Celebrating Kathleen Battle's 72nd Birthday With MET Streams

Kathleen Battle (center) is featured in the 1982 Metropolitan Opera production of Mozart's Così fan tutte with Maria Ewing (left) as Dorabella and Kiri Te Kanawa (right) as Fiordiligi (Photo: Winnie Klotz).

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Metropolitan Opera has been deep-diving into its video broadcast troves to stream the content out to users in hopes of fundraising and continued engagement. In honor of Kathleen Battle's birthday today (see our previous tribute here), we highlight the recently aired performance of L'Elisir d'Amore featuring her performance alongside Luciano Pavarotti (view here) and on August 22 they will present Il Barbiere di Siviglia with fellow artists Rockwell Blake and Leo Nucci (view here). Read the company's feature "Practically Perfect," written by photo editor Jonathan Tichler, on Ms. Battle here. More of the soprano's MET production photos after the jump.

Kathleen Battle with Luciano Pavarotti in L'Elisir d'Amore (Photo: Robert Cahen).

Seán Curran On Dance For Edwardian "Salome" At Santa Fe Opera

Alex Penda (aka Alexandrina Pendatchanska) in
 a costume designed by Christian Lacroix in
2013 for a Salome production directed
 by Vincent Boussard.

"'You don’t want to end up hating her,' said Seán Curran, choreographer for Santa Fe Opera’s new production of Salome, describing the character with all the veils. Curran has worked on several SFO productions, including 2011’s The Last Savage and Oscar in 2013. 'Why does she ask for what she asks for?,' he said, referring to Salome’s request for the head of Jochanaan (John the Baptist). 'She’s a teenage girl.' Oscar Wilde’s play, the basis for the opera’s text, suggests that she had a sexual yearning for the prophet. In April, the opera flew Curran to Paris to work on the dance. He spent 48 hours in a studio with Salome’s director, Daniel Slater, and their Salome, Alex Penda, who lives in the city. Slater has chosen to set the production in 1905 Europe, the year Richard Strauss’ opera premiered in Dresden. 'It’s very Downton Abbey — Edwardian,' Curran said. 'There are no biblical references. All the slaves become servants. As for the 'Dance of the Seven Veils,' he said that 'it feels like Art Nouveau — like a Toulouse-Lautrec painting.' Curran said Strauss made his job easier. 'Salome is one of the great operas. The music evokes so much emotion — it does the storytelling for you. Strauss does tonal painting. You can see the color of the grass. You can hear the wind. It’s visceral, violent, sexual music to me.' At the rehearsal studio, Curran led a warm-up with Penda — as a way of easing her into the movement but also as a way for him to begin to understand the singer as a dancer. 'Alex has played this part before,' Curran said. 'I directed and choreographed it for Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. Danny has never seen or directed the show.' Slater is a director who likes to be involved in every aspect of a production. He knew that Strauss was influenced by the theories of Sigmund

Edwardian Steampunk: Choreographer Seán Curran
 looks like he could be in the current production
 of the SFO Salome.

Freud, which were coming into vogue in Vienna’s intellectual circles at the time of the opera’s origin. 'Slater wanted a psychological take on the dance,' the choreographer said. 'There was an image of an iceberg and the psyche. Here is a woman only exhibiting the tip of the iceberg until she starts to dance. Alex has a fearless physicality,' Curran continued. 'She understands the difference between energy and effort. She’s not afraid to look awkward or ugly.' Together with Slater, they developed movement motifs — 'the silent scream,' 'the mourning section,' and 'the daddy dance.' 'We wound up with a hybrid. My ingredients, Danny with the big picture, and Alex’s contributions.' Curran’s previous experience with the opera gave him an understanding of the physical requirements for the soprano, not just the emotional aspects. 'Salome has to dance. She has to knock it out of the park and then sing nonstop for the last 10 minutes of the opera. You have to have the body of a sixteen-year-old and the lungs of a forty-year-old to do this part.'" [Source] Read about The Santa Fe Opera founder John Crosby and his affinity for Strauss and Salome by clicking here. Watch Alex Penda in the trailer for Nayo Titzin film Unveiling Salome and a video interview with David Robertson who is conducting the SFO Salome, after the jump.

