The operas Vienna is streaming for free this week
mainNot sure the Met can match this dazzle.
Dienstag, 5. Jänner 2021, 19.00 Uhr
Gioachino Rossini
LA CENERENTOLA (Vorstellung vom 22. Februar 2018)
Dramma giocoso in zwei Akten
Musikalische Leitung: Jean-Christophe Spinosi
Inszenierung: Sven-Eric Bechtolf
Mit u.a.: Isabel Leonard, Maxim Mironov, Alessio Arduini, Luca Pisaroni
Mittwoch, 6. Jänner 2021, 19.00 Uhr
Antonín Dvorák
RUSALKA (Vorstellung vom 4. Februar 2020)
Lyrisches Märchen in drei Akten
Musikalische Leitung: Tomáš Hanus
Inszenierung: Sven-Eric Bechtolf
Mit u.a.: Piotr Beczala, Olga Bezsmertna, Jongmin Park, Elena Zhidkova, Monika Bohinec
Donnerstag, 7. Jänner 2021, 19.00 Uhr
Richard Wagner
DIE WALKÜRE (Vorstellung vom 13. Jänner 2016)
Erster Tag des Bühnenfestspiels
Musikalische Leitung: Adam Fischer
Inszenierung: Sven-Eric Bechtolf
Mit u.a.: Christopher Ventris, Ain Anger, Waltraud Meier, Linda Watson, Tomasz Konieczny
Freitag, 8. Jänner 2021, 19.00 Uhr – Ballett
Franz Liszt/Gustav Mahler
MAHLER, LIVE (Vorstellung vom 4. Dezember 2020)
Musikalische Leitung: Axel Kober
Choreographie: John Neumeier/Martin Schläpfer
Mit u.a. Olga Esina, Marcos Menha/Yuko Kato, Rebecca Horner, Solisten und Corps de ballett des Wiener Staatsballetts
Samstag, 9. Jänner 2021, 19.00 Uhr
Leoš Janácek
VEC MAKROPULOS (Vorstellung vom 20. Dezember 2015)
Oper in drei Akten
Musikalische Leitung: Jakub Hruša
Inszenierung: Peter Stein
Mit u.a.: Laura Aikin, Ludovit Ludha, Thomas Ebenstein, Margarita Gritskova, Markus Marquardt, Heinz Zednik
Sonntag, 10. Jänner 2021, 19.00 Uhr
Richard Wagner
SIEGFRIED (Vorstellung vom 17. Jänner 2016)
Zweiter Tag des Bühnenfestspiels
Musikalische Leitung: Adam Fischer
Inszenierung: Sven-Eric Bechtolf
Mit u.a.: Christian Franz, Linda Watson, Tomasz Konieczny, Herwig Pecoraro, Jochen Schmeckenbecher
Montag, 11. Jänner 2021, 19.00 Uhr
Giuseppe Verdi
DON CARLO (Vorstellung vom 25. Februar 2015)
Dramma lirico in vier Akten
Musikalische Leitung: Marco Armiliato
Inszenierung: Daniele Abbado
Mit u.a.: Stefano Secco, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Maria Pia Piscitelli, Béatrice Uria-Monzon, Ferruccio Furlanetto
What’s so great about it? Adam Fischer is the best they’ve got? Please!
Dmitri Hvorostovsky thanks you from his grave.
One gets something for nothing or one gets it free. Stupid people get things ‘for free’. To use this expression is to risk being thought stupid.
Here’s the Met schedule for the same time period. I know which I would choose:
Monday, January 4
Cilea’s Adriana Lecouvreur
Starring Anna Netrebko, Anita Rachvelishvili, Piotr Beczała, Carlo Bosi, Ambrogio Maestri, and Maurizio Muraro, conducted by Gianandrea Noseda. From January 12, 2019.
Tuesday, January 5
Rossini’s La Donna del Lago
Starring Joyce DiDonato, Daniela Barcellona, Juan Diego Flórez, John Osborn, and Oren Gradus, conducted by Michele Mariotti. From March 14, 2015.
Wednesday, January 6
Bizet’s Les Pêcheurs de Perles
Starring Diana Damrau, Matthew Polenzani, Mariusz Kwiecien, and Nicolas Testé, conducted by Gianandrea Noseda. From January 16, 2016.
Thursday, January 7
Bellini’s I Puritani
Starring Anna Netrebko, Eric Cutler, Franco Vassallo, and John Relyea, conducted by Patrick Summers. From January 6, 2007.
Friday, January 8
Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana and Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci
Starring Eva-Maria Westbroek, Jane Bunnell, Marcelo Álvarez, George Gagnidze; Patricia Racette, Marcelo Álvarez, George Gagnidze, and Lucas Meachem, conducted by Fabio Luisi. From April 25, 2015.
Saturday, January 9
Donizetti’s Maria Stuarda
Starring Elza van den Heever, Joyce DiDonato, Matthew Polenzani, Joshua Hopkins, and Matthew Rose, conducted by Maurizio Benini. From January 19, 2013.
Sunday, January 10
Verdi’s Il Trovatore
Starring Sondra Radvanovsky, Dolora Zajick, Marcelo Álvarez, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, and Stefan Kocán, conducted by Marco Armiliato. From April 30, 2011.
Week 44
Renée Fleming Week
Monday, January 11
Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro
Starring Renée Fleming, Cecilia Bartoli, Susanne Mentzer, Dwayne Croft, and Bryn Terfel, conducted by James Levine. From November 11, 1998.
You don’t have to choose one or the other. You can mix and match. For me the only question is on the day when the Met has “Il Trovatore” and Vienna has “Don Carlo”, both with Hvorostovsky. As I’ve already seen the Met’s offering a few times already this year, I know which one I’ll be going for.
Actually, VEC MAKROPULOS does look rather interesting.
Small change to the programme: Staatsoper decided it has overplayed the “Mahler, live” ballet evening (which is available for several months on another free streaming site) and replaced it with “Giselle” this week.
Hurrah! My favourite ballet — I was well overdue a Giselle fix. Though I would have liked to see the Mahler ballet — you say it is still available somewhere?