#stephen costello

[muchadoabout]

VERDI: DON CARLO at the Bavarian State Opera 04.05.2025

Conductor - Ivan Repušić Filippo II - Erwin Schrott Don Carlo - Stephen Costello Rodrigo - George Petean Elisabeth of Valois - Rachel Willis-Sørensen Princess Eboli - Ekaterina Semenchuk The Grand Inquisitor - Dmitry Belosselskiy Charles V - Roman Chabaranok

[everybody-anybody]

Step on glas

[muchadoabout]

Carmen at the Bavarian State Opera

Music Direction Daniele Rustioni* Producer Lina Wertmüller Carmen Aigul Akhmetshina Don José Stephen Costello Escamillo Erwin Schrott Micaëla Vuvu Mpofu | 30.09.2023

*The conductor was replaced by someone else whose name I didn't catch. He was flown in from London overnight to Munich to conduct this run.

Wertmüller's staging of Carmen was traditional and fuss-free. The first act opened with a scene at a town centre in Seville; the second act was at Lillas Pastia's tavern; the third act was set in a dark hideout with rocky mountains as the backdrop; and the last act was in Seville again with a prop depicting an amphitheatre.

There was one quick scene transition done very cleverly in the first act. When José escorted Carmen to the prison, the once brightly-lit town centre went dark. The stage light then subtly projected an illusion of prison bars, effectively shifting the Seguidilla duet into a captivating scene.

That was, however, the only time where the staging truly contributed to the narrative, giving something to write home about. Although the sets and the changing lighting hues were objectively beautiful at first, they gradually lost their charm over time. Therefore, much of the success of this production was at the hand of its performers and they certainly did not dissapoint.

Akhmetshina, who made Carmen her debut role at the Bavarian State Opera, sang the role with total conviction. Her melliflous mezzo and playfully seductive stage presence brought Carmen into a riveting character. My favourite moment of her Carmen was her rendition of Les tringles des sistres tintaient, especially when she ended up singing and dancing a little flamenco on the table. It was such a fun number that you wished would never end.

Her José was sung by Costello and it was a presentation of quality singing and acting. His Flower Song blossomed as he confessed his feelings for Carmen. The Don José character is never supposed to be a likable man, and Costello succeeded in interpreting the character as a genuine walking red flag for the women around him.

Schrott gave an impressive performance as Escamillo. He might be the most senior singer among this cast, but his voice still sounded fresh and vigourous. From his mannerism to his gait, he had the character down pat.

Overall, I was simply pleased that all the principal singers and the rest of the cast, including Mpofu as Micaëla, were in their prime condition that evening. They might have taken a while to warm up, but by the time of their respective big arias, everyone delivered.

The audience's reaction was somewhat more subdued compared to the Don Carlo performance I attended back in July. Perhaps they, like me, were expecting more from the production? Who knew.

[labrecha]

Kristine Opolais y Stephen Costello en la Gala de Ópera

#KristineOpolais y #StephenCostello en la Gala de Ópera del #DIFSaltillo

** Un éxito presentación del tenor Stephen Costello y la soprano letona Kristine Opolais. Saltillo, Coahuila de Zaragoza / Com Soc / Diciembre 1 de 2024.- Cientos de saltillenses disfrutaron la noche de este sábado la Gala de Ópera con el tenor estadounidense Stephen Costello y la soprano letona Kristine Opolais, artistas reconocidos internacionalmente, que se presentaron a beneficio del…

Kristine Opolais y Stephen Costello en la Gala de Ópera

[bobdobalina]

Curtain call at Verdi’s La Traviata, The Metropolitan Opera, November 4, 2022

Starring Nadine Sierra (Violetta), Stephen Costello (Alfredo) and Lusa Salsi (Germont). Production created in 2018 by Michael Mayer, with sets by Christine Jones, costumes by Susan Hilferty, and lights by Kevin Adams.

Funny how the iPhone camera turns images into these artsy little painted shapes when you zoom in.

[fyeahgustavo]

Met 2017 Summer Recital Series

The Met’s free summer recitals in the parks line up has been announced :

Susanna Phillips, Elizabeth DeShong, Stephen Costello - Manhattan (Mon 6/12), Brooklyn (Wed 6/14)

So Young Park, Petr Nekoranec, Hyung Yun - Staten Island (Fri 6/16), Bronx (Sat 6/17), Manhattan (Fri 6/23), Queens (Sat 6/24)

[palimadar]

Ailyn Pérez and Stephen Costello in Manon by Massenet at the Dallas Opera (March, 2016)

(photo: Karen Almond)

[21cmediagroup]

“You’re like an olympic athlete in a way, and you have to keep working...”

Tenor Stephen Costello on WHYY-TV’s “Articulate” with Jim Cotter. Watch the full interview here.