Newsletter, April 2013

Tatjana in Tartu

On the opening evening of April 6 and on April 11 soprano Maria Fontosh, who joined our roster in February, will sing the role of Tatyana in Vanemuine Theatre’s production of Eugene Onegin lead by Paul Mägi.

You have earlier done the role of Tatjana at the Royal Swedish Opera and you will do the role at the NorrlandsOperan’s concert version of Eugene Onegin in 2014. Please tell us about the role and why you like it!

I really love this role because Tatjana could be a real person. It could be a real story. A story of a broken heart. I think that almost everybody in the audience could relate to that. To be 17 and in love… Tchaikovskij composed this opera for students in conservatory in Moscow, so this was not even called opera, but lyric scenes in 3 acts. This production is a historical one. It was made by Stanislavskij. It's absolutelly amazing! One of the most beautiful I ever saw with gorgeous costumes and decor.

What are your other dream roles?

My other roles which I love to perform are Margueritte (Faust), Fiordiligi (Cosi fan tutte), Mimi (La Boheme) and Antonia (Hoffmann).

Maria Fontosh was born in Ukraine and grew up in Russia. In a very short time after finishing her studies at the Royal Academy of Music and the University College of Opera in Stockholm she rose to become regarded as one of Sweden’s most interesting sopranos. In 2002 she was awarded 3rd prize in the Plácido Domingo competition Operalia in Paris. On May 9 Maria Fontosh will be singing the role of Anna in Malmö Opera’s concert version of Le Villi lead by Leif Segerstam.

Foto: Maria Lindvall
 

Michael Weinius

On April 20 and 21 Michael Weinius, who recently had great success in the title role of Parsifal at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, will be soloist together with Michael Nagy and the MDR Sinfonieorchester in Das Lied von der Erde conducted by Kristjan Järvi. On April 28 Michael Weinius will be soloist at the Royal Swedish Opera's Wagner Gala lead by Lawrence Renes.

Nordic premier of Lear

When the Malmö Opera for the first time in Scandinavia presents German avant garde composer Aribert Reimann’s expressionist opera Lear (based on Shakespeare’s tragedy King Lear), Fredrik Zetterström sings the title role of the maniacal King Lear of Britain, Daniel Hällström appears as the irresolute Duke of Albany, Christian Juslin is the manipulative Edmund and Karolina Andersson the deceitful and ingratiating Regan. Performances take place April 27 – May 29.

Cellist and leader

This month Mats Rondin leads the Malmö Symphony Orchestra on a South Sweden tour before he goes east to lead the Pori Sinfonietta in Camille Saint-Saëns’ Symphony No. 2 and, from the cello, Aulis Sallinen’s Nocturnal Dances of Don Juan Quixote.

The Magic Flute

Malmö Opera shows The Magic Flute (March 16 to May 30) directed by Tamás Ascher. Daniel Frank perfoms as Tamino and Jonas Durán as Monostatos. For comprehensive information about singers in each performance, see www.malmoopera.se

Lovers’ quarrels

Young Swedish tenor Martin Vanberg returns to the Gothenburg Opera, this time as the love-sick Count Almaviva in the revival of David Radok’s production of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville. Last time he visited Gothenburg he sang Oronte in Alcina. The Barber of Seville will open on April 27. In the summer of 2013 Martin Vanberg will sing the role of Lysander at Läckö Slottsopera’s production of Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In the same production mezzo soprano Josefine Andersson appears as Lysander’s admirer Hermia.

Daniel Hope Artist in Residence at the Merano Festival

Daniel Hope will be this year's Artist in Residence at the Meraner Musikwochen Festival in Italy (Südtirol). He curates a week of unique performances from September 3-7 2013 based on his latest CD "Spheres" featuring among others Austrian actor Klaus Maria Brandauer, composer Max Richter, The Berlin Radio Choir/Simon Halsey, Deutsches Kammerorchester Berlin and David Finckel.