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Opera News

American classical music magazine (1936–2023)

American classical music magazine (1936–2023)

FieldValue
titleOpera News
image_fileMarch_2020_Opera_News_Cover_Image.jpg
image_captionThe cover of the March 2020 issue, featuring soprano Diana Damrau
editorM. Ndimande
editor_titleEditor-in-Chief
frequencymonthly
total_circulation51,578
circulation_year2018
categoryClassical music/Opera
companyMetropolitan Opera Guild
firstdate
lastdate2023
countryUnited States
basedNew York City
languageEnglish
website
issn0030-3607

Opera News was an American classical music magazine. It was published from 1936 to 2023 by the Metropolitan Opera Guild—a non-profit organization, located at Lincoln Center, that was founded to promote opera and support the Metropolitan Opera ("the Met") of New York City. Opera News was initially focused almost exclusively on the Met and its activities, providing information for listeners of the Saturday afternoon live Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts.

Over the years, the magazine broadened its scope to include the larger American and international opera scenes. Published monthly, Opera News offered opera-related feature articles; artist interviews; production profiles; musicological pieces; music-business reportage; reviews of performances in the U.S. and Europe; reviews of recordings, videos, books and audio equipment; and listings of opera performances and recitals in the U.S.

The final Editor-in-Chief was F. Paul Driscoll. Regular contributors to the magazine included its former features editor, Brian Kellow, William Ashbrook, Scott Barnes, Jochen Breiholz, Fred Cohn, Erika Davidson, Justin Davidson, Peter G. Davis, Matthew Gurewitsch, Joel Honig, Tim Page, Judith Malafronte, Mark Thomas Ketterson, Martin Bernheimer, Ira Siff, Joanne Sydney Lessner, Anne Midgette, Drew Minter, William R. Braun, Phillip Kennicott, Joshua Rosenblum, Leslie Rubinstein, Alan Wagner, Steven Jude Tietjen, Adam Wasserman, Oussama Zahr, and William Zakariasen.

The magazine was also available online.

On August 15, 2023, the Metropolitan Opera announced that Opera News would be discontinued in November and incorporated into the British magazine Opera.

History

Opera News was founded in 1936 by the Metropolitan Opera Guild with Mrs. John DeWitt Peltz (Mary Ellis Peltz) serving as the publication's first editor. She was hired by Eleanor Robson Belmont, who favored the "democratization of opera" and later referred to Peltz as a "gifted walking encyclopedia of opera". When the newsletter was introduced on 7 December 1936, it was a single folded broadsheet. Within a year, it was transformed into a 17-page magazine with advertising; the first magazine appeared on 15 November 1937.

Beginning in December 1940, the magazine began to focus much of its content on the weekly Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts. At that point, Opera News offered bi-weekly issues of an expanded size during autumn, winter, and spring, but was on hiatus during summer. As time went on, the magazine began to provide more international coverage, but it still maintained its strong interest in the New York opera scene and the Met in particular. Frank Merkling succeeded Peltz to become second chief editor of Opera News. His first issue appeared on 14 October 1957. In 1972, the magazine added monthly issues in summer while keeping its bi-weekly schedule during the opera season.

In 1974, Robert Jacobson became the magazine's third chief editor. He was succeeded by Patrick O'Connor in 1988, who in turn was succeeded by Patrick J. Smith in 1989. Rudolph S. Rauch was named chief editor in 1998. Under his leadership as well as that of executive editor Brian Kellow, the magazine switched to a year-round monthly frequency starting in July 1999. F. Paul Driscoll, the final editor in chief, was appointed in July 2003.

In the June 2012 issue, the Metropolitan Opera said that Opera News would cease reviewing Met performances, following dissatisfaction among the Met leadership with the magazine's recent critiques of Robert Lepage's production of the Ring Cycle and of the company's direction under Peter Gelb. However, reactions from the public led to the decision being reversed.

In 2023, the Metropolitan Opera Guild announced that it was facing financial difficulties and had to wind down its operations. This meant ending Opera News as a stand-alone monthly publication—the last issue was volume 88, number 5, November 2023

''Opera News'' Awards

From 2006 to 2023, the magazine annually bestowed five Opera News Awards for Distinguished Achievement.

Recipients of the awards included:

  • 1st2006: James Conlon, Régine Crespin, Plácido Domingo, Susan Graham, Dolora Zajick
  • 2nd2007: Ben Heppner, James Levine, René Pape, Renata Scotto, Deborah Voigt
  • 3rd2008: Stephanie Blythe, Olga Borodina, Thomas Hampson, Leontyne Price, Julius Rudel
  • 4th2009: John Adams (composer), Natalie Dessay, Renée Fleming, Marilyn Horne, Sherrill Milnes
  • 5th2010: Martina Arroyo, Joyce DiDonato, Shirley Verrett, Gerald Finley, Philip Glass
  • 6th2011: Jonas Kaufmann, Riccardo Muti, Patricia Racette, Kiri Te Kanawa, Bryn Terfel
  • 7th2012: Karita Mattila, Anja Silja, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Peter Mattei, Peter Sellars
  • 8th2013: David Daniels, Simon Keenlyside, Eric Owens, Mirella Freni, Dawn Upshaw
  • 9th2014: Patrice Chéreau, Juan Diego Flórez, Christa Ludwig, James Morris, Nina Stemme
  • 10th2015: Piotr Beczała, Ferruccio Furlanetto, Sondra Radvanovsky, Samuel Ramey, Teresa Stratas
  • 11th2016: Joseph Calleja, Elīna Garanča, Waltraud Meier, Anna Netrebko, José van Dam
  • 12th2017: Robert Carsen, Christine Goerke, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Matthew Polenzani, Frederica von Stade
  • 13th2018: William Christie, Fiorenza Cossotto, Vittorio Grigolo, Hei-Kyung Hong, Sonya Yoncheva
  • 14th2019: Ramón Vargas, Ailyn Pérez, Luca Pisaroni, Laurent Pelly, Rosalind Elias
  • 15th2020: Thomas Allen, Javier Camarena, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Diana Damrau, Ana María Martínez
  • 16th2021: Lawrence Brownlee, Janet Baker, Cecilia Bartoli
  • 17th2022: Denyce Graves, Quinn Kelsey, Elza van den Heever
  • 18th2023: Lise Davidsen, Erin Morley, George Shirley

