Elena Firsova about music and why she desired to become a composer Jelena Firsowa at the Schubert Hall at the Vienna Konzerthaus. Foto D. Smirnov Jelena Firsova was born in St. Petersburg and studied at the Moscow Conservatory with Alexander Pirumov (composition), Yuri Cholopov (analysis) and Nikolai Raskatov (orchestration). From 1975 she was in intensive…
Brassy, hyped up and breathless. A racy premiere of the “Orphée aux enfers” at the Salzburg Festival
Brassy, hyped up and breathless – A racy premiere of the “Orphée aux enfers” at the Salzburg Festival.
One 16 years old and three murders in just 100 minutes
The first Premiere of 2019 Opera Festival Season at the Munich State Opera featured one of the most challenging and exciting operas of the 20th century: “Salome” by Richard Strauß. Conducted by parting general musical director Kirill Petrenko and staged by Polish director Krzysztof Warlikowski, the evening was a true celebration of the orchestra and the mastery of ist leader.
Monstrously touching Buffon
“Rigoletto” in Bregenz – a marvel of mechanical and musical excellence. Attended performance on July 19th, 2019 By Oxana Arkaeva Read in Spanish on ProÒpera The new production of one of the most famous and enthralling operas by Giuseppe Verdi “Rigoletto” will unquestionably go down in the history of the Bregenz Festival as one of…
Female powers amid an endless loneliness
The staging is conventional and apart from for Kosky’s typical hectic, Eros-filled chaos, was rather an unspectacular accumulation of the mostly at-the-front-stage singing. The characters are divided into beautiful, strong, manipulative women and mostly weak, hyperactive, but extremely horny males. All act on the verge of a nervous breakdown, hormonal over-pressure, and constantly building-up lust.
The Spanish nightingale is silenced forever!
The great Montserrat Caballe has left this world. An amazing soprano with most magnificent Piani, incredible Mesa di Voce and solid Belcanto technique has been often remembered in the last years as a part of the Barcelona Duo with Freddie Mercury. But Caballe was more than this. She was a Norma, Elsabetta, Lucrezia, La Donna…
The Death in the Water
The most known opera by George Bizet’s “Carmen” attended on August 17, 2018, at the Bregenz Summer Festival, fulfilled all the expectations of a dazzling open-air opera event, with marvelous, rain-free weather significantly contributing to the success of the evening.
Dionysus´ Bloody Dance
The attended second performance of the new production of the opera by Hanz Werner Henze “The Bassarids” at the Salzburg Festival on August 23, 2018, presented an extraordinary theatrical event that visually and aurally literally swept the audience away.
Letter here, Letters there!
Il Barbiere di Siviglia Bregenz Festival, Theater am Konplatz August 16, 2019. By Oxana Arkaeva The visit to the opera performance at the Bregenz Summer Festival in Austria is always a treat, and on August 16 th, 2018 was even a greater one. The weather was marvelous, the mountains just a jump away, and the…
The new Lohengrin has arrived!
Update in the case of Bayreuth´s “Lohengrin”! The new Swan in Bayreuth is Piotr Beczala! It didn’t last long! Piotr Beczala is the new Bayreuth´s Lohengrin! The best thing that could have happened in this situation! Beczala is not only a great tenor with an authentic and charming personality and a highly professional artist! It is going to…
Singers, Staging, Orchestra 