Tenor Endrik Wottrich Dead At 53
Most operetta fans will remember Berlin-based tenor Endrik Wottrich because he sings the male lead in Kalman’s Die Herzogin von
read moreAll posts by kevin
Strauss’s “Spitzentuch der Königin” At Opera della Luna 2017
An interview with Jeff Clarke, artistic director of Opera della Luna, about the company’s planned new production of Johann Strauss’s
read more
Kelli O’Hara Stars In “Babes In Toyland” Performance At Carnegie Hall
MasterVoices’ semi-staged concert version of Victor Herbert’s 1903 extravaganza Babes in Toyland – written originally as a follow-up to the
read more
“Operette für zwei schwule Tenöre”
As everyone knows, operetta in its original form was a very liberated art form, in terms of sexual politics. And
read more
Desirée Nick: Blandine Ebinger Reloaded
Dass Desirée Nick eine überlebensgroße Glamourpersönlichkeit ist, die sich im Dschungel, Big-Brother-Container und im Notfall auch auf der Opernbühne mit
read more
Re-Visiting The Villas Of Bad Ischl: Marie-Theres Arnbom’s New Book
Anyone who is even remotely interested in the history of German language operetta knows that Bad Ischl – a kind
read more
A New Biogragphy Of Charles Amberg – Lyricist Of “Clivia”
Charles Amberg (1894-1946) is not exactly a household name today, and even dedicated operetta fans will be hard pressed to
read more
The Unveiling Of The Imre Kálmán Theater With “The Riviera Girl”
On Nagymezó, the historic theatre street of Budapest, a bronze statue of operetta composer Emmerich Kálmán sits on the end
read more
Peter Minich At St. Pölten’s Stadtmuseum: “Ein Leben für die Musik”
For many operetta lovers, Austrian tenor and Volksoper star Peter Minich, is an icon. He certainly represents a very particular
read more
A New “Fledermaus” With Annette Dasch at Deutsche Oper Berlin
Performing operetta in big opera houses is often not an easy task – because the intimacy is easily lost, and
read more
“Csardasfürstin” In Magdeburg With A New “Killer Ending”
Perhaps it was only a matter of time before someone hired choreographer Otto Pichler to stage an operetta all by
read more
Offenbach’s “Ritter Blaubart” Returns: The New Operetta Season At Komische Oper
Berlin’s Komische Oper and its artistic director Barrie Kosky are always good for a surprise, most certainly when it comes
read more
Gilbert & Sullivan’s “Patience” At English Touring Opera
The ‘comic opera’ Patience (or ‘Bunthorne’s Bride’) has an important place in theatrical history. It was the first stage production
read more
“Son Of Ireland”: Victor Herbert Concert In New York
St. Patrick’s Day came a little early this year, courtesy of the always rewarding Victor Herbert Renaissance Project Live! Anyone
read more
An Overdose Of Nostalgia: The Arthaus TV Operetta Series
Can this really be happening, is Arthaus-Unitel seriously re-issuing all of these old TV operetta adaptations from the early 1970s
read more
Benatzky’s “Liebe im Schnee” With The Kammeroperette Münster
The so called Kammeroperette Münster specialises in staging “minimalist” productions of neglected operettas: this year one of Benatzky’s first full-length
read more
“Son of Dublin”: An Irish-American Victor Herbert Concert
The “All Irish” season of the Victor Herbert Renaissance Project Live! continues with a concert of music by Victor Herbert
read more
A New “Student Prince” With John Mauceri
This CD could probably only be released for a German market and for German operetta fans who have no idea
read more
“Voici le sabre de mon père”: Offenbach’s “Grand Duchess” In Kassel
The industrial city of Kassel in middle-Germany boasts a modern, superbly designed 900 seat theatre with a large stage and
read more
Club Of Sperm Drinkers? “Die Fledermaus” At Neuköllner Oper
Did you think you’d ever see the day that the eternally popular Fledermaus would return to its pornographic roots? Admittedly,
read more
Rediscovering Offenbach: Felicitas Wetzel’s “Deine Operette – Ein Portrait in mehreren Stimmen”
An interview with Felicitas Wetzel, a German sound artist who created a concert performance with Offenbach music and quotes called
read more
Viennese Operetta Gems 1927-1949: A Classic Naxos Compilation
Any operetta compilation that starts with Charles Kullmann singing “Als flotter Geist, doch früh verwaist” like this has my immediate
read more
Kalman’s “Faschingsfee”: Carnival Spectacle At Munich’s Gärtnerplatz
The nomadic company of Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz has staged a rare, highly successful and most enjoyable revival of Kalman’s 1917
read more
Shades Of Grey: “Axel an der Himmelstür” In Vienna
Considering the continuing number of revivals of Im weißen Rössl one could be forgiven for thinking that Benatzky composed nothing
read more
Eduard Künneke’s “Lady Hamilton” In Dessau
Eduard Künneke (1885-1953) has been described by Kurt Ganzl as “the most appreciable German composer for the mid-20th-century musical stage”;
read more
Kalman’s “Zirkusprinzessin” At The Volksoper Wien
The Vienna Volksoper’s new staging – their first since 1988 – of Die Zirkusprinzessin is unashamedly old-fashioned – and there’s
read more
Kalman’s “Die Bajadere”: Radio Recording From Cologne
With Die Bajadere, Emmerich Kalman embarked on a new path as a composer in 1921: he changed his librettist team
read more
Re-Thinking The Concept Of “Escapism”: Damien Chazelle’s “La La Land”
This month, Damien Chazelle’s movie musical La La Land hits theaters in Europe. It is a must-see for anyone interested
read more
Offenbach’s “Ritter Blaubart” In Cottbus: Reviving Felsenstein
Offenbach’s glorious sex-and-social-conventions farce Barbe-bleue was a huge hit in Paris and Vienna back in the 1860s, when Hortense Schneider
read more
“Sex in Vienna”: New Exhibition At The Wien Museum Explores Forgotten Aspects Of Operetta History
We admit, in many ways the year 2016 hasn’t exactly been “good news” all around. Yet, from an operetta perspective
read more
Ivor Novello: “Composer of the Week” On BBC3
Operetta star performer and writer Ivor Novello (1893-1951) will be featured as “Composer of the Week” for BBC Radio 3
read more
Lehár’s “Der Graf von Luxemburg” In Duisburg: With Barihunk Bo Skovhus
I can think of only two reasons for visiting the post-industrial city of Duisburg: firstly to hear the gorgeously expressive
read more
Rediscovering The 1945 Broadway Hit “Marinka”
Writing from the point of view as an American visiting Berlin, the Komische Oper’s second concert performance of Emmerich Kálmán’s
read more
Charles Kalman “Gedenktafel” In Munich 2017
There will be a new memorial plaque on Maximilianstraße 56 next year: on February 22, the second anniversary of his
read more
Sigmund Romberg’s 1933 “Melody”: First Complete Cast Album
Romberg’s Broadway operettas have not been revived professionally in the UK since matinee idol John Hanson – he of the
read more
Victor Hollaender and Milwaukee’s Pabst Theater: A Transatlantic Affair (Part 1)
America’s popular music tradition is often referred to as the “Great American Songbook,” a national heritage. A focus on its
read more