THE MUNICH OPERA FESTIVAL Six Major Performances Tuesday, July 3Rd Through Thursday, July 12Th
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THE MUNICH OPERA FESTIVAL Six Major Performances Tuesday, July 3rd through Thursday, July 12th Nationaltheater, home of Bavarian State Opera “Munich’s Opera Festival , a mix of brand-new productions, stag - s in most recent years, Munich’s traditional summer Opera ings from the past season and immaculately cast revivals, has become Festival in 2018 will offer an undeniable richness of six perhaps the most dependably, densely exciting presentation of opera major performances within a compact eight-night pe - in the world… Opera is hardly ever perfect. But in Munich these days riod . Instead of Munich’s new RING, we are excited by the su - it comes closer, consistently, than anywhere else I know. ” NY Times A perlative casts in a varied repertory of other operas, especially the combination of Nina Stemme and Jonas Kaufmann in Jonas Kaufmann: “Almost certainly the greatest tenor in Parsifal , this writer’s favorite soprano Anja Harteros the world right now, a dashingly handsome German with for two evenings, and Angela Gheorghiu as Tosca. an extraordinary voice, whose career is reaching new peaks with each year.” The Telegraph In chronological order, the operas on our program will be Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore , Richard Wagner’s Par - Anja Harteros in Munich’s ‘Arabella’: “A complete em - sifal , Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca , and Richard’ Strauss’s bodiment of the title role… She glows as Arabella, able to Arabella . A fifth vocal performance will be the sold-out float a note as the greatest Strauss sopranos have done” Recital by Munich’s beloved ‘prima donna assoluta’, Anja NY Times Harteros . And a change of pace will be an orchestral con - Nina Stemme cert by the Munich Philharmonic , with Krzysztof Ur - “Nina Stemme made an uncommonly elegant Kundry. banski conducting works by Antonin Dvorak and Dmitry She used the dark colors of her sumptuously full voice to rav - Shostakovich. ishing effect… with the vocal opulence and aplomb that only Munich’s Festival always boasts a sensational roster of she can provide.” Opera News, Vienna’s ‘Parsifal’ the world’s leading singers. The 20187 casts will include the MET’s current stars Pretty Yende and Vittorio Angela Gheorghiu: “The Romanian diva gave a perform - Grigolo in the ‘bel canto’ arias and duets of ‘L’Elisir’; a ance of dramatic insight and tonal nuance: she stopped the peerless roster of Wagnerians Nina Stemme, Jonas show (at Covent Garden) with her focused account of ‘Vissi Kaufmann, Christian Gerhaher and René Pape for d’Arte’.” www.thestage.co.uk the new production of ‘Parsifal’; the glamorous Romanian Jonas Kaufmann diva Angela Gheorghiu in the challenging title role of “Vittorio Grigolo ’s charismatic portrayal… His energy ‘Tosca’, with Joseph Calleja and Thomas Hampson as was irresistible and his Nemorino ultimately endearing… Cavaradossi and Scarpia; and Anja Harteros cast as the an alluring tenor that effortlessly filled the house and was ideal interpreter of Richard Strauss/Hugo von Hoff - vociferously appreciated by the audience.” mansthal’s ‘Arabella’ opposite Michael Volle as NY Times, the MET’s ‘L’Elisir d’Amore’ Mandryka. Kyrill Petrenko: “Since the ’13 – ’14 season, he has been Munich’s Music Director is now Kyrill Petrenko , who Music Director of Munich’s Bavarian State Opera. In the has also been announced as the next leader of the presti - short time he has worked there, he has celebrated one tri - gious Berlin Philharmonic. The Russian maestro will be umph after another.” Berlin Philharmonic Kyrill Petrenko on the podium for the new ‘Parsifal’. All of the operas, as 29 well as the Harteros Recital, will be performed in the National The - per formance of Gaetano ater, home of the Bavarian State Opera. Doni zetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore . Premiered in Because Strauss’s ‘Arabella’ is being performed this year, our full- Milano in 1832, ‘Elisir’ day excursion to visit the Richard Strauss Villa in Garmish- maintains its popular po - Parten kirchen will be a unique addition to our schedule. sition in the operatic Tuesday, July 3rd, departure from New York’s Kennedy Airport at repertoire due to Doni - 5:50 pm on Lufthansa flight #411, scheduled to arrive in Munich at zetti’s mel odic genius in 7:55 am on Wednesday the 4th. Or independent travel to Munich. this charm ing ‘bel canto’ comedy. “Ultimately, the Pretty Yende Vittorio Grigolo Accommodations for a full eight nights at the deluxe Vier work’s continuing ap - Jahreszeiten (‘Four Seasons’) Hotel, with a grand European buf - peal lies in the appropriateness of Donizetti’s music to the ‘male fet breakfast included. The Vier Jahreszeiten ranks as Munich’s Cinderella’ myth. Nemorino’s good-heartedness and his single - finest, offering a wide variety of services in an old-fashioned