Summer season 2012

June is here, Memorial Day has passed, and social summer begins. As before, I've limited coverage to the span of a semi-reasonable drive from NYC.

Pocket Opera of New York's La voix humaine (June 1-2 at the midtown Dimenna Center)
The recently-born local company has done well with odd French material before.

Opera Company of Philadelphia's Dark Sisters (June 8-17 in Philadelphia)
If you missed its New York run by Gotham Chamber Opera in November, the Nico Muhly/Stephen Karam piece has its second run ever this month.

The Princeton Festival's Gianni Schicchi/Francesca da Rimini double bill (June 23 and 30 in Princeton, NJ)
That's the Rachmaninoff one-act Francesca, not the more elaborate version the Met is reviving next season. Cute Dante theme here.

The Castleton Festival's Barber of Seville (June 23-July 3) and Carmen (June 30-July 8) (both in Castleton, VA) and concert Boheme (in Manassas, VA)
A second Britten-free year for Lorin Maazel's formerly all-Britten summer festival. Pity.

Wolf Trap's Don Giovanni (June 29-July 7) and Rake's Progress (August 3-11) (both in Vienna, VA)
New productions for both Mozart and Stravinsky.

Opera Saratoga's Rigoletto (July 6-15), The Mighty Casey (July 7-14), and Trial by Jury/Le 66 double bill (July 8-14) (all in Saratoga Springs, NY)
Rigoletto is of course familiar, but William Schuman's opera based on "Casey at the Bat"? Whoa. The seemingly obligatory G&S is paired with some less-known Offenbach.

Glimmerglass' Aida (July 7-August 25), Armide (July 14-August 23), and Lost in the Stars (July 22-August 25) (all in Cooperstown, NY)
No, not Gluck's Armide or even Rossini's, but the French baroque version by Lully. Not listed because it's not opera: a Music Man revival starring Dwayne Croft. Not listed because it would take too much space: recitals by Eric Owens, Deborah Voigt, and Dolora Zajick.

Caramoor's Ciro in Babilonia (July 7) and I Capuleti e i Montecchi (July 21) (both in Katonah, NY
Ewa Podleś stars in the really obscure Rossini piece, Eglise Gutiérrez and Kate Aldrich in the Bellini. Not entirely staged.

Opera New Jersey's Il trovatore (July 8-22 in Princeton, NJ and July 29 in Asbury Park, NJ)
I wasn't hugely impressed by mezzo Margaret Mezzacappa at the most recent Met Council Finals, but those who were may be interested to hear her Azucena here.

Lincoln Center Festival's Emilie (July 19-22)
Multimedia stuff + soprano Elizabeth Futral + Kaija Saariaho score = ?

The Metropolitan Opera's summer recital series (July 25-August 9)
Two groups of recitalists in six parks around the city.

Bard Summerscape's Le roi malgré lui (July 27-August 5 in Annandale-on-Hudson, NY)
I've wanted to see Chabrier's rarity ("The King in Spite of Himself") for years now, and may do so despite having to sit through more silliness from director Thaddeus Strassberger.

Tanglewood's concert Damnation of Faust (July 28 in Lenox, MA)
Susan Graham, Paul Groves, Willard White, Christopher Feigum, and conductor Charles Dutoit.