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A TALE OF TWO BOYBANDS
THE 12 TENORSTipi am Kanzleramt Berlin6 July 2012 CROSSOVER BERLIN STYLE (MEISTERSINGER / COMEDIAN HARMONISTS)Komische Oper / Komödie am Kurfürstendamm Berlin7 July 2012© SAM H. SHIRAKAWA The 12...
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WHAT A VIRGIN!
MADONNA World Tour 2012Lanxess Arena Cologne10 JULY 2012 © SAM H. SHIRAKAWA Take a look at the photograph (not retouched) above and pretend you don’t recognize her. How old would you say she is? 25?...
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A LANDAU NAMED DESIRE
VANESSA New Production PremiereOper Frankfurt 2 September 2012© Sam H. Shirakawa Musikalische Leitung Jonathan Darlington Regie Katharina ThomaBühnenbild und Kostüme Julia MüerLicht Olaf...
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GOLD DIGGERS OF 1920
DER SCHATZGRÄBER New ProductionThe Treasure Hunter De Nederlandse Oper Amsterdam 9 September 2012 © SAM H. SHIRAKAWAmusical directionMarc AlbrechtdirectorIvo van Hovestage/lighting designJan...
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WHEELS OF FORTUNE
LA FORZA DEL DESTINO New Production PremieresCologne Opera 16, 18 September 2012© Sam H. ShirakawaMusikalische Leitung Will Humburg Inszenierung Olivier Py Bühne & Kostüme Pierre-André Weitz...
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LEAVE THE KIDS AT HOME
KÖNIGSKINDER New Production PremiereOper Frankfurt 30 September 2012© Sam H. Shirakawa Musikalische Leitung / Sebastian Weigle Regie / David Bösch Bühnenbild / Patrick Bannwart Kostüme / Meentje...
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KISS!
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO New Production Premiere Cologne Opera 12 October 2012 © SAM H. SHIRAKAWAMusikalische Leitung / Konrad Junghänel Inszenierung / Benjamin Schad Bühne / Tobias Flemming Kostüme /...
View ArticleHunkering down for Sandy
Sandy is in the verge of landfall here in the New York area. We are in high rise building in mid-town Manhattan, within blocks of a partial crane collapse that happened earlier this afternoon on West...
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THE MUSICAL THAT RUINED MY LIFE
MY FAIR LADY New Production Cologne Opera 27 October 2012 (Premiere)3 November 2012 (Alternate Cast Premiere) © SAM H. SHIRAKAWA Musikalische Leitung Andreas Schüller / Inszenierung...
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SPARKLING GINGER-ALE
L’ÉTOILE Revival Oper Frankfurt 17 November 2012 © Sam H. Shirakawa Musikalische Leitung Sebastian Zierer Regie David Alden Szenische Leitung der Wiederaufnahme Caterina Panti...
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DRAMA IN THE HOUSE
AIDA Revival Metropolitan Opera 29 November 2012 © SAM H. SHIRAKAWA Conductor..............Fabio LuisiProduction..............Sonja FrisellSet designer............Gianni...
View ArticleBryan Hymel's Met Debut
BERLIOZ: LES TROYENS Revival Metropolitan Opera 26 December 2012©Geoffrey RiggsI heard Bryan Hymel's Metropolitan Opera debut as Enée in the house tonight, not over the...
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GRAND EXPERIMENT
PARSIFAL (Concert with Historical Instruments) Balthasar-Neumann-Ensemble and ChoirsEssen 26 January 2013 © SAM H. SHIRAKAWA Simon O’Neill, Parsifal Kwangchul Youn, Gurnemanz Angela Denoke, Kundry...
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OPERATORIO
HERCULES RevivalAalto Theater OperEssen27 January 2013 @ SAM H. SHIRAKAWAMusikalische Leitung / Alexander Eberle Inszenierung / Dietrich W. Hilsdorf Bühne / Dieter Richter Kostüme / Renate...
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KLAUS TALKS!
KLAUS FLORIAN VOGT CONCERTNordwestdeutsche Philharmonie / Marco Comin Cologne Philharmonie 4 February 2013 © SAM H. SHIRAKAWA Klaus Florian VogtIn bygone days, opera singers giving recitals usually...
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KARNEVAL IN COLOGNE
DER CARNEVAL IN ROM Concert Form Dresden State Operetta Cologne Philharmonie 6 February 2013 © SAM H. SHIRAKAWA Jana Büchner Sopran (Marie, ein Mädchen vom Lande) Michael Heim Tenor (Arthur Bryk,...
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RAT PACK RIGOLETTO
RIGOLETTO LIVE in HDMetropolitan Opera 16 February 2013 © SAM H. SHIRAKAWARigoletto...............Zeljko LucicGilda...................Diana DamrauDuke of Mantua..........Piotr...
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ROSES BURN
ANNA BOLENA New Production PremiereOpera Cologne 17 February 2013© SAM H. SHIRAKAWAMusikalische Leitung Alessandro De Marchi Inszenierung Tobias Hoheisel & Imogen Kogge Bühne & Kostüme...
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OPERATIC RAVE
PARSIFAL New Production Opera Cologne11 April 2013Plus: Short Takes @ The MetMarch 2013© Sam H. Shirakawa Musikalische Leitung Markus Stenz / Inszenierung Carlus Padrissa (La Fura dels Baus) / Bühne...
View ArticleBELATED BIRTHDAY GREETINGS
STIFFELIO (New Production)Mönchengladbach/Rheydt 19 December 2013 ©SAM H. SHIRAKAWA1813 was an annus mirabilis for opera: both Giuseppe Verdi and Richard Wagner were born that year. The Musical...
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A PRE-SUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM
OBERON Premiere New ProductionMÜNSTER 17 June 2012© Sam H. Shirakawa Musikalische Leitung: Hendrik VestmannRegie: Wolfgang QuetesBühnenbild: Heinz Balthes Kostüme: José Manuel Vázquez Licht:...
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MAN EATER
ALCINA New ProductionCOLOGNE OPERA 20 June 2012 GUNFIGHT AT THE O.K.* CORRAL * Oper Köln © Sam H. Shirakawa More than a meal...Musikalische Leitung Peter Neumann Inszenierung Ingo Kerkhof Bühne...
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WOMAN SCORNED
MEDEA IN CORINTO Bayerische Staatsoper Münchner Opern Festspiele1 JULY 2012© SAM H. SHIRAKAWA Ramon Vargas, Nadja MichaelMusikalische Leitung Ivor BoltonInszenierung Hans NeuenfelsBühne Anna...
View ArticleCOSI FAN TUTTE engages the intellect and the senses
Part of the genius of Mozart's COSI FAN TUTTE is the way it leads the spectator through just as startling a journey as the one that two pairs of lovers take in this opera. We, as spectators, seem...
View ArticleQuick (subjective) take on what draws me to opera
Operas that appeal to me strongest are those in which the music for individual roles seems to convey the most intensely intimate and well-rounded characterization. When I feel that the music for an...
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