New season 2015-2016 at La Monnaie in Brussels

Yesterday, I also received the program book for the 2015-2016 season at La Monnaie in Brussels.

Several productions will be staged outside the usual Théâtre de La Monnaie, in several places not conceived for opera performances. Other productions had to be cancelled because of budget cut by the federal government.

Here are the remaining productions :

- Gaetano Donizetti : L'Elisir d'amore, conducted by Thomas Rösner, directed by Damiano Michieletto (first staged in Madrid in December 2013), at the Cirque Royal ;
- Thomas Adès : Powder her Face, conducted by Alejo Pérez, directed by Mariusz Trelinski (new production, with first performance in Warsaw next month), at Les Halles in Schaerbeek ;
- Gaspare Spontini : La Vestale, conducted by Alessandro de Marchi, directed by Eric Lacascade (first performed in Paris in October 2013), at the Cirque Royal ;
- Björk (with vocal arrangements and new composition by Anat Spiegel) : Medulla, conducted by Bassem Akiki, directed by Sjaron Minailo (new production), at La Monnaie, salle Malibran ;
- Engelbert Humperdinck : Hänsel und Gretel, conducted by Lothar Koenigs, with puppets and live projections by Chicago-based group Manual Cinema (new production), at Palais des Beaux-Arts ;
- Pascal Dusapin : To be Sung, conducted by Bassem Akiki, directed by Sjaron Minailo (new production), at Flagey ;
- Florian Leopold Gassmann : L'Opera seria, conducted by René Jacobs, directed by Patrick Kinmonth (new production), at the Cirque Royal ;
- Hector Berlioz : Béatrice et Bénédict, conducted by Jérémie Rhorer, directed by Richard Brunel (new production), for the reopening of La Monnaie ;
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart : Mitridate, rè di Ponto, conducted by Christophe Rousset, directed by Robert Carsen (revival, first performed in October 2007) ;
- Mark Grey : Frankenstein, conducted by Leo Hussain, directed by Alex Ollé (La Fura dels Baus), world première.

Some concert performances are also planned (at the Palais des Beaux-Arts) :
- Anton Rubinstein : Demon, conducted by Mikhail Tatarnikov ;
- Francesco Cila : Adriana Lecouvreur, conducted by Evelino Pido.

Here are the cancelled productions :

- Erich Wolfgang Korngold : Die tote Stadt, conducted by Lothar Koenigs, directed by Mariusz Trelinski (new production) ;
- Kurt Weill : Die Dreigroschenoper, conducted by Samuel Jean, directed by Olivier Py (new production) ;
- Claudio Monteverdi : L'Incoronazione di Poppea, conducted by René Jacobs, directed by Alvis Hermanis (new production).

It is amazing what one can do, even on a reduced budget, when one is really committed ! 10 operas by 10 composers in 4 languages (Italian, English, German, French) or even 5 (Russian for the Demon), from Mozart to contemporary opera, including a world première and 2 20th century operas. This season looks very promising.

New Season 2015-2016 at the Landestheater in Linz

This Tuesday morning, I have received in the mail the program book for the 2015-2016 season at the Landestheater in Linz, Austria.

The season includes 8 new productions :

- Giuseppe Verdi, La Traviata, conducted by Daniel Spaw, directed by Robert Wilson ;
- Grigori Frid, Das Tagebuch der Anne Frank, conducted by Borys Sitarski, directed by Thomas Barthol ;
- Franz Lehar, Die lustige Witwe, conducted by Daniel Linton-France, directed by Michiel Dijkema ;
- Engelbert Humperdinck, Hänsel und Gretel, conducted by Takeshi Moriuchi, directed by Rainer Mennicken ;
- William Bolcom, McTeague, conducted by Dennis Russell Davies, directed by Matthias Davids (Europrean première) ;
- Claude Debussy, Pelléas et Mélisande, conducted by Dennis Russell Davies, directed by Achim Freyer ;
- Domenico Cimarosa, L'Impresario in angustie (in German), conducted by Marc Reibel, directed by John F. Kutil ;
- Moritz Eggert, Terra Nova oder das weisse Leben, conducted by Dennis Russell Davies, directed by Carlus Padrissa (world première).

This is quite an interesting season, with 1 world première and 1 European première, Bolcom's McTeague joining Harbison's The Great Gatsby, which will have its continental première in Dresden.

New season 2015-2016 at the Komische Oper in Berlin

This Saturday morning, I have received the program book for the 2015-2016 at the Komische Oper in Berlin.