Adrianne Pieczonka Brings Strauss And Wagner Lieder To Delos

Voice & Piano: Pieczonka departs from recording
arias with orchestra to lay down lieder tracks
 with Juilliard's Brian Zeger. (Photo: Bo Huang)

"Praised for her 'impeccably pure and iridescent voice' (Financial Times), soprano Adrianne Pieczonka is primarily known for her vocally opulent and interpretively intense performances in operas by Richard Strauss and Richard Wagner - though her vocal and stylistic versatility enables her to be at home in dramatic roles by Verdi, Puccini and others. In this - her first release with Delos - she blesses us with a captivating and varied program of songs by Strauss and Wagner. Particularly fond of the art song genre (and of the soprano voice), Strauss created 158 of them throughout his long life, and many of his dozen songs heard here are among his true masterpieces. The opera specialist Wagner, on the other hand, wrote far fewer songs than Strauss. Best-known among them are the five songs of the ecstatically romantic Wesendonck-Lieder, also considered a masterpiece among Lieder cycles. Adrianne delivers this varied and sumptuous fare with conspicuous emotional depth and luxuriant vocal tone. Collaborating with technical finesse and interpretive sensitivity is pianist Brian Zeger, one of the great piano collaborators of our time." [Source] Click here to listen to Adrianne Pieczonka perform the track "Du meines Herzen Krönelein, Op. 21, No. 2" by Richard Strauss. The album will be released in the United States on July 10. Order your copy by clicking here. Cover art and track list are after the jump.

Waltraud Meier Sings Strauss For President Obama At Schloss Elmau

Wagnerian soprano Waltraud Meier performs "Zueignung" at the Schloss Elmau Castle for the G7 Summit.

"Accompanied by beer, sausages and men in lederhosen, Barack Obama received a warm welcome to the Bavarian Alps from Angela Merkel on Sunday, before two days of intensive G7 summit talks. Alpine horns and locals in traditional dress greeted the US president as he arrived in Krün, a village close to the G7 venue of Schloss Elmau, before the two leaders sat down to a breakfast of the local sausage, weisswurst, a glass of weissbier and pretzels. Locals cheered as Obama saluted them with a 'Grüss Gott' – a traditional greeting – against a stunning backdrop of pine forests and snowcapped mountains, telling them: 'That was without question, the best Alpine horn performance I’ve ever heard.'....The talks began discussing the state of the global

economy, including the European debt crisis. A second meeting was expected to deal with international trade and standards, including the controversial TTIP deal between the EU and the US. Over a working supper, cooked by a Michelin starred chef, they were due to discuss pressing foreign policy issues, including what Obama referred to earlier in the day as 'Russian aggression in Ukraine.' On Monday the leaders are expected to discuss the climate, global health, terrorism, the empowerment of women and development. NGOs were trying to put last-minute pressure on Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper as it emerged that he is allegedly blocking agreements on development goals....Ahead of supper they were to be entertained in the castle’s grand hall by star sopranist Waltraud Meier performing Richard Strauss lieder. Strauss had a house in Garmisch, the town closest to the summit venue, and died there in 1949." [Source] Watch two videos after the jump.

View image | gettyimages.com

The Santa Fe Opera Announces 2016 Anniversary Season

The Santa Fe Opera has announced the 60th Anniversary Season for the summer of 2016! Operas will include La Fanciulla del West, Don Giovanni, Roméo et Juliette, Capriccio, and Vanessa. See the press release after the jump. (Photo: Paul Horpedahl)

Dagmar Pecková Breaks Out A Battery Of Sinful Women On New Disc

Mezzo-soprano Dagmar Pecková as Klytaemnestra for the new recording on Supraphon.

