By: Frank Cadenhead. The Tuesday news of the failure to find a replacement for Serge Dorny at the Opéra National de Lyon leaves opera in France’s second-largest city adrift. The announcement by the selection committee indicates that all of the finalist, and their proposals for season 2021-2022 and beyond, have been found insufficient. The members […]
Read the rest of this article »By: Frank Cadenhead. It was not just “politically incorrect.” The Belgian government has accused the Opéra Royal de Wallonie in Liège of possibly violating a law by receiving financial support from a tobacco company. Support by Japan Tobacco International, whose brands include Winston and Camel, has not been hidden and the company’s logo appears is […]
Read the rest of this article »By Frank Cadenhead: The article in today’s Le Figaro could not conceal the anger and frustration. The title “Will the Opéra de Paris Have a Program in 2021?” points to the failure of the opera administration, the Ministry of Culture and the French President Macron himself to finally name a successor to Stephane Lissner for […]
Read the rest of this article »By Frank Cadenhead: The short list of candidates to be the incoming GM of the Opera National de Paris has been known for a few weeks now and we expect an announcement any day. President Macron, however, has been occupied with other matters, not the least of which is the Notre Dame catastrophe of yesterday […]
Read the rest of this article »By Brian Taylor Goldstein Most of you are aware by now that in fall 2018 a number of significant policy and procedural changes were imposed on the already exasperating process of obtaining U.S. artist visas. No surprisingly, these changes were the work of Donald Trump, who is also known by many other names: Cheeto-In-Chief, Trumpty […]
Read the rest of this article »By Frank Cadenhead. In an interview in the Italian newspaper, La Stampa, the La Scala Opera GM is holding firm on his idea to accept a controversial gift of 15 million euros over five years from the Saudi government. This agreement would also give the Saudi Minister of Culture, Price Bader ben Abdallah, a seat […]
Read the rest of this article »By: Frank Cadenhead The monumental work of Hector Berlioz, La Damnation de Faust, programmed Sunday at the Paris Philharmonie, has a famed conductor on the podium: Charles Dutoit. The music world has noticed. It is a highlight of the Orchestre National de France’s celebration of the 150th anniversary of Berlioz’ death and was to have […]
Read the rest of this article »By: Frank Cadenhead. Positive annual results for 2018 have just been announced by two largest Berlin opera houses. For the Berlin State Opera (Berliner Staatsoper Unter den Linden) the occupancy rate was 92 percent, two percent less than the previous year. During the calendar year, some 235,000 seats were occupied for some 300 performances. Touring was […]
Read the rest of this article »By: Frank Cadenhead. The shooting in Strasbourg on Tuesday, December 11, received international attention. Three dead and thirteen wounded. What is seldom heard are stories of how individuals were peripherally affected by the attack. Thomas Quinquenel, a bassoonist with the Orchestre symphonique de Mulhouse, was inside the opera house in Strasbourg and told his story […]
Read the rest of this article »By: Frank Cadenhead Deborah Warner is staging La Traviata opening Wednesday night at the Theatre des Champs-Elysées. She tweeted this photo and text: “The #Traviata creative team on the Avenue Montaigne last night. Please note @10DowningStreet the passports held by this team:- French, Greek, Australian, Danish, Italian, Belgium & British. Tell me EXACTLY what happens […]
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