{"id":70595,"date":"2021-03-15T10:41:15","date_gmt":"2021-03-15T14:41:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=70595"},"modified":"2021-03-15T14:09:22","modified_gmt":"2021-03-15T18:09:22","slug":"critics-picks-classical-and-opera-streams-you-absolutely-need-to-see-this-week-march-15-21","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2021\/03\/15\/critics-picks-classical-and-opera-streams-you-absolutely-need-to-see-this-week-march-15-21\/","title":{"rendered":"CRITIC’S PICKS | Classical And Opera Streams You Absolutely Need To See This Week: March 15 \u2013 21"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Classical
Classical music and opera events streaming on the web for the week of March 15 \u2013 21.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Critic\u2019s Picks (March 15 \u2013 21)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cWe live in an extraordinary Age\u201d \u2013 Carl Sagan.<\/em> For a second year, COVID-19 continues to decimate our musical life. Virtually all European opera houses are closed to live audiences, for varying lengths of time, some to Easter and beyond. Italy, faced with a possible third wave, will be in full lockdown over Easter. L\u2019Op\u00e9ra Grand Avignon will stay closed until the beginning of the new 2021-22 season in the fall. Others are reopening for limited livestreaming, a few 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-Aug 2). In Austria, the Salzburg Easter Festival<\/a><\/span> (April 2\u20135) 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<\/em>, conducted by Thielemann. UPDATE: It has just been announced on March 15 that the Salzburg Easter Festival is now postponed to the weekend of All Saints Week in Nov. 2021.Program details will be announced in May.<\/strong><\/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 a new production 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<\/em> has been suspended.<\/p>\n

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<\/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 and with the proper precautions. Let\u2019s hope they are right!<\/p>\n

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. 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<\/em> throughout March. Now in its 53rd week, the Met\u2019s nightly free streaming continues with Viewers\u2019 Choice<\/em>. All Met streams start at 7:30 p.m. ET and remain available for 23 hours. Lots of interesting Canadian shows, from the National Ballet, Pacific Opera Victoria, Toronto Operetta Theatre, and a masterclass from University of Toronto.<\/p>\n

Monday 15<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Met | Offenbach\u2019s Les Contes d\u2019Hoffmann<\/strong>. Starring Anna Netrebko, Kathleen Kim, Ekaterina Gubanova, Kate Lindsey, Joseph Calleja, and Alan Held, conducted by James Levine. Production by Bartlett Sher. From December 19, 2009. | Details<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Tuesday 16<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Met | Puccini\u2019s La Fanciulla del West<\/strong>. Starring Eva-Maria Westbroek, Jonas Kaufmann, and \u017deljko Lu\u010di\u0107, conducted by Marco Armiliato. Production by Giancarlo Del Monaco. From October 27, 2018. | Details<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Wednesday 17<\/span><\/h3>\n

Met | Donizetti\u2019s Anna Bolena.<\/strong> Starring Anna Netrebko, Ekaterina Gubanova, Tamara Mumford, Stephen Costello, and Ildar Abdrazakov, conducted by Marco Armiliato. Production by Sir David McVicar. From October 15, 2011. | Details<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Thursday 18<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

University of Toronto Faculty of Music | Joyce El-Khoury Masterclass<\/strong> \u2014\u00a03 p.m. ET. Canadian soprano Joyce El-Khoury is having a fabulous international career, particularly acclaimed in the bel canto repertoire. She\u2019s the master teacher this year, in the Riki Turofsky Master Class in Voice at the U of T. Not to be missed. | 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

Friday 19<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Toronto Operetta Theatre | The Gondoliers.<\/strong> TOT is trying something new, a dinner and a show \u2013 to be enjoyed at home! An original production of The Gondoliers conceived for online viewing. On March 19 and 20, watch the show (ticket: $20) and enjoy a takeout dinner from Chabrol Restaurant ($35 per person). The show will be available on demand until 5 April. Cast includes TOT regulars Tonatiuh Abrego, Bradley Christensen, Daniela Agostino, Stephanie O\u2019Leary, Elizabeth Beeler, Gregory Finney, and others. Pianist Narmina Afandiyeva, accordionist Matti Pulkki, conductor Derek Bate, and stage director Guillermo Silva-Marin. | Details<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Met | Rossini\u2019s Il Barbiere di Siviglia<\/strong>. Starring Joyce DiDonato, Juan Diego Fl\u00f3rez, Peter Mattei, John Del Carlo, and John Relyea, conducted by Maurizio Benini. Production by Bartlett Sher. From March 24, 2007. | Details<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Saturday 20<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

San Francisco Opera | Wagner\u2019s Siegfried<\/strong> \u2014\u00a01 p.m. ET. SFO\u2019s March Ring Festival continues with Siegfried, in the Francesca Zambello production, with a stellar cast. Free stream, available until 11:59 p.m. Pacific time Sunday. Registration required. | Details<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Met | Tchaikovsky\u2019s Eugene Onegin<\/strong>. Starring Ren\u00e9e Fleming, Ram\u00f3n Vargas, and Dmitri Hvorostovsky, conducted by Valery Gergiev. Production by Robert Carsen. From February 24, 2007. | Details<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Sinfonia Toronto | Inspiration<\/strong> \u2014\u00a08 p.m. ET. Sinfonia Toronto\u2019s concert features inspirational music, such as Mozart’s Serenade K, 525, “Eine kleine Nachtmusik,” and conductor Nurhan Arman’s orchestral arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s String Quartet No. 3. Ticket is $15 and the concert will be available online for four weeks. | Details<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Sunday 21<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Bayerische Staatsoper | Strauss\u2019 Der Rosenkavalier<\/strong> \u2014 9 a.m. ET. A big deal for Strauss fans, especially if you love the magnificent, traditional, 50-year-old Jurgen Rose-Otto Schenk production that has delighted Munich audiences all these years. This new one is directed by enfant terrible Barry Kosky, starring Marlis Petersen, a former Sophie, as the Marschallin. Vladimir Jurowski conducts. You can be sure it will be totally different stylistically. Not to be missed, but if 9:30 am is too early for you, it will be available on demand from March 23rd on for thirty days. | Details<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Met | Handel\u2019s Agrippina<\/strong>. Starring Brenda Rae, Joyce DiDonato, Kate Lindsey, Iestyn Davies, Duncan Rock, and Matthew Rose, conducted by Harry Bicket. Production by Sir David McVicar. From February 29, 2020. | Details<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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

1) Pacific Opera Victoria Two Sopranos, One Friendship<\/strong>. Premiered March 12 and available for one month, this delightful show stars Aviva Fortunata and Claire de Sevigne, two sopranos who are also great friends. It\u2019s a mix of opera duets, including Mira o Norma, and storytelling. It ends with the lovely Ivor Novello \u201cWe\u2019ll gather lilacs\u201d A feel good show. | Details<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

2) National Ballet of Canada Spotlight Series<\/strong>. Like other companies, the National is dark right now. But it is generously offering free streams of its many gems, which you can explore here<\/a><\/span>. Of particular interest are these three contemporary pieces, superbly choreographed and danced – Piano Concerto #1, Petite Morte, and Chroma.<\/p>\n