{"id":70561,"date":"2021-03-08T10:09:17","date_gmt":"2021-03-08T15:09:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=70561"},"modified":"2021-03-08T10:09:17","modified_gmt":"2021-03-08T15:09:17","slug":"critics-picks-classical-opera-streams-absolutely-need-see-week-march-8-14","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2021\/03\/08\/critics-picks-classical-opera-streams-absolutely-need-see-week-march-8-14\/","title":{"rendered":"CRITIC’S PICKS | Classical And Opera Streams You Absolutely Need To See This Week: March 8 \u2013 14"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Classical
Classical music and opera events streaming on the web for the week of March 8 \u2013 14.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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

“We live in an extraordinary Age\u201d \u2013 Carl Sagan.<\/em> For a second year, COVID-19 continues to decimate our musical lives. Virtually all European opera houses are closed to live audiences, for varying lengths of time, some to Easter and beyond. A case in point: L\u2019Op\u00e9ra Grand Avignon just announced it will stay closed until the beginning of the new 2021-22 season in the fall. Others are reopening for limited livestreaming, some even planning ambitious in-person events in the summer. The situation is fluid and frankly confusing.<\/p>\n

Despite the extremely high COVID rates in the Czech Republic, the Prague Summer Nights Young Artists Music Festival<\/a><\/span> hopes for the best with an in-person festival (July 5 \u2013 Aug 2). In Austria, the Salzburg Easter Festival<\/a><\/span> (April 2 \u2013 5) is going ahead. It opens April 2 with a Mozart choral concert conducted by Christian Thielemann, starring Golda Schultz, followed by an orchestral concert of Grieg and Beethoven with Thielemann conducting pianist Denis Matsuev. 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, conducted by Thielemann.<\/p>\n

The Polish National Opera has announced 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). In Switzerland, the Grand Th\u00e9\u00e2tre de Gen\u00e8ve and Theater Basel are closed until March 31, joining Opernhaus Z\u00fcrich, which is closed until Easter. The Bayerische Staatsoper has cancelled its run of Judith<\/em>, a concert for orchestra paired with B\u00e9la Bart\u00f3k\u2019s Bluebeard\u2019s Castle<\/em> on March 5, 8 & 11, 2021. However, it has just announced a livestream of Der Rosenkavalier<\/em> on March 21. The news at La Scala is not good \u2014 there has been an outbreak of COVID cases in the Corps de Ballet, with 35 dancers and 3 staff members tested positive. The planned recording of the Tribute to Nureyev was suspended.<\/p>\n

Wiener Staatsoper streamed Carmen<\/em> on Feb. 21 without an audience, starring Anita Rachvelishvili as Carmen and Piotr Beczala as Don Jos\u00e9, replacing Charles Castronovo who is recovering from COVID. The Palau de Les Arts Reina Sof\u00eda in Valencia, Spain has rescheduled Daniele Gatti\u2019s Verdi Requiem<\/em> 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, 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 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. It has just announced it will stream a Tosca<\/em> with Malin Bystr\u00f6m available throughout March.<\/p>\n

Op\u00e9ra National de Paris has cancelled all live performances until April 5. One of the last things before shutting down was the livestreaming of a radical Regieoper Aida<\/em> on Feb. 18 with Sondra Radvanovsky and Jonas Kaufmann, now available on YouTube. It will however stream Faust<\/em> from the Op\u00e9ra Bastille on March 26, accessible on France 5, and will then be made available on Culturebox for six months. 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>. Op\u00e9ra de Rouen Normandie has cancelled all performances in March.<\/p>\n

On this side of the pond, there are tentative signs of a resumption. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a limited reopening in New York starting April 2. Houston Grand Opera will present My Favorite Things: Songs from The Sound of Music<\/em> on May 8, a singalong and fundraiser featuring members of the principal cast from the full production. The Merola Opera Program will present a virtual charity gala, scheduled on April 10. Un Gala In Maschera<\/em> is a tribute to Merola\u2019s artistic director, Sheri Greenawald. San Francisco Opera is streaming its Ring Cycle throughout March. The Met\u2019s nightly free streaming continues with Verismo Passions<\/em>. All Met streams start at 7:30 p.m. ET and remain available for 23 hours. Canadian content this week includes Tafelmusik, Toronto Wagner Society, Women\u2019s Musical Club of Toronto, RCM\/ARC Ensemble and Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. A COVID casualty is Toronto Symphony\u2019s streaming of Vivaldi\u2019s Four Seasons<\/em>, which will be rescheduled.<\/p>\n

