{"id":70348,"date":"2021-02-08T09:43:17","date_gmt":"2021-02-08T14:43:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=70348"},"modified":"2021-02-08T09:43:17","modified_gmt":"2021-02-08T14:43:17","slug":"critics-picks-classical-opera-streams-absolutely-need-see-week-february-8-14","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2021\/02\/08\/critics-picks-classical-opera-streams-absolutely-need-see-week-february-8-14\/","title":{"rendered":"CRITIC’S PICKS | Classical And Opera Streams You Absolutely Need To See This Week: February 8\u201314"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Classical
Classical music and opera events streaming on the web for the week of February 8 \u2013 14.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Critic\u2019s Picks (February 8 \u2013 14)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cWe live in an extraordinary Age\u201d \u2013 Carl Sagan.<\/em> COVID-19 continues to decimate our musical life, with a depressing start to 2021. Op\u00e9ra Royal de Wallonie-Li\u00e8ge cancelled concerts in January by Juan Diego Fl\u00f3rez and Jonas Kaufmann. Virtually all German opera houses are closed for varying lengths of time, some until Easter. The Palau de Les Arts Reina Sof\u00eda in Valencia, Spain announced that Daniele Gatti\u2019s Verdi Requiem<\/em> is rescheduled to July 1 and the upcoming Tristan und Isolde<\/em> will be replaced by Falstaff<\/em>, due to the large orchestra and chorus requirements for Wagner. Falstaff<\/em>, originally scheduled for February, will now be presented on March 2, 7, 11, and 14.<\/p>\n

Interestingly, a new study by Fraunhofer Heinrich Institute & Konzerthaus Dortmund has concluded that concert halls and theatres are safe when attendance is kept to 50% of capacity. Let\u2019s hope they are right! In Switzerland, Opernhaus Z\u00fcrich, Grand Th\u00e9\u00e2tre de Gen\u00e8ve, and Theater Basel are closed until at least Feb. 28. The Italian government has declared a State of Emergency to last until April 30. The Royal Swedish Opera has extended its closure until at least March 26. If the pandemic situation allows, the opera house will reopen for the premiere of Ariadne auf Naxos<\/em> on March 27.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the latest courtesy of Opera Wire<\/em><\/a><\/span>: Wiener Staatsoper has postponed its Le nozze di Figaro (Feb. 1) and the premiere of Carmen (Feb. 7) to later dates (not yet announced.) Op\u00e9ra National de Paris has cancelled its concert of Il Trovatore<\/em> at the Op\u00e9ra de Bastille, as well as chamber concerts (Feb. 11-25) at the Studio and Amphith\u00e9\u00e2tre Bastille. Additionally, the ballet program scheduled for February at the Palais Garnier and the Academy concert (Feb. 17) are cancelled. La Monnaie in Brussels announced that it will remain closed in February and will stream an all-Mozart program. Toulouse\u2019s Th\u00e9\u00e2tre du Capitole will remain closed into March, cancelling the scheduled Pell\u00e9as et M\u00e9lisande<\/em>.<\/p>\n

A bit of good news \u2014 the Salzburg Easter Festival is going ahead with modifications. It opens April 2 with a Mozart choral concert conducted by Christian Thielemann, starring Golda Schultz and others. An orchestral concert of Grieg and Beethoven with Thielemann conducting pianist Denis Matsuev follows on April 3. Hilary Hahn headlines an orchestral concert of Mozart and Schumann conducted by Antonio Pappano (April 4). The festival ends on April 5 with a Gala Concert featuring Anna Netrebko, Golda Schultz and Yusif Eyvazov, performing excerpts from Turandot<\/em>, conducted by Thielemann. Meanwhile, the peripatetic Netrebko returns to the Mariinsky Theatre on February 10 to sing Tatiana in Eugene Onegin<\/em>, opposite Alexey Markov and Mikhail Petrenko, conducted by Valery Gergiev.<\/p>\n

