(Credit: Johan Persson) This week the San Francisco Opera is set to present Poulenc’s “Dialogues of the Carmelites,” a work that received its U.S. premiere in the city. This season’s presentations will mark the first time the work is presented in French in San Francisco and will mark the first time the company showcases the work since 1982. With the {…}
The now well-known story of a celibate, chaste monk (Athanaël) trying to convert a licentious courtesan and worshiper of the Goddess of Love (Thaïs), has decorated operatic stages and captivated audiences since its premiere on 1894 at the Opéra Garnier (National Opera House) in Paris, France. With a harrowing story originally written by the French writer Anatole France in 1890, {…}
As the Metropolitan Opera enters October, three new productions will open and as we pointed out in the first article of this series, entering into opera out of the blue can be a daunting task. Some works are more well-known than others but even for those that have never been to the opera, those classics don’t have the same meaning {…}
(Credit: Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera) On Sept. 27, the Metropolitan Opera is set to open the new season with the company premiere of “Medea.” The opera was made famous when Maria Callas rediscovered it in the 1950s and took it to the Teatro alla Scala, Royal Opera House, and the Dallas Opera. She also took the story (not the opera though) {…}
This week, the Teatro Massimo di Bellini in Catania will celebrate the famed composer with “I Capuleti e i Montecchi.” To mark the occasion, the the Italian theater has hired two important bel canto singers for the job. Leading the charge is Spanish soprano Ruth Iniesta who will take on the role of Giulietta for the first time in her {…}
Renée Fleming needs no introduction. She is one of the most famous opera singers in the world who inspired artists around the world and who has brought her artistry to many areas of music. She has performed in movie scores, done crossover albums, sung recitals, and performed a varied repertoire that ranges from baroque, bel canto, and romantic to contemporary. {…}
Shot by Italian director Dario Argento in 1987, and praised for its creative gore and dramatic use of tension, the giallo (Italian mystery thriller) film “Opera” recounts the bloody escapades of a masked killer as he stalks an operatic soprano during a production of Verdi’s Macbeth at an opera house. Shot on-scene, and with fourth-wall defying actors and singers playing {…}
This week the Teatro Mayor is set to open a new production of “Le Nozze di Figaro” by Pedro Salazar, one of Colombia’s most respected directors. The production will bring an international cast including Kate Royal, an acclaimed interpreter of Mozart’s music. The soprano will make her Teatro Mayor debut performing in Colombia for the first time. Royal is well {…}
This week the Toledo Opera is set to present the company premiere of Tazewell Thompson and Jeanine Tesori’st timely work “Blue.” The work will feature a diverse cast that will include Aundi Marie Moore. Moore will make her debut with the company portraying the role of the Mother. “The music and words are beautiful, heart breaking and true messages for {…}
