Operatraveller

Tragedy into Comedy: Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi at the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos Suor AngelicaSuor Angelica – Silvia SequeiraLa zia principessa – Cátia MoresoLa badessa – Nélia GonçalvesLa suora zelatrice – Paula Morna DóriaLa maestra delle novizie – Carolina FigueiredoLa suora…

I saw a terrific double bill of Suor Angelica & Gianni Schicchi in Lisboa last night. Read more about it here:
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Curtain calls after the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos production of Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi. A tremendous evening in the theatre. Sequeira’s Angelica was deeply moving, while Gianni Schicchi had a terrific ensemble cast having the time of their lives. De Angelis’ staging was most engaging

I’m delighted to be back at the Centro Cultural de Belém for the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos in Suor Angelica & Gianni Schicchi with Sequeira, Moreso, Rodrigues, Albuquerque, Lucii & many, many more. Balsadonna conducts De Amicis’ staging.

Circus Tricks: Faust at the Palau de les Arts Gounod – Faust Faust – Iván Ayón-RivasMéphistophélès – Alex EspositoValentin – Florian SempeyWagner – Bryan SalaMarguerite – Ruth IniestaSiébel – Ekaterine BuachidzeDame Marthe – Gemma Coma-Alabert…

I saw a Faust at the Palau de les Arts last night that wasn’t optimally clear, although it did feature a glorious Marguerite. Read more here: operatraveller.com/2025/10/04/c...

Curtain call after Faust at the Palau de les Arts in València. Erath’s staging was an incoherent jumble of ideas, lacking in the basic ability to tell a story. Fortunately as expected here the orchestral playing was superb and Iniesta was a glorious Marguerite.

Thats the one. I booked it for the second intermission. Perhaps I might understand what language this is being sung in after that

I’m delighted to be back at the Palau de les Arts in València for Faust. With Ayón-Rivas, Esposito, Iniesta, Sempey, Sala, Buachidze & Coma-Alabert. Viotti conducts Erath’s staging

On Yom Kippur— the holiest day for Jews— a synagogue in Manchester became a crime scene.

Two murdered, more injured.

This is what happens when hate is normalised, when Jew-haters are allowed to roam free.

It has to stop.

Human Complexities: Otello at the Teatro Real Verdi – Otello Otello – Brian JagdeJago – Gabriele VivianiCassio – Airam HernándezRoderigo – Albert CasalsLodovico – Sim InsungMontano/Un araldo – Fernando RadóDesdemona – Asmik GrigorianEmilia – E…

I saw a musically thrilling but dramatically rather risible Otello at the Teatro Real last night. Read about it here:
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Curtain calls after Otello at the Teatro Real. Tonight was all about the singing and it was superb across the board with a luxury cast. Jagde a thrilling Otello in a role he will surely grow into further. Grigorian a radiant Desdemona & Viviani a demonic Jago. Luisotti’s conducting was efficient.

I’m delighted to be back at the beautiful Teatro Real for Otello. With Jagde, Grigorian, Viviani, Hernández, Shkoza & more. Luisotti conducts Alden’s staging.

Creative Processes: Les Contes d’Hoffmann at the Opéra Comique Offenbach – Les Contes d’Hoffmann Hoffmann – Michael SpyresOlympia/Antonia/Giulietta/Stella – Amina EdrisNicklausse/La Muse – Héloïse MasAndrès/Cochenille/Frantz/Pittichinaccio – Raphaël BrémardLe …

I saw a musically excellent and scenically intriguing Contes d’Hoffmann at the Opéra Comique last night. Read more about it here: operatraveller.com/2025/09/28/c...

Curtain calls after Les Contes d’Hoffmann at the Opéra Comique. De Beer’s staging was 1 of her most successful to date, giving plenty of laughs but also looking below the surface. Musically very good: Spyres, Mas & Boi especially. For me the highlight was Dumoussaud’s superb conducting vital & alive

Bon spectacle!

Merci!

I’m delighted to be back at the beautiful Opéra Comique for Les Contes d’Hoffmann. With Spyres, Edris, Mas, Bou & many more. Dumoussaud conducts De Beer’s staging.

Shana tovah. With all best wishes for a good and sweet year.

Cinematic Fantasy: Les Pêcheurs de perles at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Bizet – Les Pêcheurs de perles Leïla – Hasmik TorosyanNadir – Javier CamarenaZurga – Lucas MeachemNourabad – Liu Huigang Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentin…

I saw Les Pêcheurs de perles at the Maggio yesterday in a cinematic staging that was musically very good indeed. Read more here:
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Curtain calls after Les Pêcheurs de perles at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. Musically it was very good, above all for Rhorer’s total command of the score and the superb orchestra and chorus. The principals were also all very strong. Wender’s staging was decent enough.

I’m delighted to be returning to the Maggio Musicale Florentino for Les Pêcheurs de perles. With Tristan, Camarena, Meachem, Liu. Rhorer conducts Wender’s staging

I saw a Tosca at the Teatro di San Carlo last night that was not a vintage evening this historic house, but still had some interesting aspects. Read more here operatraveller.com/2025/09/21/b...

Curtain calls after Tosca at the Teatro di San Carlo. It was not a vintage evening at this house. Though Sgura’s Scarpia was excellent & Berrugi was a detailed Cavaradossi. But the evening was weighed down by Ettinger’s horrifically slow tempi & De Angelis’ staging that lacked coherent personenregie

I’m delighted to be starting my 2025-26 operagoing at the Teatro di San Carlo with Tosca. With Giannattasio, Berrugi, Sgura & more. Ettinger conducts De Angelis’ staging.

Operatraveller’s Hot Operatic Tips for 2025 – 2026 As is customary as we approach the end of summer, I have pulled together a list of top operatic tips for the upcoming season.  As was the case last year, my operagoing habits have certainly ch…

As I do every year, I drew up a list of Hot Operatic Tips for the season ahead. Check them out here:
operatraveller.com/2025/08/16/o...

Taking my usual August break from operatravelling and reviewing. Hope to have my Top Operatic Tips for 25/26 up for your reading pleasure soon. In the meantime wishing you all a very good summer

Shame on my hometown.

Second Chances: Die lustige Witwe at the Macerata Opera Festival Lehár – Die lustige Witwe. Baron Mirko Zeta – Alberto PetriccaValencienne – Cristin ArsenovaGraf Danilo Danilowitsch – Alessandro Scotto di LuzioHanna Glawari – Mihaela MarcuCamille de Rosillo…

I saw an uplifting Lustige Witwe in Macerata last night. Read about it here:
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Curtain calls after an uplifting Lustige Witwe in Italiano at Macerata. A staging by Bernard that made the wide stage of the Sferisterio seem intimate and superbly conducted by Alibrando who brought out so much orchestral colour in this open-air acoustic. By far the best thing I’ve seen here

After yesterday’s cancellation, let’s hope tonight goes without a hitch. I’m delighted to be back at the Macerata Opera Festival for Die lustige Witwe. With Petricca, Arsenovq, Scotto di Luzio, Marcu, Borgioni & more. Alibrando conducts Bernard’s staging

The heavens opened just before the show started. Apparently they can start up to 2 hrs late or it’s called off.