As we dig deeper into Hispanic Heritage Month (or Latinx Heritage Month as some prefer), we take a deeper look at some of opera’s most renowned Spanish-Language composers. So for this quiz, you will get a hint. The name of an opera. A fact about a famed opera by the composer. A summary of an opera. And your job is {…}
***Editorial Note: This article has been modified from its original version. (Credit: Ken Howard / Metropolitan Opera) “Porgy and Bess” is arguably America’s most celebrated and beloved opera. Following its premiere in 1935, the opera by George Gershwin about an African-American community in Charleston, South Carolina has become a mainstay of opera houses across the world, receiving major productions at {…}
San Francisco’s spring opera production of “Death in Venice” in 1975 was the real deal—the ingenious novella of German writer, Thomas Mann, turned into a haunting and exquisite opera by the English composer Benjamin Britten, libretto by Mfanwy Piper. The production was created by the remarkable Gerald Freedman, a well-known American theater and opera director, assistant not only to New {…}
The Festival Verdi continues its annual festival this week with the composer’s early masterpiece “Ernani.” It is known for its challenging roles and in many ways needs four of the greatest singers in the world to do it justice. The Verdi Festival has brought in a solid cast including the prominent star Eleonora Buratto, who is set to make her {…}
Italian. French. German. Russian. English. These languages are at the core of opera’s standard repertory. But what many don’t know, is that Spanish-language opera has as rich a heritage to choose from and many works in Spanish deserve a similar foothold in the standard repertory. For this week’s quiz, we are going to shine the slimmest of lights on the {…}
“Opera Meets Film” is a feature dedicated to exploring the way that opera has been employed in cinema. We will select a film section or a film in its entirety and highlight the impact that utilizing the operatic form or sections from an opera can alter our perception of a film that we are viewing. This week’s installment features Yukio {…}
As far the baroque era goes, Handel is the master of opera. The German-born composer was one of the most beloved composers of his time, dominating the opera scenes in Italy and England. Today, his operas have slowly regained their foothold in the standard repertory. This week’s quiz will focus on Handel’s operas, providing a unique challenge for those new {…}
“Opera Meets Film” is a feature dedicated to exploring the way that opera has been employed in cinema. We will select a film section or a film in its entirety and highlight the impact that utilizing the operatic form or sections from an opera can alter our perception of a film that we are viewing. This week’s installment features Charles {…}
This week the famed Festival Verdi in Parma is set to open in a revamped version that will feature some of the composer’s well-known works and a few curiosities. Among them will be Verdi’s “Macbeth” in its rarely performed French version with one of today’s greatest baritones Ludovic Tézier in the title role. Today Tézier is one of the go-to {…}