"Recorded at the Studio of Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, Bratislava, September 2–4 and 8–10, 2014. The provocative title of the new album by the feted mezzo-soprano Dagmar Pecková reflects a remarkable dramaturgic idea: that which connects the life of modern humans with the heroines of Antique mythology is the principle of sin – and forgiveness. This is perhaps why all

The singer as Cherubini's demented Medea

the featured characters are smart and strong women, some of them even endowed with supernatural abilities. Women determined to apply the boldest means so as to gain that which they long for – or to take revenge. Women betrayed by a ruse or wounded by their own love. The very first aria featured, that of Massenet’s Marie-Magdeleine, opens the scope for the message – that the only way out of sin is forgiveness. 'When you look at mezzo-soprano characters, virtually all of them can be branded sinners. Perhaps it is owing to the darker voice colour...' says Dagmar Pecková. As rendered by her on the present album, each of the 'sinful women' is profoundly treated in psychological and emotional terms. This profundity and inspiration is based on the soloist’s own professional experience and is also the fruit of the collaboration with the accompanying Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, under the uncompromising and masterful baton of Aleksandar Markovic. Love, sin and forgiveness. An insight into the mysterious female soul." [Source] Read more about the album here. Watch a video from the recording session, see more photos, and the full track list, after the jump.

Jessye Norman Staggering 1979 Performance Of "Vier Letzte Lieder"

"Une magnifique interprétation des 'Vier letzte Lieder' de Richard Strauss par la soprano Américaine Jessye Norman et Wolfgang Sawallisch à la tête de l'Orchestre de la Suisse romande. Ce concert du 19 Septembre 1979 est donné à l'occasion de la manifestation Telecom 79." [Source] Watch the video performance after the jump.

Soprano Susan Bullock Bestowed With Order Of The British Empire

"Opera singer Susan Bullock holds her Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) medal which was presented to her by The Princess Royal, for services to opera, during an Investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace, 13 February 2015." [Source] Read more about the soprano after the jump.

Dorothea Röschmann Delivers Package Of German Lieder For Sony

"Gefeiert auf den wichtigsten Opernbühnen der Welt - als Susanna, Ännchen, Eva, Fiordiligi, Micäela und in vielen anderen Rollen - ist die deutsche Sopranistin Dorothea Röschmann auch eine der großen Liedinterpretinnen unserer Zeit. Für ihre neue CD wählte sie wunderschöne Lieder von Schubert, Schumann, Strauss und Wolf, die von berühmten Frauengestalten aus Literatur und Geschichte inspiriert wurden. Von Malcolm Martineau gefühlvoll am Klavier begleitet zeichnet sie subtile StimmungsPortraits, welche die fein schattierten Nuancen der Figuren widerspiegeln, die in den Liedern dargestellt werden. Das Ergebnis sind sorgfältig konzipierte, einfühlsam gesungene Miniaturen mit Höhepunkten wie Schuberts 'Gretchen am Spinnrad' und 'Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt,' Strauss 'Die Nacht' oder 'Morgen' und den Mignon Liedern von Hugo Wolf." [Source] Get more information about the album including track listing, and listen to the samples from the recording, after the jump.

Christine Goerke Converses With OPERA America President

Eine große neue dramatische Stimme: 
Christine Goerke discusses new opera repertoire

On November 5, 2014, dramatic soprano Christine Goerke visited The National Opera Center to discuss her career resurgence in dramatic new repertoire with OPERA America President Marc Scorca. The dialog from the evening includes her discover of opera at age 13; transferring her woodwind skills to her vocal training; experience working with young artist programs; the transition from lyric coloratura to a larger voice category with the help of Diana Soviero; the pressure of living up to opera legends in her repertoire; being a self-professed "music theory geek"; how she came to her acting skills in opera; copying text into notebooks to learn music; winning the Richard Tucker Award; breaking into the Wagner fach; her love of Astrid Varnay's voice; how much time she takes with an orchestral score while learning a role; returning to Glimmerglass to give advice to young singers; the future Ring cycles that she will be performing; and a myriad of questions from the audience at the event. "American soprano Christine Goerke is a Grammy Award-winning artist who has performed with many of the world's top opera companies, orchestras and musical ensembles. Goerke has been acclaimed worldwide for her opulent voice and her regal command of the Strauss, Verdi and Wagner repertoire. She has won the prestigious Richard Tucker Award for exceptional artistic promise and continues to astonish audiences with her outstanding vocal and dramatic artistry. Her basic approach to singing is marvelously anchored by an ample voice that has grown measurably in the past years, making her one of the most exciting dramatic sopranos of our time." Take a look at the evening's program by clicking here. Watch a video of the whole event, plus Ms. Goerke singing "Ah! Du wolltest mich nicht" from Salome by Strauss under the direction of Christian Thielemann,  after the jump.

