Here's a different, modern Don Juan. Opera Vision is offering Don Giovanni from the Liceu, Barcelona, free livestreamed till 4 June CET (5th here.) . Christof Loy's production stars Christopher Maltman as Don Giovanni, portrayed as 'a desperate and lonely anti-hero, always eluded by success'. Which doubtless fits Mozart's idea of the character better than the more glamorous versions we've seen. Go here to stream it.
(Remember the Barcelona opera house season launch, where the audience consisted of potplants to be distributed to health workers? They've progressed to distanced humans.)
Other offerings are on OperaVision here.
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And then here's a very old, precious production from home of Verdi's brilliant opera of love and hate, Il Trovatore.
Yes, Opera Australia is still livestreaming some classical productions for free. They're hard to find but include some gems.
Gem of the week is their production in 1983 of Il Trovatore starring Dame Joan Sutherland. Richard Bonynge conducts this dark and moody production by Elijah Moshinsky . And Oh the voices of the past! Kenneth Collins is Manrico, Jonathan Summers is a splendidly evil Count di Luna), Lauris Elms has the voice and spirit for Azucena, Donald Shanks is Ferrando.
And the sets? They are by Sidney Nolan - superb colours and moods.
You can watch the full opera on their free streaming service, at
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Elsewhere, the choice is narrowing, if you want free livestreaming, as the opera companies desperately seek revenue. San Francisco Opera is taking a break from livestreaming, promising to be back in the summer.
But the Met, which carried us through lockdown with an amazing array of performances livestreamed for free, continues the stream of livestreams. Understandably, the productions are now repeating. But there's always an excellent one and I'm posting the schedule here for those who suddenly need an opera tonight and want to know what's on.
The Met's UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Week 58 Moral Authority
Tuesday, April 20 Wagner’s Lohengrin Starring Eva Marton, Leonie Rysanek, Peter Hofmann, Leif Roar, and John Macurdy, conducted by James Levine. Production by August Everding. From January 10, 1986.
Wednesday, April 21 Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito Starring Lucy Crowe, Barbara Frittoli, Elina Garanča, Kate Lindsey, Giuseppe Filianoti, and Oren Gradus, conducted by Harry Bicket. Production by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle. From December 1, 2012.
Thursday, April 22 Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West Starring Deborah Voigt, Marcello Giordani, and Lucio Gallo, conducted by Nicola Luisotti. Production by Giancarlo Del Monaco. From January 8, 2011.
Friday, April 23 Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra Starring Anna Tomowa-Sintow, Vasile Moldoveanu, Sherrill Milnes, and Paul Plishka, conducted by James Levine. Production by Tito Capobianco. From December 29, 1984.
Saturday, April 24 Philip Glass’s Satyagraha Starring Rachelle Durkin, Richard Croft, Kim Josephson, and Alfred Walker, conducted by Dante Anzolini. Production by Phelim McDermott. From November 19, 2011.
Sunday, April 25 Beethoven’s Fidelio Starring Karita Mattila, Ben Heppner, Falk Struckmann, and René Pape, conducted by James Levine. Production by Jürgen Flimm. From October 28, 2000.
Monday, April 26 Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites Starring Isabel Leonard, Adrianne Pieczonka, and Karita Mattila, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Production by John Dexter. From May 11, 2019.
Week 59 City of Light
Tuesday, April 27 Puccini’s La Bohème Starring Sonya Yoncheva, Susanna Phillips, Michael Fabiano, Lucas Meachem, and Matthew Rose, conducted by Marco Armiliato. Production by Franco Zeffirelli. From February 24, 2018.
Wednesday, April 28 Lehár’s The Merry Widow Starring Renée Fleming, Kelli O’Hara, Nathan Gunn, Alek Shrader, and Sir Thomas Allen, conducted by Sir Andrew Davis. Production by Susan Stroman. From January 17, 2015.
Thursday, April 29 Giordano’s Andrea Chénier Starring Maria Guleghina, Wendy White, Stephanie Blythe, Luciano Pavarotti, and Juan Pons, conducted by James Levine. Production by Nicolas Joël. From October 15, 1996.
Friday, April 30 Massenet’s Manon Starring Lisette Oropesa, Michael Fabiano, Artur Ruciński, and Kwangchul Youn, conducted by Maurizio Benini. Production by Laurent Pelly. From October 26, 2019.
Saturday, May 1 Verdi’s La Traviata Starring Ileana Cotrubas, Plácido Domingo, and Cornell MacNeil, conducted by James Levine. Production by Colin Graham. From March 28, 1981.
Sunday May 2 Cilea’s Adriana Lecouvreur Starring Anna Netrebko, Anita Rachvelishvili, Piotr Beczała, and Ambrogio Maestri, conducted by Gianandrea Noseda. Production by Sir David McVicar. From January 12, 2019.
Monday May 2 Puccini’s La Rondine Starring Angela Gheorghiu, Lisette Oropesa, Roberto Alagna, Marius Brenciu, and Samuel Ramey, conducted by Marco Armiliato. Production by Nicolas Joël. From January 10, 2009
Lyn, 22 April.
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