Opera Gazet

Magnificent Benjamin Bernheim Stars in Met’s “Hoffmann”

Magnificent Benjamin Bernheim. The four villains require great range, both vocally and dramatically and Christian Van Horn filled them all. The snide Lindorf, the crazed Coppelius (who sells eyes on the side), the pure evil, murdering Dr Miracle and the silk, elegant Dappertutto all benefit from his dark, resonant tone. Mr Sher has given little delineation to each; Mr Van Horn completed what Sher left out. The third star turn of the evening was from Erin Morley as Olympia. Hers was an object lesson in wacky acting, perfectly wed to high flying coloratura music. She actually embellishes the already difficult doll song and does not stop at the vertiginous E flat. She soars even higher, up to an A flat above high C. The audience found it delicious.

GURRE-LIEDER. The Uncanny Permanence of Gurre-Lieder.

Gurre-Lieder. Uncanny, then, is Gurre-Lieder in its sense of fervor, intensity, presentiments, restlessness when confronting life, and what it may have in store for us.

Opera. Entertainment for tourists?

Opera. Entertainment for tourists? From this point of view, unfortunately, the genre is increasingly in danger of being reduced to “entertainment for tourists”, a category that already represents a significant part of the audience, especially in arenas. This is a sad prospect, considering that in 2023 the art of opera will be proclaimed an “Intangible Heritage of Humanity” by UNESCO.

The World of John Neumeier

From September 29 to October 13, Baden-Baden will once again be celebrating the work of choreographer legend John Neumeier. At the first three-week-long dance festival in 2024, the curator will be presenting his own works and inviting exciting dance companies into his “World of John Neumeier.”

Rigoletto disaster returns to Amsterdam

According to The Dutch National Opera, “Michieletto has now become one of the most in-demand directors in the world.”
Shows perfectly what The Dutch National Opera DNO’s priorities are all about.

Discordia Hall in Amsterdam

Discordia Hall in Amsterdam. In the area of diversity, the Dutch National Opera is seriously failing. Opera lovers who are attached to a libretto-compliant performance are often called “traditional”. This is nonsense. If a restaurant that serves rice and potatoes decides to serve potatoes only, do we suddenly call rice lovers “traditional restaurant-goers”?
For the so-called “traditional opera lover,” opera is an episodic art form that is best enjoyed when the composer and librettist are unconditionally accepted and respected and no disgusting shenanigans are pulled by the director, such as Die Zauberflöte in Auschwitz or “moving” Aida to Evita Peron’s Peru.

Are we addicted now ?

Are we addicted now ? We must also consider the impact of “regietheater” and the fanaticism of “political correctness.” These are two forces that are transforming the world of opera. In the name of “political correctness,” every possible reference to anything that does not conform to the new doctrine is modified or eliminated. We are seeing more and more often “Aida” with light skin, Turandot who avoids any possible reference to China, changes to terms in the libretto considered racist, and so on.

Dutch National Opera “Toxic ideology on art”

DNO “Toxic ideology on art”. “Her first major solo decision was to cancel an already booked new performance of Verdi’s Otello because of ‘the progressive understanding that an all-white team, including the performer of Otello, is problematic. This no longer felt right with the current changes in our society … Otello in a contemporary form can only be done in a team of color.’ (…) So a white tenor, in her opinion, cannot play the role of a general from North Africa who becomes jealous of his wife.”

Roberto Devereux in Amsterdam

Roberto Devereux. Elisabetta wordt in de DNO-productie gezongen door Barno Ismatullaeva’s, die haar rol met bewonderenswaardig zelfvertrouwen aanpakte: ze beweegt met gemak tussen registers, heeft een onberispelijke ademtechniek, een fraaie dictie en minzame, afgeronde hoge noten.

Anousha Nazari

This album of music for lyric voice, clarinet and piano is the work of four new-generation Iranian composers brought together for this unprecedented production. After choosing one of Omar Khayam’s quatrains, each of them composed a piece of music inspired by his favourite text, recreating the universe imbued by these poems that resonate from the depths of time.

Zarqa Al Yamama

Based on an ancient tale from pre-Islamic Arabia, Zarqa Al Yamama tells the story of a legendary woman born to the Geddes tribe and blessed with the gift of foresight. Foreseeing the approach of a rival army that threatens to destroy her people, the story follows the heroine as she attempts to warn her leader and his advisors of the impending danger.