The Russian diva has been the subject of some controversy lately, having appeared a few days ago in a video chat with Met General Manager Peter Gelb that drew the ire of the Met orchestra musicians who have not been paid since last April. The musicians responded by announcing a virtual concert<\/a><\/span> (Feb. 21) with Romanian soprano Angela Gheorghiu, who has been supportive of the Met musicians. She sings \u201cSong to the Moon\u201d from Rusalka<\/em> in a new arrangement for soprano and bass quintet, as well as \u201cOur Father\u201d by Anton Pann. She\u2019ll engage in a live chat at the end of the event. The musicians will also perform Dvorak\u2019s String Quartet No. 2<\/em> in G major, Op. 77.<\/p>\n

On this side of the pond, the Met\u2019s nightly free streams continues its celebration of Black History Month for a second week, featuring African American singers Eric Owens, Leona Mitchell, Jessye Norman, Kathleen Battle, Harolyn Blackwell, Florence Quivar, and J\u2019Nai Bridges. All Met nightly streams start at 7:30 p.m. ET and are available for 23 hours. Opera Naples \u2014 that\u2019s Florida, not Italy \u2014 is going ahead with its in-house (!) Under the Stars Festival, featuring a recital (Mar. 10) with tenor Joseph Calleja as well as a production of La Traviata<\/em> (Mar. 11, 13). Also scheduled is a concert West Side Story<\/em> (Mar. 12) starring Isabel Leonard as Maria and Alex McKissick as Tony.<\/p>\n

Here are some interesting Video-On-Demand shows this week. American soprano Angel Blue, in her YouTube channel Faithful Friday<\/em>, interviews tenor Lawrence Brownlee. Last week, I recommended tenor Isaiah Bell in his gender-bending adaptation of Poulenc\u2019s La voix humaine<\/em>. This week it\u2019s soprano Miriam Khalil singing the same piece, unchanged, for Opera In Concert. Musicians of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra are offering performances on demand. Some of these shows require the purchase of a ticket. If you are able, show your support by purchasing a ticket in this very difficult time for the performing arts.<\/p>\n

Monday 8<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Bayerische Staatsoper | Montagsstucke: Dairy of One Who Disappeared<\/strong> \u2014 2:15 p.m. ET. Tenor Pavol Breslik sings Jan\u00e1cek\u2019s song cycle as staged by Friederike Blum. The text tells the story of a young man who falls in love with a gypsy girl Zefka, and he decides to leave his family to be with her. An evocative work not often performed in Canada, however tenor Colin Ainsworth gave a powerful performance several years ago in Toronto. Breslik is accompanied by pianist Robert Pechanec. Free livestream. | Details<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Wiener Staatsoper | The Nutcracker<\/strong> \u2014\u00a01 p.m. ET. Performance from October 7, 2012, the Nureyev-choreographed production starring Liudmila Konovalova, Vladimir Shishov, and the Corps des ballet of the Vienna State Ballet | Details<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

