{"id":70983,"date":"2021-05-03T09:57:56","date_gmt":"2021-05-03T13:57:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=70983"},"modified":"2021-05-03T09:57:56","modified_gmt":"2021-05-03T13:57:56","slug":"critics-picks-classical-opera-streams-absolutely-need-see-week-may-3-9","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2021\/05\/03\/critics-picks-classical-opera-streams-absolutely-need-see-week-may-3-9\/","title":{"rendered":"CRITIC’S PICKS | Classical And Opera Streams You Absolutely Need To See This Week: May 3 \u2013 9"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Classical
Classical music and opera events streaming on the web for the week of May 3 \u2013 9.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Critic\u2019s Picks (May 3 \u2013 9)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cWe live in an extraordinary Age\u201d \u2014 Carl Sagan.<\/em> COVID-19 continues to decimate the musical world. Now well into the second year of the pandemic, some venues are struggling to re-open for late spring and summer performances, in spite of the health risks. As reported in Slipped Disc<\/em>, French president Emmanuel Macron has approved the reopening of concert halls and opera houses with audience starting May 19, with up to 900 attendees indoors and 1,000 outdoors, increasing to 5,000 starting June 9. The Salzburg Whitsun Festival in Austria will take place May 21-24, with personalized ticketing to facilitate contact tracing, a maximum of 50% capacity, proof of vaccination, and use of face masks. Glyndebourne is going ahead with its Festival (May 20 to August 29), opening with K\u00e1t’a Kabanov\u00e1, <\/em>the first in a program of four operas and a concert series.<\/p>\n

According to Opera Wire, some Italian theatres are reopening, notably Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. Teatro dell\u2019Opera di Roma presented Luisa Miller conducted by Michele Mariotti on April 30, in a concert performance with a live audience, and will be streamed online May 8 on the opera house\u2019s YouTube channel. Opernahus Zurich reopened on May 1 for a ballet performance with a limited audience of 50 people. Austria\u2019s Salzburg Easter Festival is postponed to November 1, with a revised program to be announced in May. Wiener Staatsoper will reopen on May 19 to a live audience, with COVID precautions. The Bolshoi and Teatro La Fenice have reopened with a schedule of performances into the summer months. The Prague Summer Nights Young Artists Music Festival is going ahead for an in-person festival (July 5-Aug 2).<\/p>\n

On this side of the pond, San Francisco Opera is presenting live performances at the Marin Center, a Drive-In cinema (May 6, 13). The Barber of Seville<\/em> opened to mixed reviews: not because of the singing which was fine, but rather over its venue. LA Opera is launching a Signature Recital Series<\/em> online, to showcase singers the likes of Russell Thomas, J\u2019Nai Bridges, Christine Goerke, Julia Bullock, and Susan Graham, in venues across the country and in Europe, available on-demand. Houston Grand Opera presents \u201cMy Favorite Things: Songs from The Sound of Music\u201d on May 8, a socially distanced singalong\/fundraiser featuring members of the cast from the full production. Looking further into the future, two orchestras have announced its summer plans: LA Philharmonic reopens the Hollywood Bowl in July, and the Cleveland Orchestra returns to the Blossom Festival on July 11. It has just been announced that Toronto\u2019s Luminato Festival, normally taking place in June, will be moved to October this year.<\/p>\n

The Met\u2019s nightly free streaming continues this week with \u201cHappy Mother\u2019s Day,\u201d and operas revolving around all aspects of motherhood. Canadians featured in the Met streams this week include Sondra Radvanovsky, Adrianne Pieczonka, and Joseph Kaiser. Met streams start at 7:30 p.m. ET and remain available for 23 hours. The first of two recently announced Met Stars Live in Concert, \u201cWagnerians in Concert\u201d takes place on May 8. A ticket to the virtual concert costs $20 USD.<\/p>\n

Monday 3<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Wiener Staatsoper | Cavalleria Rusticana\/Pagliacci<\/strong> \u20141 p.m. ET. Marco Armiliato conducts the Jean-Pierre Ponnelle production of the double bill, starring Eva-Maria Westbroek, Brian Jagde, and Ambrogio Maestri, Roberto Alagna, and Aleksandra Kurzak. Performance from Nov. 2, 2020. | Details<\/a><\/p>\n

Met Opera | Strauss\u2019s Elektra<\/strong>.\u00ad Starring Nina Stemme, Adrianne Pieczonka, Waltraud Meier, and Eric Owens, conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen. Production by Patrice Ch\u00e9reau. From April 30, 2016. | Details<\/a><\/p>\n

Tuesday 4<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Wiener Staatsoper | Tchaikovsky\u2019s Swan Lake<\/strong> \u2014 1 p.m. ET. Alexander Ingram conducts the Rudolf Nureyev production, starring Olga Esina (Odette\/Odile) and Vladimir Shishov (Prince Siegfried). Performance from March 16, 2014. | Details<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Met Opera | Handel\u2019s Rodelinda<\/strong>. Starring Ren\u00e9e Fleming, Stephanie Blythe, Andreas Scholl, Iestyn Davies, Joseph Kaiser, and Shenyang, conducted by Harry Bicket. Production by Stephen Wadsworth. From December 3, 2011. | Details<\/a><\/p>\n

Wednesday 5<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Wiener Staatsoper | Grieg\u2019s Peer Gynt<\/strong> \u2014\u00a01 p.m. ET. Simon Hewett conducts, with Jakob Feyferlik, Alice Firenze, Eno Peci, and Zsolt T\u00f6r\u00f6k. Performance from Dec. 4, 2018. | Details<\/a><\/p>\n

Met Opera | Thomas\u2019s Hamlet.<\/strong> Starring Marlis Petersen, Jennifer Larmore, Simon Keenlyside, and James Morris, conducted by Louis Langr\u00e9e. Production by Patrice Caurier & Moshe Leiser. From March 27, 2010. | Details<\/a><\/p>\n

Thursday 6<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Met Opera | Bellini\u2019s Norma<\/strong>. Starring Sondra Radvanovsky, Joyce DiDonato, Joseph Calleja, and Matthew Rose, conducted by Carlo Rizzi. Production by Sir David McVicar. From October 7, 2017. | Details<\/a><\/p>\n

Wiener Staatsoper | Verdi\u2019s Nabucco<\/strong> \u2014\u00a01 p.m. ET. Marco Armiliato conducts, with Pl\u00e1cido Domingo, Freddie De Tommaso, Riccardo Zanellato, and Anna Pirozzi. Is Domingo a true baritone? You can decide for yourself, with him singing the title role here. | Details<\/a><\/p>\n

Tapestry Opera | S.O.S. Sketch Opera Singers<\/strong> \u2014\u00a08 p.m. ET. This 30-minute sketch-comedy show returns with Episode 2, featuring Canadian artists with fresh voices, including Krisztina Szabo, Keith Klassen, Korin Thomas-Smith, Teiya Kasahara, Simone McIntosh and others. | Details<\/a><\/p>\n

Get a taste by watching Episode 1:<\/p>\n