Despite feeling thoroughly contemporary in its approach, David T. Little's Soldier Songs has a timeless quality to it. The libretto, created by the composer, was adapted from recorded interviews with veterans of World War II, the Vietnam War, the … » Read

Applauded for its visionary programming and its innovatory approach to opera and music theater, New York’s PROTOTYPE Festival has responded to the worldwide pandemic with a global line up for 2021, presenting four out of six of its … » Read

While some arts organizations struggled to keep their balance when the pandemic struck, others found ways to adapt. Some, like New York’s innovative PROTOTYPE Festival, which opened January 8, even managed to thrive, devising ingenious ways … » Read

When it comes to defying the pandemic, the Vienna Staatsoper has been admirably tenacious. During periods of total lockdown, it has streamed an impressive array of archive recordings, and this fall it was one of the first to bounce back with live … » Read

It was beginning to look as if Roberto Alagna’s aspirations to sing Lohengrin might be jinxed. He was scheduled to take the role at the 2018 Bayreuth Festival but canceled reportedly because overwork prevented him from spending enough time … » Read

MILAN--Few events in classical music can match the opening night of La Scala for momentousness and public spectacle. In the weeks before, the production, guest list, and gala dinner menu are subject to intense scrutiny and endless media coverage. … » Read

I did not want to love Opera San José’s new, designed-for-digital production of Jake Heggie’s 2008 chamber opera, Three Decembers . The project starring Susan Graham went online Dec. 3, and will stream on demand through Dec. … » Read

On July 1 the Teatro Real in Madrid made news when it broke a coronavirus-imposed silence lasting three months with Verdi’s  La Traviata , the first of several performances of the opera that ran through the month. In the apparent … » Read

Most of the operas Donizetti wrote prior to his breakthrough success with  Anna Bolena  in 1830 are all but forgotten, despite his having already written around 30 of them by then. In recent years the Donizetti Opera Festival has been … » Read

Time was when the cancellation of two superstar tenors would send a producer of opera into a panic. But that was before the coronavirus, which at least has served to put catastrophic events in perspective as it renders live performances almost an … » Read