Every opera singer has an interesting story to tell, but few can boast of the unique circumstances that have led Danielle De Niese’s establishment as one of opera’s international stars. Born on April 11, 1979, De Niese has established a foothold in the repertoire of Mozart and Handel with forays into the Bel Canto and modern repertoire. Here is a {…}
Before Juan Diego Flórez stormed on the scene, Peru’s most famous tenor was none other than Luigi Alva. The lyric tenor actually sang a number of the same roles that his compatriot would take on decades later, but his legacy is ultimately far different. Alva, born in Paita on April 10, 1927, served in the Peruvian Navy for some time {…}
When you look at the body of work of the great tenor Franco Corelli, you might well imagine that Ponchielli’s “La Gioconda” to be a prominent role in his repertoire. The tenor role of Enzo is substantial and his dramatic weight is suitable to Corelli’s vocal talents. And you would be right, to a certain extent. But the tenor, whose {…}
Herbert Von Karajan is one of greatest musicians to ever live. Born on April 5, 1907, the famed conductor left a massive recorded legacy after a career that included prominent performances with the top orchestras in the world. While most would likely identify the Austrian maestro with the works of Beethoven or Tchaikovsky or Verdi or Wagner (among many others), {…}
Sergei Rachmaninoff’s claim to fame is the piano. His virtuosic ability as a performer was always admired, but his piano concertos are the legacy that keeps on giving. Today, his second and third piano concertos are fixtures of the instrument’s repertoire and have been for the past century. But Rachmaninoff was also a composer of other works, including several orchestral {…}
Dvorak’s “Rusalka,” which premiered back on March 31, 1901, is among the most popular Czech operas in the standard repertoire. Unbeknownst to many, the work was not actually an adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid or “Undine” by Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué. In fact, librettist Jaroslav Kvapil based his libretto on the work of Karel Jaromir Erben {…}
Tchaikosvky’s “Eugene Onegin” is considered one of the composer’s greatest operas as it features some of his richest melodies and is based on Pushkin’s famous poem. The work has been performed extensively around the world and this year it makes a return to the Metropolitan Opera. While the title role has been a vehicle for many renowned baritones it is {…}
Samuel Ramey is recognized as one of the most important American basses for his extensive vocal range and repertoire. He was admired for his stage presence and commitment to each role. He was also admired for reviving the Rossini repertoire and performing numerous operas from the Bel Canto repertoire. However, there are three works that he brought to the fore {…}
Mezzo-soprano Dolora Zajick is synonymous with Verdi. She’s been the leading Azucena at the Metropolitan Opera house over the last few years, singing the role a whopping 58 times since her debut on October 8, 1988, also in that very role. In Verdi’s “Aida,” she has performed the role of Amneris 80 times at the house. Throw in 17 performances {…}
We all know about “Boris Godunov.” Mussorgsky’s opera is one of the towering achievements of the operatic art form, even if there are continued concerns over which performance practice to adhere to. But Mussorgsky’s operatic output did not start and end with “Boris Godunov.” Nor was that the only one of his operas to face massive treatment in other hands. {…}
Danish tenor Lauritz Melchior was the quintessential Wagner tenor while Beniamino Gigli was one of the most beloved Italian tenors that history has ever seen. Both were born on the same day – March 20, 1890. While they both made their professional debuts one year apart, the Dane’s came in 1913 while the Italian’s a year late in 1914, they {…}