{"id":70459,"date":"2021-02-22T10:33:41","date_gmt":"2021-02-22T15:33:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=70459"},"modified":"2021-02-22T10:33:41","modified_gmt":"2021-02-22T15:33:41","slug":"critics-picks-classical-opera-streams-absolutely-need-see-week-february-22-28","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2021\/02\/22\/critics-picks-classical-opera-streams-absolutely-need-see-week-february-22-28\/","title":{"rendered":"CRITIC’S PICKS | Classical And Opera Streams You Absolutely Need To See This Week:\u00a0February 22 \u2013 28"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Classical
Classical music and opera events streaming on the web for the week of February 22 \u2013 28.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Critic\u2019s Picks (February 22 \u2013 28)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cWe live in an extraordinary Age\u201d \u2013 Carl Sagan.<\/em> COVID 19 continues to decimate our musical life. Most if not all European opera houses has been closed to live audiences since the new year for varying lengths of time, some to Easter and beyond. Despite the relatively high COVID numbers in Europe, a few venues are attempting to reopen for livestreaming. Here are the latest updates:<\/p>\n

Conductor Zubin Mehta, rehearsing Salome<\/em> in La Scala in Milan, was hospitalized with an unspecified ailment, and Riccardo Chailly took over the conducting duties on Feb. 20. The Polish National Opera has announced it will reopen Feb. 25, with a new program for March and April. It opens with Prokofiev\u2019s Romeo and Juliet<\/em> followed by Puccini\u2019s Madama Butterfly<\/em> with Aleksandra Kurzak, followed by Die Zauberfloete<\/em> (March 26, 27, 28), Cardillac<\/em> (April 23, 25, 27, 29), and Werther<\/em> with Piotr Beczala (April 9 and 11).<\/p>\n

In Switzerland, the Grand Th\u00e9\u00e2tre de Gen\u00e8ve and Theater Basel will remain closed until March 31, joining Opernhaus Z\u00fcrich, which is closed until Easter. The Bayerische Staatsoper has cancelled its run of Judith, a concert for orchestra paired with B\u00e9la Bart\u00f3k\u2019s Bluebeard\u2019s Castle<\/em> on March 5, 8 & 11, 2021. The performances were supposed to star Nina Stemme and John Lundgren, with Oksana Lyniv conducting the production by Katie Mitchell. Wiener Staatsoper, though closed to a live audience, streamed Carmen<\/em> on Feb. 21, starring Anita Rachvelishvili as Carmen and Piotr Beczala as Don Jos\u00e9, replacing Charles Castronovo who\u2019s recovering from COVID.<\/p>\n

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. Op\u00e9ra de Monte-Carlo has announced the cancellation of a recital on Feb. 24 by Sir Bryn Terfel due to the COVID-19 travel restrictions.<\/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 and with the proper precautions. Let\u2019s hope they are right! 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

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. Against all odds, Paris Opera livestreamed a radical Regieoper Aida<\/em> on Feb. 18 with Sondra Radvanovsky and Jonas Kaufmann. The Op\u00e9ra Comique in Paris has cancelled its upcoming La Belle H\u00e9l\u00e8ne<\/em> in March starring Canadian mezzo Marie\u2013Nicole Lemieux. La Monnaie in Brussels is closed in February but 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 pandemic 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 returned to the Mariinsky Theatre on February 10 as Tatiana in Eugene Onegin<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The Russian diva has been the subject of some controversy lately, having appeared in a video chat with Met General Manager Peter Gelb, drawing the ire of the Met orchestra musicians who have not been paid since last April. The musicians responded by announcing a virtual concert<\/span> (Feb. 21) with Romanian soprano Angela Gheorghiu, who has been supportive of the Met musicians. She\u2019ll engage in a live chat at the end of the performance.<\/p>\n

On this side of the pond, the Met\u2019s nightly free streaming continues with Dmitri Hvorostovsky Week. The late and much lamented Siberian baritone was a great fan favourite at the Met. Torontonians had the good fortune to hear his joint concert with Anna Netrebko and Yusif Eyvazov, only months before his death. Sondra and Keri, aka the Screaming Divas, interview Canadian conductor Keri-Lynn Wilson, who happens to be the spouse of Met General Manager Peter Gelb. The Vancouver Opera streams Wagner\u2019s Wesendonck-Lieder<\/em> with mezzo Krisztina Szabo, paired with the Siegfried Idyll.<\/em> National Arts Centre Orchestra has two livestreams this week, focusing on contemporary works by women composers. Finally, do take a look at the Paris Opera Aida<\/em>, puppets and all.<\/p>\n

Monday 22<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Bayerische Staatsoper | Montagsst\u00fcck XV: Starry Heavens<\/strong> \u2014\u00a02:15 p.m. ET. Norwegian soprano Lise Davidsen, hailed as the new Kirsten Flagstad, sings Beethoven’s Six Songs based on poems by Gellert. Sophie Raynaud is the pianist. Munich Intendant Nikolaus Bachler reads the Heiligenstadt Testament. Edwin Crossley-Mercer and a musicians of the Bayerische Staatsorchester perform a selection of Scottish and Irish songs. The Praetorius Quartet plays Beethoven\u2019s String Quartet, Op. 132. | Details<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Wiener Staatsoper | Donizetti\u2019s L\u2019Elisir d\u2019amore<\/strong> \u2014\u00a01 p.m. ET. Marco Armiliato conducts the Otto Schenk production, starring Valentina Nafornita (Adina), Stephen Costello (Nemorino), and Erwin Schrott (Dulcamara). Performance from June 13, 2016. | Details<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Teatro alla Scala | Vittorio Grigolo in Recital<\/strong> \u2014\u00a02 p.m. ET. The Italian tenor Vittorio Grigolo gives a recital of arias from L\u2019Elisir d\u2019amore, Rigoletto, Romeo et Juliette, Manon, Werther, L\u2019arlesiana, Carmen, Tosca, and Turandot, as well as songs by Leoncavallo, De Curtis, and Tosti. Vincenzo Scalera is the pianist.<\/p>\n