Soprano Christine Goerke with OPERA America President Marc Scorca

Anna Netrebko "Vier Letzte Lieder" Rendition Available On DG

"Rund 1200 Mal hat Richard Strauss die Staatskapelle Berlin (bzw. die damalige Königlich Preußische Hofkapelle) dirigiert. Von 1908, als er mit der Leitung der regulären Symphoniekonzerte des Orchesters betraut und zudem zum Generalmusikdirektor befördert wurde, bis zu seinem offiziellen Abschied von der Staatsoper 1919 stand er an der Spitze des Berliner Musiklebens. Bach und Händel hat er ebenso zur Aufführung gebracht wie die Wiener Klassiker, die Romantiker von Berlioz bis Brahms, aber auch Zeitgenossen wie Reger oder Mahler. Und nicht zuletzt waren es auch seine eigenen Werke, denen er sich immer wieder widmete, auch in den 1920er und 1930er Jahren, in denen er als gern gesehener Gast zur Staatskapelle kam. Am 11. Juni 2014 jährte sich der Geburtstag von Richard Strauss zum 150. Mal. Nicht allzu weit entfernt von diesem Datum erwies die Staatskapelle Berlin ihrem ehemaligen Chefdirigenten die Ehre – in einem Benefizkonzert zugunsten der Sanierung des Opernhauses Unter den Linden, das mit Strauss’ Entwicklung so eng verbunden ist. Mit Anna Netrebko und Daniel Barenboim engagierten sich dabei zwei Künstler, die in der Welt der klassischen Musik eine ähnlich herausragende Position einnehmen wie Strauss sie seinerzeit besaß. Eine Hommage an einen großen, durchaus umstrittenen Komponisten: Der eindrucksvolle »Schwanengesang« des 84-Jährigen, die Vier letzten Lieder, erklang am 31. August 2014 in der Berliner Philharmonie gemeinsam mit Ein Heldenleben, der monumentalen Tondichtung des Mittdreißigers vom Ende des 19. Jahrhunderts. Mehr als 200 Lieder hat Richard Strauss im Laufe seiner langen Karriere komponiert, von der Jugend bis ins hohe Alter. Den Schlusspunkt bilden vier Stücke, die von Frühjahr bis Herbst 1948 Gestalt gewannen. Zwei Jahre immerhin hatte Strauss an diesen Liedern gearbeitet, von den ersten Skizzen bis zur fertigen Partitur. Ausgewählt hatte er sich zunächst drei Gedichte von Hermann Hesse, deren poetische Bilder ihn sehr ansprachen. Als viertes kam ein Gedicht des hoch geschätzten Romantikers Joseph von Eichendorff hinzu, das einige Entsprechungen zu den Hesse-Texten enthielt. Bis auf Frühling mit seinem optimistischen, aufgehellten Ton kreisen die Texte (Hesses

Maestro Barenboim and Ms. Netrebko in Strauss concert.