References

  1. Blum, Ronald. (2023-08-15). "US-focused Opera News, to cease publication in November after 87 years". [[Associated Press]].
  2. "John Wanamaker collection, 1827–1987".
  3. (1913). "The Opera News, Volumes 5–9". Wanamaker.
  4. Rothstein, Edward. (1981-10-27). "Mary Peltz, Editor of Opera News". [[The New York Times]].
  5. Plotkin, Fred. (March 4, 2016). "The Fabric of Memory: Preserving Met Opera History". [[WQXR-FM.
  6. Driscoll, F. Paul. (October 2010). "Viewpoint: Pioneer Spirit".
  7. (1957-04-13). "New Editor". [[New York Daily News.
  8. (1987-05-11). "Robert M. Jacobson". [[New York Daily News.
  9. "Opera News". Metropolitan Opera Guild.
  10. Wakin, Daniel J.. (2012-05-21). "Latest Met Aria: Bad Opera News Is No News". [[The New York Times]].
  11. Barton, Chris. (May 22, 2012). "The Met reverses policy, will allow ''Opera News'' to review productions". [[Los Angeles Times]].
  12. Tsioulcas, Anastasia. (May 23, 2012). "An Online Debate Of Operatic Intensity: The Met And Its Critics". [[National Public Radio]].
  13. Hernández, Javier C.. (August 15, 2023). "The Metropolitan Opera Guild Will Wind Down Amid Financial Woes". The New York Times.
  14. (September 2023). "Opera with OPERA NEWS".
  15. Westphal, Matthew. (2007-01-26). "Heppner, Levine, Pape, Scotto and Voigt to Receive 2006 Opera News Awards at Jan. 28 Gala".
  16. (2007-10-15). "Sigourney at Opera Awards". [[Newsday]].
  17. Westphal, Matthew. (2007-10-10). "2007 Opera News Awards Go to Blythe, Borodina, Hampson, Price and Rudel".
  18. (2008-08-04). "John Adams Named Winner of 2008 Opera News Award".
  19. Guerin, Richard. (2009-08-05). "2009 Opera News Awards".
  20. Giovetti, Olivia. (2011-04-18). "Working the Room with the 2010 Opera News Awards Recipients".
  21. (2010-08-04). "Sixth Annual ''Opera News'' Awards to Honor Jonas Kaufmann, Riccardo Muti, Patricia Racette, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa & Bryn Terfel".
  22. Sierra, Gabrielle. (2011-08-02). "2011 Opera News Awards Honorees Announced".
  23. (2011-08-11). "2011 ''Opera News'' Awards to Honor Karita Mattila, Anja Silja, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Peter Mattei and Peter Sellars".
  24. Denette, Kelsey. (2012-08-07). "2012 Opera News Awards Honorees Announced".
  25. (2012-08-07). "2012 ''Opera News'' Awards Honorees Announced".
  26. Ozery, Arielle. (2013-09-11). "Honorees Announced for Ninth Annual Opera News Awards".
  27. (2013-09-10). "Patrice Chéreau, Juan Diego Flórez, Christa Ludwig, James Morris and Nina Stemme to be Honored at the Ninth Annual ''Opera News'' Awards".
  28. (2014-12-09). "Tenth Annual ''Opera News'' Awards to Honor Piotr Beczala, Ferruccio Furlanetto, Sondra Radvanovsky, Samuel Ramey and Teresa Stratas".
  29. (2014-12-09). "2015 Opera News Awards Announces Five Honorees".
  30. (2015-12-10). "Joseph Calleja, Elīna Garanča, Waltraud Meier, Anna Netrebko & José van Dam Named as 2016 ''Opera News'' Awards Recipients".
  31. Mancuso, Christina. (2016-10-31). "12th Annual ''Opera News'' Awards Are Announced!".
  32. Salazar, Francisco. (2017-11-01). "Opera News Announces 13th Annual Opera News Awards".
  33. (2018-11-05). "Luca Pisaroni Named as Recipient of the 14th Annual Opera News Awards".
  34. McPhee, Ryan. (2019-11-26). "Anthony Roth Costanzo, Diana Damrau, More to Receive 2020 Opera News Awards".
  35. Salazar, Francisco. (2020-12-04). "Lawrence Brownlee, Janet Baker & Cecilia Bartoli Lead Opera News Awards".
  36. (2021-11-09). "South Africa's Elza van den Heever Named as Opera News Awards Recipient".
  37. "The 18th Annual OPERA NEWS Awards".
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