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

Bayerische Staatsoper Montagsstuck XVII: Das Lied von der Erde<\/strong> \u2014\u00a02:15 p.m. ET. Baritone Christian Gerhaher and tenor Klaus Florian Vogt join forces with pianist Gerold Huber in Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde. | Details<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Met | Puccini\u2019s Manon Lescaut.<\/strong> Starring Renata Scotto, Pl\u00e1cido Domingo, Pablo Elvira, and Renato Capecchi, conducted by James Levine. Production by Gian Carlo Menotti. From March 29, 1980. | Details<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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

Met | Mascagni\u2019s\u00a0Cavalleria Rusticana\u00a0and\u00a0Leoncavallo\u2019s\u00a0Pagliacci.<\/strong> Starring Eva-Maria Westbroek, Jane Bunnell, Marcelo \u00c1lvarez, and George Gagnidze; Patricia Racette, Marcelo \u00c1lvarez, George Gagnidze, and Lucas Meachem, conducted by Fabio Luisi. Production by Sir David McVicar. From April 25, 2015. | Details<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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

Toronto Wagner Society | Robert Carsen<\/strong> \u2014\u00a011:00 a.m. ET. TWS interviews internationally renowned Canadian stage director Robert Carsen. Usually members only, but TWS is making it available to the public. You must register and get the link to Zoom by emailing Toronto Wagner Society at info@torontowagnersociety.ca<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Met | Cilea\u2019s Adriana Lecouvreur<\/strong>. Starring Anna Netrebko, Anita Rachvelishvili, Piotr Becza\u0142a, and Ambrogio Maestri, conducted by Gianandrea Noseda. Production by Sir David McVicar. From January 12, 2019. | Details<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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

Met | Zandonai\u2019s Francesca da Rimini.<\/strong> Starring Eva-Maria Westbroek, Marcello Giordani, Robert Brubaker, and Mark Delavan, conducted by Marco Armiliato. Production by Piero Faggioni. From March 16, 2013. | Details<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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

Royal Conservatory of Music | ARC Ensemble<\/strong> \u2014 8 p.m. ET. RCM\u2019s own ARC Ensemble (Artists of The Royal Conservatory) performs an all-Beethoven program, and a selection of folk songs, joined by soprano Monica Whicher. | Details<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Met | Giordano\u2019s Fedora<\/strong>. Starring Mirella Freni, Ainhoa Arteta, Pl\u00e1cido Domingo, Dwayne Croft, and Jean-Yves Thibaudet, conducted by Roberto Abbado. Production by Beppe De Tomasi. From April 26, 1997. | Details<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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

San Francisco Opera Die Walkure<\/strong> \u2014\u00a07 a.m. ET. The second opera of the San Francisco Ring Festival, Die Walkure this week. Free stream available only for 24 hours, while on demand requires a pass for $99 USD, but it gives you lectures and other content. Excellent cast! | Details<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Met | Giordano\u2019s Andrea Ch\u00e9nier<\/strong>. Starring Maria Guleghina, Wendy White, Stephanie Blythe, Luciano Pavarotti, and Juan Pons, conducted by James Levine. Production by Nicolas Jo\u00ebl. From October 15, 1996. | Details<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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

Met | Puccini\u2019s Tosca<\/strong>. Starring Sonya Yoncheva, Vittorio Grigolo, \u017deljko Lu\u010di\u0107, and Patrick Carfizzi, conducted by Emmanuel Villaume. Production by Sir David McVicar. From January 27, 2018. | Details<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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

1) WMCT | Music in the Afternoon: Eric Lu<\/strong>. Chinese American pianist Eric Lu, a 2018 Leeds Gold Medal winner, plays Chopin and Schubert. Available until March 25.<\/p>\n