The following operas will have new productions :

- Jacques Offenbach : The Tales of Hoffmann (in German and French), conducted by Stefan Blunier and directed by Barrie Kosky ;
- Elena Kats-Chernin : Snow White and the 77 Dwarfs (in German) conducted by Pawel Poplawski, directed by Christian von Götz (children opera, word première) ;
- Frederick Loewe : My Fair Lady (in German), conducted by Kristiina Poska, directed by Andreas Homoki ;
- Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky : Eugene Onegin (in Russian), conducted by Henrik Nanasi, directed by Barrie Kosky ;
- Heinrich Marschner : Der Vampyr (in German), conducted by Antony Hermus, directed by Antu Romero Nunes ;
- HK Gruber : Geschichten aus dem Wiener Wald (in German), conducted by Hendrik Vestmann, directed by Michal Zadara ;
- Jules Massenet : Cendrillon (in French), conducted by Henrik Nanasi, directed by Damiano Michieletto.

The following productions will be revived :

- Paul Abraham : Ball im Savoy (in German), directed by Barrie Kosky (first performed in June 2013) ;
- Leonard Bernstein : West Side Story (in German and English), directed by Barrie Kosky and Alma Sadé (first performed in November 2013) ;
- Nico Dostal : Clivia (in German), directed by Stefan Huber (first performed in March 2014) ;
- Georg Friedrich Haendel : Serse (in German), directed by Stefan Herheim (first performed in May 2012) ;
- Georg Friedrich Haendel : Giulio Cesare (in Italian), directed by Lydia Steier (to be first performed in May 2015) ;
- Engelbert Humperdinck : Hänsel und Gretel (in German), directed by Reinhard von der Thannen (first performed in March 2013) ;
- Marius Felix Lange : The Ghost of Canterville (in German), directed by Jasmina Hadziahmetovic (first performed in November 2014) ;
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart : The Magic Flute (in German), directed by Suzanne Andrade and Barrie Kosky (first performed in November 2012) ;
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart : Don Giovanni (in German), directed by Herbert Fritsch (first performed in November 2014) ;
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart : Le Nozze di Figaro (in German), directed by Barrie Kosky (first performed in January 2005) ;
- Jacques Offenbach : La Belle Hélène (in German), directed by Barrie Kosky (first performed in October 2014) ;
- Cole Porter : Kiss Me, Kate (in German), directed by Barrie Kosky (first performed in May 2008) ;
- Sergei Prokofiev : The Fiery Angel (in Russian), directed by Benedict Andrews (first performed in January 2014) ;
- Jean-Philippe Rameau : Castor et Pollux (in French), directed by Barrie Kosky (first performed in May 2014).

21 operas (including 7 new productions) by 17 composers will be performed  in 5 languages. They cover the complete history of opera, from baroque era (Haendel and Rameau) to contemporary (Lange, Gruber, Kats-Chernin).

New Season 2015-2016 at the Semperoper in Dresden

This Wednesday morning, I have received the program book for the 2015-2016 season at the Semperoper in Dresden.

The following operas will be performed with new productions :

- Albert Lortzing : Der Wildschütz, conducted by Asher Fisch, directed by Jens-Daniel Herzog ;
- John Harbison : The Great Gatsby, conducted by Wayne Marshall, directed by Keith Warner (European première) ;
- Pietro Mascagni : Cavalleria rusticana and Ruggero Leoncavallo : Pagliacci, conducted by Stefano Ranzani and directed by Philipp Stölzl ;
- Paul Hindemith : Mathis der Maler, conducted by Simone Young, directed by Jochen Biganzoli ;
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart : Don Giovanni, conducted by Omer Meir Wellber, directed by Andreas Kriegenburg ;
- Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky : Eugene Onegin, conducted by Pietari Inkinen, directed by Markus Bothe;
- Viktor Ullmann : Der Kaiser von Atlantis, conducted by Johannes Wulff-Woesten, directed by Christiane Lutz (Semper 2).

In fact, Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci will be performed in Salzburg during the 2015 Easter Festival, later this month.