 'September' und 'Beim Schlafengehen' sowie Eichendorffs 'Im Abendrot') sämtlich um die Themen Müdigkeit, Abschied, Vollendung und Tod, wobei die Atmosphäre ins Friedvoll-Tröstende gewendet ist. Insgesamt herrscht ein spürbar verschatteter, herbstlicher Klang vor, den Strauss mittels fein differenzierter orchestraler Nuancierungen erreicht. Die Singstimme blüht häufig in breit strömenden Kantilenen von bezwingender Schönheit auf – eine eindringliche Beschwörung der Romantik. Insbesondere in den beiden abschließenden Liedern kommt dieses stilistische Moment zum Tragen: Strauss’ Musik wirkt hier gleichsam wie aus der Zeit gefallen, aber trotzdem absolut authentisch. Dass dabei die Vier letzten Lieder insgesamt zurückhaltend, geradezu zart wirken, passt durchaus ins Bild. Fragile – und trotzdem hochgradig expressive – musikalische Gebilde sind es, die der späte Strauss seinen Hörern hinterlassen hat. Ein gutes halbes Jahrhundert zuvor, Ende 1896, hatte Strauss eine Tondichtung in Angriff genommen, in deren Zentrum eine Heroengestalt (bzw. das Heldenhafte an sich) stehen sollte. Autobiografische Aspekte haben hier zweifellos eine Rolle gespielt – als Protagonist seines Heldenlebens dürfte Strauss in erster Linie sich selbst gesehen haben. An keiner Stelle jedoch offenbart er, dass es sich um ein klingendes Selbstporträt handelt: Die Grundidee des Werkes bestehe vielmehr darin, die Auseinandersetzung eines Helden mit seinen Widersachern in Musik zu setzen. Von vornherein waren zwei kontrastierende Teile geplant: Auf die Darstellung des Heroischen sollte ein Abschnitt folgen, der den Kritikern des Helden Raum gab. Auch die Tonarten wurden bereits festgelegt: Es-dur – wie in Beethovens Eroica – für den Helden, g-moll für dessen bornierte Gegner. Zusätzlich zu diesen beiden musikalisch bewusst gegensätzlichen, aber eng aufeinander bezogenen Hauptthemen sollten weitere Episoden (eine Liebesszene, ein Teil »Kampf mit der Welt« sowie eine beschließende Adagio-Partie »Flucht in Einsamkeit/Ruhe/Idyll«) eingearbeitet werden. Erstaunlich ist, dass Strauss auf dem Weg zur endgültigen Werkgestalt und zur Uraufführung 1899 an dieser ersten Konzeption kaum mehr Änderungen vornahm. Allerdings integrierte er virtuose Passagen der Solo-Violine, die symbolhaft für »Des Helden Gefährtin« stehen. Im Anschluss entwickelt sich ein regelrechtes Schlachtentableau sowie eine Folge von Themen, die sämtlich als Zitate aus früheren Strauss-Werken erkennbar sind, bevor die Tondichtung unerwartet gedämpft, fast ein wenig resignativ ausklingt. - Detlef Giese" Pre-order your copy today by clicking here. Track listing and sound clips, including the entire "Im Abendrot," are after the jump.

Susanna Phillips Sings Praises Of Richard Strauss Songs

(Photo: Zachary Maxwell)

"Susanna Phillips, Carlos Miguel Prieto and the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra love to take risks. That's certainly clear from the season-opening, musical challenge that the celebrated singer, rising-star conductor and New Orleans band have arranged for Friday (Sept. 19). When the musicians gather at the Mahalia Jackson Theater, they will test technique, soul, and stamina in a series of visionary works penned by Richard Strauss. Phillips will appear for the program's centerpiece, the 'Four Last Songs,' which Strauss composed in 1945, while contemplating the end of life and the disappearance of the cultured, music-loving Germany that had sustained his work for half-a-century. Phillips first sang those culminating masterworks in her early 20s, in Huntsville, Alabama, when Prieto led the orchestra there. 'It's an amazing experience to come back to the 'Four Last Songs' over the years. They never feel the same because I have changed so much as a singer and as a woman,' Phillips said. 'I'm always seduced by their beauty, of course, but now I approach them with more simplicity. As a young singer I tried to act out the words, because I hadn't lived enough, didn't understand enough about the poems Strauss set.' Phillips has a tip for Friday's concertgoers: read the poems that inspired Strauss. 'Vocal music always is driven by the text – and these poems, by Hermann Hesse and Joseph von Eichendorff, really are the entrance point for singers and listeners. I'm always seduced by their mood of serene acceptance, and the understanding of death that Strauss underscores with every note,' Phillips said. 'I care about that message, and that's the key to Strauss for me. It's not just about hitting high notes and finding a comfortable tempo. I come from a different school: if I don't feel the music in my heart, it won't be heard it in my voice. I think Prieto and the LPO operate from the same assumptions – and that's why I'm so excited about this concert.'" [Source]

Astoria Music Festival Presents "Ariadne" For Strauss 150th

Marie Plette will sing the title role of Ariadne.

