With – quite predictably – more time on my hands, I decided this was the time to revive the blog, and to start sharing new content, at long last, and after several obviously not-too-successful attempts in the past.
And since we’re all now confined to our respective homes, I thought it would be a good idea to start with an opera and ballet theme… and finished compiling a list of links that are bound to make this confinement easier for all us classical music and opera lovers.
I’m afraid it’s going to be rather a long one though.
So… deep breath… here goes.
The Metropolitan Opera
Earlier this week, the Met was one of the first to announce they would be making some of their operas available online:
https://www.metopera.org/…/met-to-launch-nightly-met-opera…/
For instance, you can tune in for Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin tomorrow, and Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde on Monday, March 23 and Die Walküre on Wednesday, March 25.
Their second week of streams, as you can see for yourselves from the link, is actually going to be an all-Wagner week, so, Wagner lovers, rejoice:
Monday, March 23 – Tristan und Isolde
Tuesday, March 24 – Das Rheingold
Wednesday, March 25 – Die Walküre
Thursday, March 26 – Siegfried
Friday, March 27 – Götterdämmerung
Saturday, March 28 – Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Sunday, March 29 – Tannhäuser.
And many other Opera houses are doing the same.
L’Opéra de Paris
L’Opéra de Paris announced they were putting several of their operas, including Manon and Don Giovanni, as well as Swan Lake, online, available on the Opera and Culturebox websites for a week each:
From March 17 to March 22 – Manon
From March 23 to March 29 – Don Giovanni (2019)
From March 30 to April 5 – Le Lac des cygnes (2019)
From April 6 to April 12 – Le Barbier de Séville (2014)
From April 13 to April 19 – Soirée Robbins (2018)
From April 20 to April 26 – Les contes d’Hoffmann (2016)
From April 27 to May 3 – Carmen (2017)
https://www.lefigaro.fr/…/l-opera-de-paris-met-en-ligne-gra…
And from March 17 until May 3 you can also enjoy listening to the Tchaikovsky symphonies performed by l’Orchestre de l’Opéra de Paris conducted by Philippe Jordan.
The Wiener Staatsoper
The Wiener Staatsoper followed suit, with Tosca, Roméo and Juliet, L’elisir d’amore and Le Nozze di Figaro all coming in the next fortnight, and on April 2 they are going to have a screening of Peer Gynt.
https://www.wiener-staatsoper.at/…/the-wiener-staatsoper-i…/
The Bayerische Staatsoper
The Bayerische Staatsoper has also published its schedule up until April 19th, and apart from their Live Monday concerts, they also have a video-on-demand option, with Judith and Il Trovatore currently available, until March 26 and March 28 respectively.
https://www.staatsoper.de/…/online-schedule-until-19-april.…
The Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House has also launched a programme of free “online content for the culturally curious at home”. This will include the following productions offered on demand and for free via the ROH’s Facebook and YouTube channels:
March 27 – Peter and the Wolf (The Royal Ballet, 2010)
April 3 – Acis and Galatea (The Royal Opera, 2009)
April 10 – Così fan tutte (The Royal Opera, 2010)
April 17 – The Metamorphosis (The Royal Ballet, 2013)
Their content will also be made available on radio, TV and online through a partnership with the BBC. Mayerling, Pappano’s Greatest Arias and Darcey Bussell: Looking for Margot are all available on BBC iPlayer and can be watched at any time.
Fidelio is also scheduled to be broadcast on Radio 3 on March 28.
https://www.roh.org.uk/…/the-royal-opera-house-launches-a-p…
The Mariinsky Theathre
The Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg is now doing the same, with Anna Karenina coming up next:
Speaking of which, five Russian Ballets are now available on-line, for all you ballet lovers out there:
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/…/20/5-russian-ballets-a69700
Sleeping Beauty at the Mariinsky
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RzRSt00gYg
The Nutcracker at the Bolshoi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rwc9nsxFSJQ
Giselle at the Mariinsky
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YUKmYWaBYA
Swan Lake at the Kirov
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rJoB7y6Ncs
Romeo and Juliet at the Mariinsky
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lJ8BmkYez8
Also for music, here’s what I’ve found so far:
Berliner Philharmoniker
The Berlin Philharmonic has opened up its digital concert hall for this next month, giving free access to hundreds of past concerts in its famous Berlin venue and the chance to watch forthcoming events live, played behind closed doors.
https://www.digitalconcerthall.com/en/home
The London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra will now be streaming full-length concerts on Sunday and Thursday evenings.
This Sunday, March 22, kicks off with Francois-Xavier Roth conducting Debussy, Bruckner and Bartók, and on Thursday, March 26 you can watch John Eliot Gardiner and soloist Isabelle Faust in a programme that includes Schumann and Mendelssohn.
https://lso.co.uk/whats-on/2019-20-season/alwaysplaying.html
Wigmore Hall
Wigmore Hall is also releasing a big collection of their past chamber music concerts:
https://wigmore-hall.org.uk/watch-listen/live-stream…
Worcester Cathedral
According to the Guardian, there is going to be a live organ recital from Worcester Cathedral at 6:30 pm (GMT) on Facebook Live…
https://www.facebook.com/worcestercathedralchoir/
Et voilà. I think that’s it from me for now…
I hope you enjoy this, and, if you have more links, please share them here as well. Classical music deprivation and acute opera withdrawal symptoms should not be ignored, as these are two conditions not to be trifled with.
P.S. I wasn’t able to track down the author of the photo I used for the featured image, but I got it from Pinterest.
P.P.S. I’m thinking of doing museums next.
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