Although opera houses around the world have had to close their doors again, opera lovers have the opportunity to see some of the best known operas and an inviting selection of more rarely performed works from the comfort of their own homes. We have chosen operas that are available to watch until the end of this week.
Der Kaiser von Atlantis, Rice University, Houston, 29 and 30 October
Rice University presents the one-act opera by Viktor Ullmann with a libretto by Peter Kien. Banned by the Nazi authorities, the work was never performed during its creators’ lifetime and several decades would pass before its premiere. It has begun to be revived in recent years. This Rice University production is an excellent opportunity to see an opera that almost did not survive.
You can see the opera here.
The Threepenny Opera, City Lyric Opera, New York, 29 October
City Lyric Opera presents this unique musical drama by Bertolt Brecht with music by Kurt Weill starring soloists Sara LaFlamme, Sara LeMesh, Gretchen Pille, Rachelle Pike, Mary Rice, Shanelle Valerie Woods, Justin Austin, Philip Kalmanovitch, Michael Parham, Kameron Ghanavati and Geddy Warner.
You can see the opera here.
Boris Godunov, Metropolitan Opera, New York, 30 October
This opera by Modest Mussorgsky is based on Pushkin’s play of the same title and tells the story of the Russian tsar Boris Godunov, who reigned at the end of the 16th century, and his nemesis the False Dmitry. The main roles are sung by Ekaterina Semenchuk, Aleksandrs Antonenko, Oleg Balashov, Evgeny Nikitin, René Pape, Mikhail Petrenko and Vladimir Ognovenko and the opera is conducted by Valery Gergiev.
You can see the opera here.
Wicked Wagner Weekend, Pittsburgh Festival Opera, Pittsburgh, 30 October–1 November
Over the course of this three-day cycle, the Pittsburgh Festival Opera will present excepts from nine different Wagner operas, with an all-star cast including sopranos Marjorie Owens, Hanna Brammer and Melissa Shippen Burrows, tenors Stuart Skelton, Robert Chafin and Corey Bix, and bass-baritones Brad Garvin, Alex Boyd and David Crawford.
You can see the opera here.
The Ghosts of Versailles, Metropolitan Opera, New York, 31 October
This opera by American composer John Corigliano is a real rarity. Since its premiere at the Metropolitan Opera in 1991 it has been performed at a few other opera houses, but the work has never entered the standard opera repertoire. Here you have the opportunity to see the magnificent premiere performance, with a cast including Renée Fleming, Teresa Stratas, Håkan Hagegård, Gino Quilico, Graham Clark in Marilyn Horne.
You can see the opera here.