The following productions will be revived :

- Georges Bizet : Carmen, directed by Axel Köhler (first performed in September 2013) ;
- Gaetano Donizetti : L'Elisir d'amore, directed by Michael Schulz (first performed in April 2012) ;
- Charles Gounod : Faust, directed by Keith Warner (first performed in June 2010) ;
- Georg Friedrich Händel : Alcina, directed by Jan Philipp Gloger (first performance in October 2011) ;
- Georg Friedrich Händel :Giulio Cesare, directed by Jens-Daniel Herzog (first performed in December 2009) ;
- Georg Friedrich Händel :Orlando, directed by Andreas Kriegenburg (first performed in January 2013) ;
- Engelbert Humperdinck : Hänsel und Gretel, directed by Katharina Thalbach (first performed in December 2006) ;
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart : Le nozze di Figaro, directed by Johannes Erath (this production will be performed for the first time next June) ;
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart : Die Zauberflöte, directed by Achim Freyer (first performed in Dresden probably in 2006, considering that Freyer directed this opera as soon as 1982 in Hamburg) ;
- Giacomo Puccini : La Bohème, directed by Christine Mielitz (this production is more than 22 years old) ;
- Giacomo Puccini : Tosca, directed by Johannes Schaaf (first performed in January 2009) ;
- Peter Ronnefeld : Nachtausgabe, directed by Manfred Weiß (first performed in October 2014) ;
- Gioachino Rossini : Il barbiere di Siviglia, directed by Grischa Asagaroff (performed in Dresden since at least April 2008, but also in Zurich from 1991 to 2007) ;
- Johann Strauß : Die Fledermaus, directed by Günter Krämer (first performance in December 2003) ;
- Richard Strauss : Arabella, directed by Florentine Klepper (first performed in Dresden in November 2014, original production for the 2014 Easter Festival in Salzburg) ;
- Richard Strauss : Elektra, directed by Barbara Frey (first performed in January 2014) :
- Giuseppe Verdi : Don Carlo, directed by Eike Gramss (first performed in October 2003) ;
- Giuseppe Verdi : Macbeth, directed by Philipp Himmelmann (first performed in October 2005) ;
- Giuseppe Verdi : La Traviata, directed by Andreas Homoki (first performed in Dresden in October2009, but already performed in Leipzig and other German Cities in 2004) ;
- Richard Wagner : Der fliegende Holländer, directed by Florentine Klepper (first performance in June 2013) ;
- Richard Wagner : Lohengrin, directed by Christine Mielitz (this production is more than 22 years old) ;
- Richard Wagner : Die Walküre, directed by Willy Decker (first performance in November 2001) ;
- Carl Maria von Weber : Der Freischütz, directed by Axel Köhler (first performance next May) ;

Therefore, 31 operas by 20 composers in 5 languages will be performed next season. There will be one opera from the 21st Century, and another one contemporary. This season covers quite well the complete history of opera and its various genres.

New season 2015-2016 at the Teatro Real in Madrid

This Thursday morning, I have also received the complete program for the 2015-2016 season at the Teatro Real in Madrid.

The following operas will be performed :

- Gaetano Donizetti : Roberto Devereux, conducted by Bruno Campanella and Andriy Yurkevych, directed by Alessandro Talevi (production from the Welsh National Opera in Cardiff, October 2013), with Mariella Devia and Mariusz Kwiecien ;
- Georg Friedrich Haendel : Alcina, conducted by Christopher Moulds, directed by David Alden, with Karina Gauvin and Sonia Prina (production from Bordeaux, May 2012) ;
- Giuseppe Verdi : Rigoletto, conducted by Nicola Luisotti, directed by David McVicar, with several casts, including Stephen Costello, Leo Nucci, Olga Peretyatko and Carlo Colombara (production from Covent Garden, September 2001) ;
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart : Die Zauberflöte, conducted by Ivor Bolton, directed by Barrie Kosky, with Christof Fischesser, Joel Prieto, Ana Durlovski (production from the Komische Oper in Berlin, November 2012) ;
- Manuel de Falla : El retablo de Maese Pedro, conducted by Josep Vicent, directed by Enrique Lanz, as part of the celebration for the 400th anniversary of Miguel de Cervantes' death (production from the Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, January 2009) ;
- Tomas Marco : El caballero de la triste figura, conducted by Manuel Coves, directed by Guillermo Heras, for the same celebration (new production) ;
- Richard Wagner : Das Liebesverbot, conducted by Ivor Bolton, directed by Kasper Holten, with Christopher Maltman, Andrew Stapels, Bernard Richter, Ante Jerkunica (new production) ;
- Richard Wagner : Parsifal, conducted by Semyon Bychkov, directed by Claus Guth, with Detlef Roth, Ante Jerkunica, Franz Josef Selif, Anja Kampe (production from the Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, February 2011) ;
- Hans Krasa : Brundibar, conducted by Jordi Frances, directed by Susana Gomez (new production) ;
- Arnold Schönberg : Moses und Aron, conducted by Lothar Koenigs, directed by Romeo Castellucci, with Albert Dohmen, John Graham-Hall and Catherine Wyn-Rogers (new co-production, to be first performed in Paris in October 2015) ;
- Viktor Ullmann : Der Kaiser von Atlantis, conducted (and orchestrated) by Pedro Halffter, directed by Gustavo Tambascio (new production).

