese’s ‘Goodfellas’” (Kleine Zeitung), a “film noir” (FAZ). In this production soprano Anja Harteros is “a phenomenal Tosca!” (Kurier), “unparalleled in the world” (Der Standard) and Aleksandrs Antonenko is “a Cavaradossi of superlatives” (Kieler Nachrichten). The Staatskapelle Dresden under Christian Thielemann „show again that he is not only a master of German repertoire but also strikes the right note in Italian repertoire.“ (Focus)
John Neumeier Collection
Four Ballets by John Neumeier: The Little Mermaid / Die kleine Meerjungfrau, Tatiana, Weihnachtsoratorium / Christmas Oratorio and Nijinsky.“Neumeier´s place in the ballet world is as singular as his interpretation of the tale.” (San Francisco Chronicle about The Little Mermaid) “Once again it is impossible not to be impressed by the flawless technique of the ensemble … When at the end Lloyd Riggins tap-dances his way across the stage like Fred Astaire, the Christmas Oratorio is complete.” (Süddeutsche Zeitung) “Nearly nobody else besides John Neumeier can tell stories with the bodies of his dancers. Tatiana is three hours of danced poetry.” (Hamburger Morgenpost) “Nijinsky – an inexhaustible topic. Where to begin, where to end?” (John Neumeier) John Neumeier, the artistic director and chief choreographer of the Hamburg Ballet and the longest serving artistic director in the world, will celebrate his 80th birthday on February 24th, 2019.