Diva Joyce gets her first new show in Vienna
mainBerlioz’s Les Troyens, which opens on Sunday, 14 October, marks the first time Joyce Didonato appears in a new production at the Vienna State Opera. In fact, she has only ever sung there twice before – as Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia in 2009 and at a solo recital in 2016.
Les Troyens has not been staged at the Staatsoper since 1981.
Joyce sings Dido. Brandon Jovanovich is Enée. Cassandra is played by Anna Caterina Antonacci.
Sir David MacVicar directs (in a co-pro with Covent Garden), Alain Altinoglu conducts.
wow that is big news. You you happen to know this 2 weeks before opening night?!! Norman, you are amazing.
A coproduction six years later?
The last time it was staged at the staatsoper Baltsa sang Dido. She has a hard act to follow!
I’ve always loved little Agnes Baltsa. Of her several ‘hard acts to follow’ I think her Eboli is my absolute favourite. But I digress.
I find Les Troyens a bit longish but hey! Two awesome ladies in the plum roles! Speak of casting from strength! Didonato can sing a telephone book and make it beautiful, while Antonacci can scare the living daylights out of anyone. She’s done Cassandra before , so I know. And her Medea! Bloodcurdling! I can’t go to Vienna to see it so I’m praying for a DVD release.
Vienna tend not to release DVDs, but you can pay a small sum to watch a livestream, with a choice of times and dates, and that generally works well.