By Richard Burnett for Curtains Up! @bugsburnett
Internationally-acclaimed sopranos Measha Brueggergosman and Galina Shesterneva, Italian baritone Paolo Gavanelli and conductor Paul Nadler are just some of the stars cast in productions of L’ Opéra de Montréal’s 2013-2014 season.
The upcoming season will open on Sept 21 with a four-night run of the Opéra de Montréal / Opera Australia co-production of Leob Delbie’s Lakmé, starring Eglise Gutiérrez (she delighted Montreal audiences as Lucia di Lammermoor) and internationally-renowned Canadian tenor John Tessier.
Montreal will pay homage to Guiseppe Verdi during the Verdi Bicentennial with a Falstaff production originally created for the New York City Opera and the Glimmerglass Opera,. The big draw here is Italian baritone Paolo Gavanelli, who will portray John Falstaff. Falstaff will run over four nights beginning November 9.
Up next will be the company premiere of George Gerhswin’s Porgy and Bess starring superstar soprano Measha Brueggergosman as Bess in her company debut. According to the composer’s wishes, an all-black cast will take the stage, including the Montreal Jubilation Gospel Choir and soprano Marie-Josée Lord makes her return to the Opéra de Montréal. L’Orchestre symphonique de Montréal will be led by star British classical musician and conductor Wayne Marshall. The opera will run over four nights beginning on January 25, 2014.
The next production will be L’Atelier lyrique de l’ Opéra de Montréal’s Hänsel und Gretel by German composer Engelbert Humperdinck. This will also be the Atelier lyrique’s first collaboration with the National Circus School and their 10th with the National Theatre School of Canada., and for this production they will move from Le Monument National to Salle Wilfred-Pelletier.
The fifth and final opera of L’OdeM’s 2013-2014 season will be Giacomo Puccini’s last opera, Turandot, the masterpiece that features Nessun Dorma, the aria sung by Calaf, the unknown prince who falls in love with the beautiful but cold Princess Turandot. Calaf will be played by Kamen Chanev and Princess Turandot by renowned Russian soprano Galina Shesterneva who made her Bolshoi Theatre debut as Turandot in 2012. The opera will run over four nights beginning on May 17, 2014.
To round out their 34th season, L’OdeM’s 18th annual Gala will be held at the Maison symphonique on Sunday, December 1, 2013, beginning at 2 pm.
Click here for the official Opéra de Montréal website.
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Photo courtesy Measha Brueggergosman
