Opera singing is a high-wire profession. Only the most tone-deaf will not wince when a note is off. It is all too obvious when part of a role lies too high, or too low or, indeed, hovers too much around the centre of the voice, for a particular singer. Audiences reach out in empathy when a singer arrives ‘sung out’ at the end of an opera… or prepare to boo.Dancers, and … [Read more...]
Photo Album: first look at The Royal Ballet’s MacMillan triple bill
British choreographer Kenneth MacMillan transformed ballet, through an extraordinary career that expanded the boundaries of the art form. To mark the 25th anniversary of his death The Royal Ballet celebrates his remarkable work with three mixed programmes that bring together the UK’s five leading ballet companies in Kenneth MacMillan: a National Celebration.In the first … [Read more...]
Vampires are taking over the opera house
When the Royal Swedish Opera announced their “Night of the Vampires” dress rehearsal event on Facebook on 15 September, it became clear that there is a major popular culture interest in vampires. In the invitation people were asked to “come dressed to match you most beautiful inner vampire” – in only a few hours every seat had been booked.The world premiere of Dracula … [Read more...]
80 years of opera and ballet costumes from La Scala go on display
The theatrical costume is a paradox: it hides, yet at the same time, communicates revealing aspects of a character; it is made to be seen from afar, yet the designers and costume makers care for the tiniest details, even if invisible. Each costume contains thousands of secrets, from colour combining to decoration, from the choice of a fabric to the technique to create a form. … [Read more...]
€3,000 seats at La Scala sell out in just a few hours for Anna Netrebko in Andrea Chénier
Fancy being at the opening night to see Anna Netrebko in Andrea Chénier, the opera which opens La Scala’s 2017-2018 season? Well, the best seat in the house will set you back €3,000. But hurry, in just a few hours the theatre has almost sold out. All the most expensive seats have already gone, though there are a handful of seats in the fourth-tier side-boxes at just €2,100! … [Read more...]