Bavar - ness of purpose win out in spite of potions and unforeseen inheri - ian atmosphere. The hotel’s cuisine is renowned throughout Eu - tances.” ( New Grove Dictionary of Opera ). Tonight’s cast will offer rope, and an indoor pool is situated on the penthouse floor with an the MET’s radiant South African soprano Pretty Yende as Adina; open balcony for sunbathing. The ideal location is only two blocks the handsome Italian tenor Vittorio Grigolo reprising his endear - from the opera house and a short walk from the central Marien - ing MET triumph as the lovelorn hero Nemorino; Rus sian baritone platz shopping area. For many reasons, the Vier Jahreszeiten re - Andrei Bon - mains everyone’s first choice in Munich. You may wish to arrive a darenko as day early to adjust to the time change. We will be happy to reserve the swagger - your room for the additional night of July 3rd. You should let us know ing Sergeant now if you do want an early night. Belcore; and Italy’s peer less On Wednesday evening, July 4th, a cocktail ‘buffo bari tone’ reception to celebrate our National Holiday Ambro gio will provide an opportunity to meet other Maes tri as the members of the Tour. Our party will be in a char latan Dr. private entertainment suite of the hotel. No Dulcamara. performance this evening. Stefano Ran - zani is the con - Thursday, July 5th, is left free during the day ductor, and the to recover from jet lag before the very early team of direc - curtain for Wagner’s long opera. English Garden Ren é Pape tor David At 5:00 pm on Thursday, the curtain will rise at the National The - Bösch and designer Patrick ater for the Bayerische Staatsoper ’s eagerly anticipated new pro - Bannwart are responsible for duction of Richard Wagner’s Parsifal . First presented in Bayreuth the production. in 1882, ‘Parsifal’ was expressly composed as an Easter celebration Saturday, July 7th, is left free dur - and features the solemn Good Friday Spell during the first scene ing the day for independent activ - of Act III. The extended Kundry-Parsifal duet of Act II is among ities. During our several free Wagner’s most passionate passages, and the final scene of redemp - mornings and afternoons, you tion as Parsifal heals Amfortas’ agonizing wound brings resolution should spend some time strolling to “a work of unique expressive power and endless fascination” through the woods and fields of (New Grove Dictionary of Opera). Munich’s thrilling cast will fea - the spacious English Garden , ture today’s reigning dramatic soprano Nina Stemme as Kundry where the local population en - (the Swedish star triumphed in this new role in Vienna last joys nude swimming and sun - spring); the cult German tenor Jonas Kaufmann in the title role; bathing along the fast-running Germany’s foremost lieder interpreter Christian Gerhaher as the Fra Filippo Lippi’s Annuncia - waters of the Isar River. Also not wounded knight Amfortas; and the sought-after German bass tion in the Alte Pinakothek to be missed are the Alte Pina - René Pape as the Knight of the Grail, Gurnemanz. Music Direc - kothek ’s priceless collection of European masters, re-opened in tor Kyrill Petrenko is the conductor, and the new staging is di - l998 after extensive renovation; the Neue Pinakothek , in a mod - rected by Pierre Audi with scenic designs by George Baselitz . ern circular gallery of unusual architectural beauty; and the Glyp - Early Friday afternoon, July 6th, a two-hour walking tour will in - tothek museum of classical antiquities. Munich also offers a wide troduce you to the historical center of Munich, encompassing the variety of international boutiques and designer shops. Gothic Frauenkirche (‘Church of our Lady’), the Hofbrauhaus, Late Saturday afternoon, a pre-opera dinner will be arranged at Odensplatz with the Field the Spatenhaus , Munich’s popular Bavarian restaurant directly Marshall’s Hall, and the across the square from the National Theater. Residenzplatz. Our walk will conclude at the Arz - At 6:00 pm on Saturday, our performance will be Richard Strauss’s miller Café for the Ger - Arabella , among the finest collaborations of Richard Strauss and man tradition of afternoon his favorite librettist Hugo von Hofmannsthal. ‘Arabella’ was pre - coffee and cake , where miered in Dresden in 1933 and remains a staple item in Vienna, the seasonal specialty is an Munich and Dresden. The multi-faceted title role ideally requires irresistible ‘zwetsch gen - a beautiful soprano who can combine vocal allure with convincing datschi’ (Damson plum tart). dramatic flare, and it has long been a favorite vehicle for a great line of interpreters from Lisa Della Casa and Elizabeth Schwarz - Friday evening, we will re - kopf to Lucia Popp, Kiri Te Kanawa, Felicity Lott and Renée Flem - turn to the National The - ing. Our Arabella tonight will be the consummate German soprano Vier Jahreszeiten hotel pool ater for the 7:00 pm 30 Anja Harteros , who vocal allure is matched by her sensuous beauty.