2014 marks the 150th birthday of Richard Strauss. Festivals and opera houses around the world have celebrated this special anniversary. Now the Northwest brings one of his most famous operas to life for the Astoria Music Festival. "Not heard in Oregon for nearly fifty years, Strauss’s operatic mash-up juxtaposes high-minded opera with ribald comedy. The richest man in Vienna has invited you to a party, for which he’s commissioned a new opera – a tragedy of the jilted Ariadne – and a comic farce, The Fickle Zerbinetta and her Four Lovers, but dinner’s running late, so we’ll save time and present them simultaneously, resulting in some of history’s most glorious music, brilliant coloratura, arching melodies, and a kaleidoscope of lush orchestral color." The cast for Ariadne auf Naxos includes Marie Plette (Ariadne), Maria Aleida (Zerbinetta), Angela Niederloh (Composer), Matthew Hayward (Harlequin), and Allan Glassman (Bacchus). [Source] Other opera stars that have already appeared at this year's Astoria Music Festival are Angela Meade, Richard Zeller, Amber Wagner, and Amy Hansen. The festival will conclude with a performance of Mozart's Cosí fan tutte. Get more information here.

Francisco Araiza Leads Gala To Celebrate 150th Strauss Anniversary

"El tenor mexicano Francisco Araiza y las sopranos Joo-Hee Jung (Corea) y Marija Vidovic (Croacia) participarán el próximo 1 de junio en la Gala Strauss, un programa conmemorativo por los 150 años del natalicio del alemán Richard Strauss (1864-1949) y los 80 años del Palacio de Bellas Artes. La función única, a celebrarse en la Sala Principal del recinto de mármol, es una producción de la Ópera de Bellas Artes y contará con la Orquesta de Cámara de Bellas Artes (OCBA), bajo la batuta del serbio Srba Dinic. Las autoridades del Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes (INBA) recordaron que en todo el mundo se ha desplegado un amplio abanico de celebraciones en honor al compositor alemán, cuyo aniversario es el próximo 11 de junio. Strauss, añadió, se hizo famoso por una serie de poemas sinfónicos de tono experimental que ahora son pilares del reperto rio orquestal." [Source] For more information about the Palacio de Bellas Artes, click here. Listen to samples of both soprano guest artists, after the jump.

Karlheinz Böhm, Son Of Karl Böhm And Thea Linhard, Passes Away

Karlheinz Böhm (center) with his wife Almaz (left) and daughter Aida (right).

Böhm played opposite Romy Schneider in Sissi.

"Karlheinz Böhm (March 16, 1928 – May 29, 2014), sometimes referred to as Carl Boehm or Karl Boehm, was an Austrian actor. He took part in 45 films and became well known in Austria and Germany for his role as Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria in the Sissi trilogy and internationally for his role as Mark, the psychopathic protagonist of Peeping Tom, directed by Michael Powell. He was the founder of the trust 'Menschen für Menschen,' which helps people in need in Ethiopia. He also received honorary Ethiopian citizenship in 2003. Having two citizenships, he saw himself as a world citizen: His father was the Austrian conductor Karl Böhm, his mother the German-born soprano Thea Linhard. He was an only child, and spent his youth in Darmstadt, Hamburg and Dresden. In Hamburg he attended elementary school and the Kepler-Gymnasium (a grammar school). A faked medical certificate enabled him to

His father, Karl Böhm, stands at right while
composer Richard Strauss plays the piano

emigrate to Switzerland in 1939, where he attended the Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz, a boarding school. In 1946, he moved to Graz with his parents, where he graduated from high school the same year. He originally intended to become a pianist but received poor feedback when he auditioned. His father urged him to study English and German language and literary studies, followed by studies of history of arts for one semester in Rome after which he quit and returned to Vienna to take acting lessons with Prof. Helmut Krauss. From 1948 to 1976 he acted in about 45 films and also in theater. With Romy Schneider, he starred in the Sissi trilogy as the Emperor Franz Joseph,

Tara Erraught Is Having Her Adele Dazeem Moment In Opera

A picture of Tara Erraught as Sesto in
Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito at
Bayerische Staatsoper
in February 2014 (Photo: Facebook)

