OPERA NEWS VOL 73 Nº 8

CURRENT ISSUE
February 2009
vol 73, no. 8
Enter Manrico Marcelo Álvarez's ever-developing artistry has taken him to the operatic summit. This month the Argentine tenor steps into the title role of the Met's new Trovatore. BARRY SINGER reports.
Chanson Triste Sondra Radvanovsky, who sings Leonora in the Met's new Trovatore, has become that rare thing — a true Verdi soprano. So why isn’t her star shining brighter? ADAM WASSERMAN reports.
Depth Perception Roles for dramatic mezzos were rare in the era of verismo, but the current Met season features two. CONRAD L. OSBORNE examines the diverse voices that have put their stamp on this repertoire.
Wasn't It Romantic? Each of this month's Met broadcast operas presents a different facet of the contradictory aesthetics that gave birth to modernism. STEVE VINEBERG delineates the similarities and contrasts.
Molto Armiliato Marco Armiliato has two qualities essential to a good maestro — a desire to serve the composer and a great love of singers. This month, he takes on both Lucia di Lammermoor and Adriana Lecouvreur at the Met. By Scott Rose.
No Strings Composer Jonathan Dove brings his passion for making opera approachable to the classic tale of Pinocchio. CLAIRE SYKES listens in.
Painting with Music Achim Freyer uses the instincts of a visual artist to create fully dimensional characters for his Ring, which begins this month at Los Angeles Opera with Das Rheingold. TIMOTHY MANGAN reports.
Recordings
In Review
Viewpoint: Band of Brothers by F. PAUL DRISCOLL
OperaWatch by F. PAUL DRISCOLL
On the Beat Petrova waxes lyrical; first hearing for Séance on a Wet Afternoon; Arroyo’s foundation celebrates its fifth anniversary; Graham and Horne shine at OPERA NEWS Awards. by BRIAN KELLOW
Sound Bites: Jeffrey Halili by FRED COHN
Letter from Wexford by BRIAN KELLOW
Irish Revels Online Exclusive BRIAN KELLOW speaks with several key players from Wexford Festival Opera's 2008 season — artistic director David Agler, stage director Rosetta Cucchi, and singers Dorothy Byrne and John Bellemer.
Obituaries Conductor Richard Hickox dies at sixty; sopranos Christel Goltz and Ellen Faull; tenor Ryan Smith; critic Clive Barnes; bass-baritone Richard Van Allan
Books A compositional history of Così; an overview of "the new music theater" falls short.
Dateline Online Exclusive by TRISTAN KRAFT
Coda: The Performance I Can’t Forget by JOE QUEENAN