Claus Guth – operaexplorer

Rediscovering your values: Jephtha inside.

I have to admit that my exploration path towards a better understanding of baroque opera has been long and thorny, and I am still far away from becoming an aficionado of that era in music. Nevertheless, I am not giving up and looking to learn more, as a better understanding of the topic brings acceptance […]

by antrazalite

Power and suffering in Rigoletto: Grigolo, Sierra, Lučić excel in Paris.

Going to Paris to see another Rigoletto with seemingly the same cast as just one month ago at The Met did not provide much enthusiasm, the main point of interest being the production directed by Claus Guth. There were also some reservations towards Vittorio Grigolo as The Duke, since last time in London I was […]

by antrazalite

Fragility and tenderness of a superhero: return of Kaufmann as Lohengrin in Paris. Opera Bastille, January 21, 2017

The long awaited and triumphal coming-back prima happened a few days ago, thus all of us gathering for the second performance of Lohengrin in Opera Bastille were throbbing impatiently in presentiment. In the adrenaline rush just a day before the sacred date I have logged onto Opera de Paris web page and sourced another ticket, […]

by antrazalite

Getting to know Salome. “Salome” by Richard Strauss, Deutsche Oper Berlin, April 2nd, 2016

For those who are relatively new to Richard Strauss operas, like me, it could be one of the surprises, that one of the most famous operas created by him is also one of the shortest – as it lasts only an hour and 45 minutes without intermission. The upside of it is that your operatic […]

by antrazalite

Wishlist and plans for operatic adventures in 2016

Starting new year there are a lot of reviews of 2015 and just a few forward looking insights, thus I decided to put together my wishlist (or hopeful list) while absorbed in listening to Jonas Kaufmann singing Puccini at La Scala. Main unknowns yet are Munich Festspiele and Salzburg Festspiele ticket allocations which should come […]

by antrazalite

Psychodelic soulsearching: Fidelio, Salzburg Festspiele August 13th, 2015

CREATIVE TEAM Franz Welser-Möst, Conductor Claus Guth, Director Christian Schmidt, Sets and Costumes Ronny Dietrich, Dramaturgy Olaf Freese, Lighting Torsten Ottersberg, Sound Design Andi A. Müller, Video Design Ernst Raffelsberger, Chorus Master CAST Jonas Kaufmann, Florestan Adrianne Pieczonka, Leonore Sebastian Holecek, Don Fernando Tomasz Konieczny, Don Pizarro Hans-Peter König, Rocco Olga Bezsmertna, Marzelline Norbert Ernst, […]