Irish mezzo-soprano Tara Erraught has been in the news lately for British press fat-shaming her in a production of Der Rosenkavalier. Other opera singers, most notably Alice Coote's open letter lashing the critics, have voiced their opinions on the matter as well. Even the fashion magazine Elle is weighing in on the issue. Of course the greatest offense here is the critics NOT actually critiquing the singing of an opera, but trying to focus in on someone's appearance. Now, what universe do these men live in that they think Tara Erraught is overweight? It is with great hope that Ms. Erraught is quite aware of her vocal talents and takes pride in her gorgeous physical appearance. This might just be her succès de scandale. John Travolta famously butchered Idina Menzel's name into Adele Dazeem at the Academy Awards just before she sang "Let it go" from Disney's hit film Frozen. The Broadway star now says she was shaken for about 8 seconds before singing, but now in hindsight it was the greatest thing to happen in her career because now millions more people know her by name that may not otherwise have paid attention after her performance. Tara Erraught should soak up all the attention in this moment and ignore those silly men with their limp quills. Her exquisite figure and career will have the last laugh. A photo from the Glyndebourne Rosenkavalier production is after the jump.

Christoph Waltz Makes Directorial Debut At De Vlaamse Opera

Christopher Waltz, Academy Award-winning actor, makes his opera directorial debut with Der Rosenkavalier at De Vlaamse Opera this evening. The Austrian-German star of Quentin Tarantino's films Inglorious Bastards and Django Unchained grew up in Vienna where he studied acting at the Max Reinhardt Seminar in Vienna. He also attended the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York. He started as a stage actor, performing at venues such as Zurich's Schauspielhaus Zürich, Vienna's Burgtheater, and the Salzburg Festival. He became a prolific television actor. In 2000, he made his directorial debut, with the German television production Wenn man sich traut. Mr. Waltz comes from a theatrical family and so the Flemish opera cast rehearsed scenes without music to help gain more insight to their characters. [Source, Source, Source] Cast list is after the jump.

Vogue Features Erin Morley Stepping Into MET Strauss Role

The Girl Gets the Rose: Soprano Morley
will sing the role of Sophie at the MET in
Der Rosenkavalier (Photo: Dario Acosta)

"Tonight, Der Rosenkavalier returns to the stage at the Metropolitan Opera. Written by Richard Strauss (with a libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal), the opera was a smashing success the night it debuted in Dresden in 1911—and continues to be so to this day. It tells the complicated story of the romantic entanglement of four characters: a loutish baron; his fiancée, a bourgeois innocent named Sophie von Faninal; the handsome Count Octavian Rofrano; and the Marschallin, a married, older woman with whom Octavian is having an affair. The soprano Mojca Erdmann was originally cast to play Sophie, but will be unable to go onstage tonight due to fighting a recent bout with pneumonia. But opera fans needn’t be sad—her understudy, the talented and beautiful Erin Morley, 33, has stepped in to sing the part. Morley is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music, and received her master’s from Juilliard; she was also a Lindemann Young Artist. She took a moment recently to talk about her big Met debut, which will surely be the beginning of a glittering operatic career." Read the interview by clicking here. [Source]

What the FACH? Christine Goerke Transitions From Mozart to Strauss

"What the FACH?" is a new addition to the Opera Fresh blog that examines the transition from one vocal category to another of a completely different nature. Up first is a performance of Christine Goerke singing "Come Scoglio" from Così fan Tutte by Mozart in 2001 and the other taken from a 2008 performance that honors her upcoming opening at the Lyric Opera of Chicago in the title role of Elektra by Strauss.

Orfeo Releases New Strauss CD With Soprano Anne Schwanewilms

Komponisten/Werke:
R. Strauss: Frühling
R. Strauss: September
R. Strauss: Beim Schlafengehen
R. Strauss: Im Abendrot
R. Strauss: Das war sehr gut, Mandryka (3. Akt, Finale Arabella - Mandryka - aus: Arabella)
R. Strauss: Morgen mittag um elf! (Gräfin - aus: Capriccio op. 85)
R. Strauss: Marie Theres'! ... Hab mir's gelobt (Terzett Sophie/Marschallin/Oktavian und Finale, 3. Akt - aus: Der Rosenkavalier)


Mitwirkende: Anne Schwanewilms (Sopran); Jutta Böhnert (Sopran); Regina Richter (Mezzosopran); Gürzenich-Orchester Köln (Orchester); Markus Stenz (Dirigent)

To purchase the new CD, click here. Listen to the soprano sing "Beim Schlafengehen" by clicking here.