Katie Mitchell. But now to the other celebration. Katie Mitchell is quitting opera directing. No more operas will be judged according to strict feminist standards. The misogyny of Mozart, Donizetti and Handel will have to be tackled by other misguided souls, and Mitchell herself now has plenty of time to work on the long-awaited maintenance of her sense of insignificance and the healing of her narrowed “Weltanschauung.
The Dutch National Opera and its institutional failure. People have had enough of the infuriating dilettantism of the painfully failed The Shell Trial, the artistic monstrosity of Fidelio, an obvious case of label scam, and dead-on-arrival productions like Le lacrime di Eros. DNO’s meteoric decline has lost its accidental character under the reign of intendant Sophie de Lint.
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.
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.
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.
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. 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. 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.
Diversity. Inclusivity managers keep track of race and gender demographics and apply pressure to correct diversity deficits.
Diversity. Inclusivity managers keep track of race and gender demographics and apply pressure to correct diversity deficits.