World Opera Day on 25 October is an international collaboration between OPERA America, Opera Europa, and Ópera Latinoamérica to raise awareness of the positive impact and value of opera in communities around the globe. OperaVision is leading this celebration with a diverse programme online throughout this weekend, including three contrasting versions of Beethoven’s only opera, Fidelio. The weekend will culminate with the World Opera Day Celebration Concert, bringing together 6 continents in 4 acts and time zones.
Whether you've never seen opera or are a long-time fan here are some great opera productions to explore on Thespie this weekend:
Live from Covent Garden
Go behind the scenes as Royal Opera House open their theatre to a select group of musicians, artists and performers in the first live concerts since closing its doors to the public in March. Filmed in June, this performance showcases some of the world’s finest talent in opera, alongside intimate performances from a select number of dancers from The Royal Ballet.
For the Love of Lyric
Watch a virtual concert from September filmed on stage at the Lyric Opera House. The starry lineup is led by world-renowned soprano Renée Fleming and features special guests including Tony Award® and Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter-actress Heather Headley, soprano Ailyn Pérez, bass Soloman Howard, and mezzo-soprano and Ryan Opera Center alumna J'Nai Bridges.
Carnegie Hall Opening Night of the 130th Anniversary Season
Experience a new kind of premiere with the first-ever Carnegie Hall Virtual Gala Celebration! Join the Carnegie Hall community in New York City, across the United States, and around the globe for Opening Night of their 130th Anniversary Season. Bringing all of us together through a shared love of music, this special evening presents inspiring performances—both new and from the Hall’s illustrious past—to honor its 130-year history and future.
The Skating Rink
Garsington Opera‘s commission The Skating Rink, written by leading British composer David Sawer with award-winning playwright Rory Mullarkey, premiered in July 2018. Based on Chilean author Roberto Bolaño’s novel it tells the thrilling tale of jealousy, political corruption and the lengths we go to for the ones we love.
Tosca
Commissioned by The Space Arts, Relative Motion has fused the 125-year-old opera, Tosca, with virtual reality to put you in the centre of Puccini’s greatest love story. Set on location in a Cambridgeshire church, this immersive production of Act One of the opera fuses incredible live performances in a 360° space with fully spatialised sound and orchestrations, to transport you to the heart of this iconic love story.
Vinkensport, or The Finch Opera
Get ready to laugh uproariously at this chamber opera from composer David T. Little and librettist Royce Vavrek, a hilarious sendup of the little-known Belgian sport of professional finch-calling.
La Voix Humaine
Welsh National Opera will release a free filmed version of Poulenc’s La Voix Humaine to coincide with World Opera Day, starring soprano Claire Booth. Originally conceived for WNO and Festival of Voice in 2016, the concept for this new digital adaptation is an intimate Zoom party at a studio flat.
The Ring Cycle
Watch Opera North’s acclaimed staging of Wagner’s epic masterpiece online. Comprising of four operas, Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, Siegfried and Götterdämmerung, more than 15 unforgettable hours of music is now available to stream in full, for free.