The four following operas will be performed in concert :

- George Benjamin : Written on Skin, conducted by the composer :
- Giuseppe Verdi : Luisa Miller, conducted by James Conlon ;
- Vincenzo Bellini : I Puritani, conducted by Evelino Pido ;
- Giuseppe Verdi : I due Foscari, conducted by Pablo Heras-Casado.

15 operas (including 4 chamber operas, and 4 operas in concert) in 5 languages, from the baroque era to the modern period, will be performed. There will be only 2 new productions from large-scale works, but 4 operas from the 20th or 21st centuries.
According to a document received with the program, the "Teatro Real [should] achieve financial stability in 2015 with only 30% of public funding. Let's hope it will allow them to commission some new works in the near future.

New season 2015-2016 at the Opéra National de Paris

This Saturday morning, I have received the program of the 2015-2016 season at the Opéra National de Paris. It is the first season entirely conceived by new general manager Stéphane Lissner, back from the Teatro alla Scala in Milan.

20 operas by 16 composers will be performed in 5 languages (there are 16 operas by 12 composers in 4 languages during the 2014-2015 season).

The season includes 8 new productions :

- Arnold Schönberg : Moses und Aron, conducted by Philippe Jordan, directed by Romeo Castellucci, with Thomas Johannes Mayer and John Graham-Hall ;
- a double bill with Bela Bartok's Duke Bluebeard's Castle and Francis Poulenc's La Voix humaine, conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen, directed by Krzysztof Warlikowski, with Johannes Martin Kränzle, Ekaterina Gubanova and Barbara Hannigan ;
- Hector Berlioz : La Damnation de Faust, conducted by Philippe Jordan, directed by Alvis Hermanis, with Sophie Koch, Jonas Kaufman and Bryn Terfel ;
- Giuseppe Verdi : Il Trovatore, conducted by Daniele Callegari, directed by Alex Ollé, with Ludovic Tézier, Anna Netrebko, Ekaterina Sementchuk and Marcelo Alvarez ;
- Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky : Iolanta, conducted by Alain Altinoglu, directed by Dmitri Tcherniakov, with Sonya Yoncheva and Alexander Tsymbalyuk (double bill with the ballet Nutcracker) ;
- Giuseppe Verdi : Rigoletto, conducted by Nicola Luisotti, directed by Claus Guth, with Quinn Kelsey and Olga Peretyatko ;
- Aribert Reimann : Lear, conducted by Fabio Luisi, directed by Calixto Bieito, with Bo Skovhus, Gidon Saks, Ricarda Merbeth and Edda Moser.

Also advertised as a new production but already performed in Salzburg in 2013, Richard Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, conducted by Philippe Jordan, directed by Stefan Herheim, with Gerald Finley, Bo Skovhus and Julia Kleiter.

Another contemporary opera will have its first performance in France (and in French) : Joanna Lee's The Way back Home (as Vol retour), conducted by Stephen Higgins and directed by Katie Mitchell.

The following productions will be revived :

- Giacomo Puccini : Madama Butterfly, directed by Robert Wilson ;
- Jean-Philippe Rameau : Platée, directed by Laurent Pelly ;
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart : Don Giovanni, directed by Michael Haneke ;
- Gaetano Donizetti : L'Elisir d'amore, directed by Laurent Pelly ;
- Jules Massenet : Werther, directed by Benoit Jacquot ;
- Richard Strauss : Capriccio, directed by Robert Carsen ;
- Gioachino Rossini : Il Barbiere di Siviglia, directed by Damiano Michieletto ;
- Richard Strauss : Der Rosenkavalier, directed by Herbert Wernicke ;
- Giuseppe Verdi : La Traviata, directed by Benoit Jacquot ;
- Giuseppe Verdi : Aida, directed by Olivier Py.

Here are some interesting statistics :

- 2 operas composed in the 18th century, 11 from the 19th century, 6 from the 20th century and 1 from the 21st century ;
- 8 operas in Italian, 5 in French, 5 in German, 1 in Hungarian and 1 in Russian.

Reimann's opera is a welcome new production considering we will celebrate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death in 2016. This season is the most interesting we had ath the Opéra national de Paris for years. Let's hope that it will be followed by other new productions including world premières.