CANDIDE in Melbourne

Dann Barber’s all-purpose unit set was deceptively simple and highly effective, proof positive that even in a grand, capacious venue like the Palais, and within a lumbering, overstated comedic farce, sometimes the simplest scenic conceits, well-executed, are all that is required.

Le Roi d’Ys in Amsterdam

Le Roi d’Ys. The soloists, the fine Hungarian National Choir of about 50, but sounding like 100, and the perfect Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by György Vashegyi treated us to a jewel on February 3: a little-known, colorfully orchestrated French Grand opera that is definitely worth a visit.

Parelvissers in Berlijn

Parelvissers. Bizet werd geplaagd door een artistiek geweten, hij schaamde zich voor het charmante in zijn muziek in plaats van het grootse. Hij legde een tanende interesse voor het drama aan de dag.

Agrippina. A slapstick comedy.

AGRIPPINA. Besides pathos and drama, there is certainly irony to be discovered in Agrippina, but Kosky turns it into a flat farce and treated us to incomprehensible follies.

May your holiday season be as stress-free as assembling flat-pack furniture. Cheers to untangling Christmas lights and finding batteries for all your ‘easy-to-open’ packages. Happy Holidays!

May your holiday season be as stress-free as assembling flat-pack furniture. Cheers to untangling Christmas lights and finding batteries for all your ‘easy-to-open’ packages. Happy Holidays!”

Olivier Keegel – Addio!

Olivier Keegel. Farewell announcement: Olivier Keegel steps down as editor-in-chief of Opera Gazet.

Join us in bidding farewell to Olivier Keegel, Opera Gazet’s esteemed editor-in-chief, who will hand over the reins to Marco Aranowicz on January 1, 2024. Opera fans, the party goes on!

Diversity: Unveiling the Hypocrisy.

Diversity. Inclusivity managers keep track of race and gender demographics and apply pressure to correct diversity deficits.

Diversity: Unveiling the Hypocrisy.

Diversity. Inclusivity managers keep track of race and gender demographics and apply pressure to correct diversity deficits.

Zauberflöte and Zauberflötitis

Zauberflöte and Zauberflötitis – A breakthrough in the fight against Zauberflötitis came with the discovery of Beer and Very Old Gin as powerful anti-Zauberflötitis remedies.

Magnificent Benjamin Bernheim Stars in Met’s “Hoffmann”

GURRE-LIEDER. The Uncanny Permanence of Gurre-Lieder.

Opera. Entertainment for tourists?

The World of John Neumeier

Rigoletto disaster returns to Amsterdam

Discordia Hall in Amsterdam

Are we addicted now ?

Dutch National Opera “Toxic ideology on art”

Roberto Devereux in Amsterdam

Anousha Nazari

Zarqa Al Yamama

CANDIDE in Melbourne

Le Roi d’Ys in Amsterdam

Parelvissers in Berlijn

Agrippina. A slapstick comedy.

May your holiday season be as stress-free as assembling flat-pack furniture. Cheers to untangling Christmas lights and finding batteries for all your ‘easy-to-open’ packages. Happy Holidays!

Olivier Keegel – Addio!

Diversity: Unveiling the Hypocrisy.

Zauberflöte and Zauberflötitis

Opera Gazet distinguishes itself as an online opera magazine by maintaining a critical and independent stance in its reviews and articles. Founded in 1999 by Guillaume Maijeur, it is one of the oldest opera review websites in Europe. The magazine focuses on covering significant new opera stagings throughout Europe, America and Australia, and is known for its editorial policy that often critiques modern productions that deviate significantly from the original libretto and composer’s intent. A key feature of Opera Gazet is its commitment to artistic integrity and its resistance to the excesses of "Regietheater", where directors make radical changes that make the operas in question recognizable only by the music. This position has put it at odds with the Dutch National Opera, which is the only opera house in the world that does not provide press facilities for Opera Gazet reviewers. Moreover, Opera Gazet prides itself on a diverse team of reviewers from various countries, bringing a wide range of perspectives to its content. This diversity allows the magazine to cover a broad spectrum of opera productions across different cultural contexts. For opera enthusiasts seeking detailed, independent, and often provocative insights into opera productions, Opera Gazet remains a valuable resource.