University of Toronto Faculty of Music | U of T Festival of Song Presents Songs of Hope and Comfort<\/strong> \u2014\u00a05 p.m. ET. A collection of performances from U of T\u2019s Voice and Collaborative Piano Students under the guidance of John R. Stratton Visitor in Music, Steven Blier. The concert will be livestreamed, with a link available at closer to the start of the event. | Details<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Met | Wagner\u2019s Das Rheingold<\/strong>. Starring Wendy Bryn Harmer, Stephanie Blythe, Patricia Bardon, Richard Croft, Gerhard Siegel, Dwayne Croft, Bryn Terfel, Eric Owens, Franz-Josef Selig, and Hans-Peter K\u00f6nig, conducted by James Levine. Production by Robert Lepage. From October 9, 2010. | Details<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Tuesday 9<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Wiener Staatsoper | Don Giovanni<\/strong> \u2014\u00a01 p.m. ET. Performance from November 1, 2015, Adam Fischer conducts, starring Mariusz Kwiecien, Erwin Schrott, Marina Rebeka, Juliane Banse, and Benjamin Bruns. | Details<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Met | Verdi\u2019s Ernani<\/strong>. Starring Leona Mitchell, Luciano Pavarotti, Sherrill Milnes, and Ruggero Raimondi, conducted by James Levine. Production by Pier Luigi Samaritani. From December 17, 1983. | Details<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Wednesday 10<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Wiener Staatsoper | La Clemenza di Tito<\/strong> \u2014\u00a01 p.m. ET. Performance from April 4, 2016, Adam Fischer conducts, starring Benjamin Bruns, Caroline Wenborne, Margarita Gritskova, Hila Fahima, and Miriam Albano. | Details<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Met | Rossini\u2019s Il Barbiere di Siviglia<\/strong>. Starring Kathleen Battle, Rockwell Blake, Leo Nucci, Enzo Dara, and Ferruccio Furlanetto, conducted by Ralf Weikert. Production by John Cox. From December 3, 1988. | Details<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Thursday 11<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Wiener Staatsoper | Mozart\u2019s Le nozze di Figaro<\/strong> \u2014\u00a01 p.m. ET. Performance from February 4, 2021. Philippe Jordan conducts, starring Andr\u00e8 Schuen, Federica Lombardi, Philippe Sly, Louise Alder, and Virginie Verrez. | Details<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Met | Verdi\u2019s Un Ballo in Maschera<\/strong>. Starring Aprile Millo, Harolyn Blackwell, Florence Quivar, Luciano Pavarotti, and Leo Nucci, conducted by James Levine. Production by Piero Faggioni. From January 26, 1991. | Details<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Friday 12<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Wiener Staatsoper | Mozart\u2019s The Magic Flute<\/strong> \u2014\u00a01 p.m. ET. Performance from January 4, 2015. Adam Fischer conducts, starring Benjamin Bruns, Olga Bezsmertna, \u00cdride Mart\u00ednez, Markus Werba, and Annika Gerhards. | Details<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Toronto Wagner Society | Interview of Michael Volle<\/strong> \u2014\u00a011 a.m. ET. Calling all Wagner lovers \u2014 Michael Volle, one of the great Wotan\u2019s of our time, joins the Toronto Wagner Society for a Zoom chat. Normally this event is limited to only members of the TWS, but this time, members of Wagner Societies in the US and the UK are invited, and this invitation is being extended to the general public at no charge. Those interested can email<\/a><\/span> the Toronto Wagner Society closer to the date for the Zoom link.<\/p>\n

Glenn Gould School\/Royal Conservatory | Rebanks Family Fellowship Concert<\/strong> \u2014\u00a07:30 p.m. ET. In this free livestream, artists of the GGS-RCM Rebanks Fellowship program perform a varied program of works by Handel, Bach, Liszt, Ravel, Mussorgsky and others. | Details<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Met | Philip Glass\u2019s Akhnaten<\/strong>. Starring D\u00edsella L\u00e1rusd\u00f3ttir, J\u2019Nai Bridges, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Aaron Blake, Will Liverman, Richard Bernstein, and Zachary James, conducted by Karen Kamensek. Production by Phelim McDermott. From November 23, 2019. | Details<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Saturday 13<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Wiener Staatsoper | Mozart\u2019s The Abduction from the Seraglio<\/strong> \u2014\u00a01 p.m. ET. Performance from October 12, 2020. Antonello Manacorda conducts the Hans Neuenfels production, starring Lisette Oropesa, Christian Nickel, Regula M\u00fchlemann, Emanuela von Frankenberg, Stella Roberts, Daniel Behle, and others. | Details<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Met | Berlioz\u2019s Les Troyens<\/strong>. Starring Tatiana Troyanos, Jessye Norman, Pl\u00e1cido Domingo, and Allan Monk, conducted by James Levine. Production by Fabrizio Melano. From October 8, 1983. | Details<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Sunday 14<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Met | Wagner\u2019s Die Walk\u00fcre<\/strong>. Starring Hildegard Behrens, Jessye Norman, Christa Ludwig, Gary Lakes, James Morris, and Kurt Moll, conducted by James Levine. Production by Otto Schenk. From April 8, 1989. | Details<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Video-on-demand performances:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

1) Toronto Symphony Orchestra | TSO On Demand<\/strong>. Available starting Feb. 12, musicians of the TSO led by concertmaster Jonathan Crow perform the Beethoven Septet; Schubert: String Trio in B-flat Major, D. 471 (First Movement); and a TSO commission \u2014 Emilie LeBel: Haareis auf Morschem Holz (Hair Ice On Rotten Wood). Tickets $20. | Details<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

2) Faithful Friday with Angel Blue | Lawrence Brownlee<\/strong>. American soprano Angel Blue interviews \u201cKing of the High C\u201d Lawrence Brownlee, about life during the pandemic, his career, and his work as a social activist.<\/p>\n