Wagner Opera

Tenor Ian Storey stars in the title role with soprano Elisabete Matos as Irene and mezzo-soprano Geraldine Chauvet in her US debut as Adriano. Music Director Laureate and Opera Orchestra of New York founder Eve Queler conducts The Opera Orchestra of New York continues its 41st season with an opera-in-concert performance of Wagner’s Rienzi conducted by Music Director Laureate, Eve Queler at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday, January 29, 2012 at 2:00 p.m.  The opera, based on the life of Cola di Rienz (1313–1354), the Italian medieval politician and popular leader of the Roman people whose goal was to transform society by raising the power of the people, stars tenor Ian Storey in the title role, with soprano Elisabete Matos as Irene and mezzo-soprano Geraldine Chauvet in her US debut as Adriano.  All three artists will be making their Opera Orchestra of New York debuts. Single ti

A funny "Wagner scene" from Larry David's Curb your Enthusiasm.

Helsinki Festival will be bringing Richard Wagner’s opera Tristan und Isolde to Helsinki’s new Music Centre on 18 and 21 August 2012. This truly unique and sumptuously visual production of the classic work, a collaboration between conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen, director Peter Sellars and video artist Bill Viola, will expand beyond the confines of the stage to take over the entire concert hall. Salonen will be conducting the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and joined by an impressive roster of soloists, including Gary Lehman, Violeta Urmana, Matti Salminen and Jukka Rasilainen. Tickets will go on sale through Lippupalvelu on 15 December 2011 at 9 am. Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde is widely acknowledged to be one of the most significant works in musical history. The Helsinki Festival production draws on the possibilities afforded by media art and set design to bring new perspectives to this much-performed classic. The American video art pioneer Bill Viola’s breathtaking imag

The Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra ’s presentation of Wagner’s Ring Cycle will reach its peak in the 2012-2013 season with the “Ring of the Nibelung” tetralogy. Season 2011 | 2012 Tuesday, March 27, 2012 | 6 pm Tristan and Isolde Saturday, May 5, 2012 | 6 pm Tannhäuser and the Singing Contest on the Wartburg FOLLOWING SEASONS   –   WAGNER CYCLE Thursday, November 22, 2012 | 8 pm Ring of the Nibelung, The Rhinegold Saturday, November 24, 2012 | 6 pm Ring of the Nibelung, The Valkyrie Saturday, March 1, 2013 | 6 pm Ring of the Nibelung, Siegfried Sunday, March 15 2013 | 6 pm Ring of the Nibelung, Twilight of the Gods   http://www.rsb-online.de Crimes of love They all do it, from Senta and Elsa, Elisabeth and Isolde, Sieglinde and Brünhilde to Venus, Ortrud, Gutrune and Kundry: They break taboos, stretch the limits, breach well-nigh sacrosanct conventions. But they must commit these crimes, offering themselves up in the name of love and forsaking their very

Continuing the Ring and Parsifal in 2007/2008, Der fliegende Holländer and Lohengrin in 2008/2009 and Tristan und Isolde in 2009/2010, The Royal Opera will stage a Wagner production each Season, culminating in a revival of the Ring in 2012. The magnitude of this project and interest in Wagner’s work is such that ROH has created a special group to support these productions. The Wagner Circle brings together like-minded people for interesting and insightful evenings that provide a deeper knowledge and understanding of Wagner, his operas and their portrayal at the Royal Opera House. WAGNER CIRCLE EVENTS 2011/2012 In 2011/2012 the Wagner Circle will help to support The Royal Opera's revivals of Der fliegende Holländer and Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and will enjoy a special programme of involvement around these productions. Thursday 29 September 2011 A musical evening in a private London home with Wagnerian bass René Pape and The Royal Opera’s Head of Music David Syru

In part three of Metropolitan Opera's new Ring production by Robert Lepage, Wagner’s cosmic vision focuses on his hero’s early conquests, while Robert Lepage’s revolutionary stage machine transforms itself from bewitched forest to mountaintop love nest. Jay Hunter Morris sings the title role and Deborah Voigt’s Brünnhilde is his prize. Bryn Terfel is the Wanderer. Fabio Luisi conducts. Cast Conductor: Fabio Luisi Brünnhilde: Deborah Voigt Erda: Patricia Bardon Siegfried: Jay Hunter Morris Mime: Gerhard Siegel Wanderer: Bryn Terfel Alberich: Eric Owens Production: Robert Lepage Associate Director: Neilson Vignola Set Designer: Carl Fillion Costume Designer: François St-Aubin Lighting Designer: Etienne Boucher Video Image Artist: Pedro Pires

In 1934 Heinz Tietjen (1881-1967) conducted and staged Rheingold, conducted and staged Walküre, conducted and staged Siegfried, conducted and staged Götterdämmerung, conducted and staged Meistersinger - and finally staged Parsifal. Beat that. Heinz Tietjen at the Bayreuth Festival

