Contents
FRONT OF HOUSE
EDITORIAL The life of Maria Callas – cautionary tale or true inspiration? YOUNG ARTIST OF THE MONTH Meeting rising star, Irish soprano Ava Dodd …- NEWS & NOTES Winner of Norway’s Queen Sonija Singing Competition is announced; Glyndebourne announces its 2024 festival programme; John Eliot Gardiner withdraws from conducting until next year; We report from the 2023 Aldeburgh Festival (14)
REVIEWS - ‰ LIVE REVIEWS UK BBC Proms (36) Longborough Festival Opera ( 3 8 ) Regent’s Opera (37) EUROPE Dresden Festival Das Rhinegold (4 0 ) Munich Opera Festival (4 2 ) Festival della Valle d’Itria (4 4 ) Greek National Opera Le Voyage dans la Lune & Nabucco (46) - RECORDINGS New releases on CD & AV including: Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera – from Marek Janoqski and the Orchestre Philharmonique de MonteCarlo, a box-set collection of Legendary Singers and Melody Moore’s album dedicated to her idol Renata Tebaldi, as well as productions of Rigoletto and Figaro captured on film; Opera Now Choice: Cesar Franck’s opera Hulda receives five stars with Jennifer Holloway in the title role with the Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège and Gergely Madaras
‰- SPOTLIGHT Worldwide Opera Guide and answers to this issue’s Maria Callas Quiz (p 63)
COVER PHOTO: KEN VEEDER
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‘Callas was the first to turn opera
into real theatre and show that the more one brings
out the drama, the stronger the
impact of the
music’
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IEBUHR
NJAMES
32
STOCK
ADOBE
36
COMMONS
IA
IMED
IK
W
ELCH
WTRACEY
CONTENTS
Cover feature Maria Callas is an operatic name known to many throughout the world in a capacity that transcended her artistry. We explore her legacy through the singers that knew her, seek inspiration from her and look to keep her name alive Intelligence Previewing Jake Heggie’s latest opera, soon to premiere at Houston Grand Opera with a star cast and creative team Bel Canto Is bel canto going out of fashion? David Patrick Stearns explores the rise and fall of bel canto in the USA as the Met enters its contemporary-focused season
BBC Proms Reviewing an operaticallybooming BBC Proms season with Glyndebourne’s Dialogues des Carmélites and the Horrible Histories ‘Orrible Opera proms at the Royal Albert Hall Behind the Scenes Principal clarinet of the Royal Opera House Matt Glendening became principal at the age of 23. He tells us about his extraordinary career and life in the pit ‰ Quiz How well do you know the life of La Divina? Test your opera knowledge this month’s Maria‘Callas special
COLLECTION
POT TER
TULLY
Ethel Smyth – Der Wald As a new recording is released on Resonus Classics, Smyth biographer and author of Quartet, Leah Broad looks at the story behind this remarkable opera
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