Maestro Riccardo Muti was awarded the 2011 Birgit Nilsson Prize by H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden at a festive ceremony of celebration and musical inspiration held at the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm on Thursday evening, October 13. This Prize of one million dollars, established by Birgit Nilsson herself, is the most generous prize in the world of classical music. Acceptance speech by Riccardo Muti Press conference before Award Ceremony with Maestro Riccardo Muti (Royal Swedish Opera, 13 October 2011) More highlights of the Award Ceremony

<a href ="http://answers.polldaddy.com/poll/1061897/" >Your favourite Siegmund/Sieglinde on DVD</a> <br /> <span style="font-size:9px;"> (<a href ="http://www.polldaddy.com"> surveys</a>)</span> Peter Hofmann / Jeannine Altmeyer (Cheréau/Boulez) Poul Elming / Nadine Secunde (Kupfer/Barenboim) Gary Lakes / Jessye Norman (Schenk/Levine) Richard Berkeley-Steele / Linda Watson (Kupfer/de Billy) Robert Gambill / Angela Denoke (Stuttgart Ring)

Stig Fogh Andersen as Tannhäuser Kasper Holten's production of Tannhäuser is an interesting reading of the story set in the 19th Century in an atmosphere that evokes Strindberg and Ibsen. Tannhäuser is torn between his mission as an artist (the Venus world) and his obligations as a husband and a father (Elisabeth's world). The Rome narration is his own retelling of the work of fiction he has written during his absence in "Rome". This is very innovative and surprising, and provides a fresh perspective of the opera. Kasper Holten's strength is in the details. He is always attentive to nuances in the music, and generally the Personenregie is among the best of the opera world today. And he obviously has an abilty to inspire strong dramatic interpretations from his singers. None of the singers excel vocally in this production, although four principals, Stig Andersen (Tannhäuser, Tina Kiberg (Elisabeth), Susanne Resmark (Venus) and Stephen Milling (Hermann) are al

Great news from Bayreuth! On 5 August 2012 Stefan Herheim's Parsifal will be recorded! Conductor will be Philippe Jordan, according to the Bayreuth Festival newsletter.

Today is the final performance of Katharina Wagner's Meistersinger production. Stefan Vinke will sing Walther von Stolzing (replaces Burkhard Fritz). Have you seen the production in Bayreuth or on DVD? Will you miss the it?

"From the earliest days of its festivals, to sing or conduct at Bayreuth was to receive the accolade of greatness in the Wagnerian field. Glance through the programmes of the past and one finds a galaxy of famous names. They all considered it the highest honour they could win and came, in the old days, for very low fees. Artistically and professionally the Bayreuth hallmark ensured engagements wherever an operahouse aspired to the best, and with that came big money. Penelope Turing: "Hans Hotter - Man and Artist" p 120

The opera section of the 2011 Festival in Erl is completely devoted to Richard Wagner Tannhäuser July 8, 16, 29 Passionsspielhaus Erl Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg July 15, 23 Passionsspielhaus Erl Parsifal July 22 Premiere Also 31. Juli 2011, 11 Uhr - Matinée Passionsspielhaus Erl Parsifal Cast 2011 Parsifal Zvetan Michailov, Michael Baba, Marc Horus Gurnemanz Franz Hawlata, Johannes Schmidt Amfortas Thomas Gazheli, Michael Kupfer Kundry Martina Tomčić, Mona Somm, Junko Saito, Yanar Aporta Klingsor Michael Kupfer, Joachim Fuchs Titurel Michael Doumas 1. Gruppe Blumenmädchen 1. Blumenmädchen Anna Princeva, Tatiana Agiuar 2. Blumenmädchen Michiko Watanabe, Klara Luznik 3. Blumenmädchen Kirsten Schwarz, Angela Alessandra Notarnicola 2. Gruppe Blumenmädchen 1. Blumenmädchen Silja Schindler, Giancarla Betella 2. Blumenmädchen Junko Saito, Manuela Maria Dumfart, Laura Scotti 3. Blumenmädchen Vaida Raginskyte, Bettina Block 1. Ritter Wolfram Wittekind | 2.

In its meeting on 22 June 2011, the city council of Leipzig has conceded an extraordinary grant to Oper Leipzig for the celebrations on the upcoming occasion of the Wagner Anniversary in 2013, according to a press release from the Bayreuth Festival. The celebrations will focus on a cooperation of Oper Leipzig with the Bayreuth Festival, intending joint performances of the early works of Richard Wagner – “Die Feen”, “Das Liebesverbot” and “Rienzi” – in both Leipzig and Bayreuth. Together with Oper Leipzig the Bayreuth Festival will inform about further artistic details holding a press conference in Berlin on 27 October 2011.

Highly regarded when it premiered in 1983 to commemorate the centenary of Richard Wagner’s death, director Tony Palmer’s newly re-mastered Wagner biographical film is still an important addition to any Wagnerian’s DVD collection. The film’s 16:9 aspect ratio makes it perfect for today’s wide-screen high-definition TVs, while enhancing Palmer’s breathtaking natural panoramas, according to Jerry Floyd who reviews the film on Wagneropera.net. Tony Palmer: Wagner (review on Wagneropera.net) Principal Historical Figures Richard Burton (Richard Wagner), Vanessa Redgrave (Cosima), Gemma Craven (Minna), László Gálffi (Ludwig II), Sir John Gielgud (Pfistermeister), Sir Ralph Richardson (Pforden), Sir Laurence Olivier (Pfeufer), Ekkehard Schall (Franz Liszt), Ronald Pickup (Friedrich Nietzsche), Miguel Herz-Kestranek (Hans von Bülow), Richard Pasco (Otto Wesendonck), Marthe Keller (Mathilde Wesendonck), Sir William Walton (Friedrich August II of Saxony), Vernon D

Dr. Roger Scruton introduces Paul Heise’s quest to grasp the conceptual unity of Richard Wagner’s music-drama, The Ring of  the Nibelung, at www.wagnerheim.com , where Mr. Heise has made  it available free so that it can be read in its entirety.  This is an effort to grasp Wagner’s tetralogy as a whole (libretto text, plot,  and music) in the literature. Its central argument is that Wagner’s gigantic tetralogy is an allegory representing the conflict between man’s quest for power through acquisition of objective knowledge, and man’s counter-impulse to affirm his transcendent value in religion, morality, and art.

The Royal Danish Opera has announced the 2011/12 programme, featuring a new production of Parsifal by Keith Warner, with Hartmut Haenchen conducting. Cast includes Stig Fogh Andersen, Stephen Milling and John Lundgren. March 2012: 22, 26 April 2012: 11, 14, 18, 22 May 2012: 4, 5, 13 kglteater.dk

Michael Schulz's production of Der Ring des Nibelungen in Weimar will be exclusively performed in two festive cycles in combination with the new production of Tristan und Isolde . The two Weimar Wagner Weeks feature an accompanying programme of evening song recitals, lectures and discussions. More on Wagneropera.net

English opera director Graham Vick is the man behind the new Tristan und Isolde at Deutsche Oper in Berlin. Here is the official trailer. Conductor: Donald Runnicles Cast: Peter Seiffert, Petra Maria Schnitzer, Eike Wilm Schulte, Jane Irwin http://www.deutscheoperberlin.de/?page=haus&subpage=einblicke&textId=138215

The Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory of Music is proud to announce the founding of a new summer music program created to help launch the careers of singers beginning to explore the Wagnerian repertoire. B-W’s Wagner Intensive will be held from Saturday, July 23 to Saturday July 30, 2011 in the newly renovated B-W Conservatory of Music facility.  Top Wagner singers and teachers Jane Eaglen and Timothy Mussard will lead the Intensive as co-artistic directors. Mature singers who are exploring the Wagnerian repertoire are encouraged to submit an audition by April 1, 2011 for consideration. During eight days of intensive training, singers will participate in private lessons, repertoire coachings, scene study, German language study, staging rehearsals, and master classes.  In addition to instruction with Eaglen and Mussard, participants will interact with top Wagner coach / conductors Eric Weimer and William Vendice and guest master class artist Mezzo Soprano Nancy Maultsby . P

Marek Janowski and the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin continue their Wagner concert series at the Berlin Philharmonie with the stage-consecrating festival play Parsifal on April 8, 2011.  Cast includes  Michelle DeYoung (Kundry), Evgeny Nikitin as Amfortas, Christian Elsner as Parsifal and Franz-Josef Selig as Gurnemanz. In a series to be concluded in 2013, the RSB conducted by Marek Janowski present ten operas by Richard Wagner in concert performances at the Berlin Philharmonie. The current season also features Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg in a performance on June 3. RSB Visitor Services: +49 (0)30-202987-15, tickets@rsb-online.de Deutschlandradio Kultur will broadcast the concert on April 16 at 6:05 p.m.  Friday, April 8, 2011, 6:00 p.m., Berlin Philharmonie Marek Janowski (Conductor) Evgeny Nikitin (Amfortas) Christian Elsner (Parsifal) Franz-Josef Selig (Gurnemanz) Eike Wilm Schulte (Klingsor) Michelle DeYoung (Kundry and Voice from above) Dimitry Ivashchenko

A new interview is published on Wagneropera.net today. Detlef Roth, Amfortas in Stefan Herheim's Parsifal production at Bayreuth talks about singing Wagner and singing at Bayreuth. Among many other interesting things, Roth explained conductor Daniele  Gatti's approach to Amfortas. "Gatti," he says, "had a very clear idea about how the role should be sung. He wanted even more piano than we did in the performances. Gatti saw Amfortas as a very, very weak person, as a person immersed in his sufferance, only coming out occasionally to be king. Gatti wanted more of almost whispering, but we had to change a lot of that in the actual performances. For me, working on the singing was not so much a technical work on the voice, but more developing the interpretation, especially the colours. It was important for Gatti to have the right colours, and as many colours as possible" Detlef Roth: Amfortas' Suffering is Germany's

Die singende Stadt (The Singing City) is a documentary film about the opera house Staatsoper Stuttgart and Calixto Bieito's Parsifal Production. The film was made by Vadim Jendreyko. It will be shown in German theatres from 10 February. No information about a DVD / Bluray release has been published yet. Die singende Stadt - the trailer See Wagneropera.net for cinemas