Lorenza da Ponte, born on March 10, 1749, is best known for three collaborations he had with Mozart. Those operas, “Le Nozze di Figaro,” “Don Giovanni” and “Così Fan Tutte” stand as some of the greatest in the repertoire, not only because of Mozart’s great music, but also as a result of Da Ponte’s brilliant dramatic skills. But the librettist {…}
On March 9, 1842, Verdi scored his first major success with his opera “Nabucco.” Two years later, on March 9, 1844, the composer scored another riveting success with the world premiere of his “Ernani.” While the respective journeys of these two works have diverged over the one-hundred plus years since their respective debuts (“Nabucco” is a cornerstone of the repertoire {…}
Denyce Graves is regarded as one of the great mezzos of the 20th century. For years she dominated the stage in many leading roles and after her Metropolitan Opera debut in 1995, became a household name around the world. Born on March 7, 1964, the mezzo-soprano has built an extensive repertoire throughout her career and she continues to find interesting roles that {…}
Bellini’s “La Sonnambula” is one of the most popular operas in the Bel Canto repertoire and one that many coloratura sopranos have embraced on stage. On March 6, 1831, the opera had its world premiere with Giuditta Pasta in the title role. Pasta was known as a soprano sfogato which is designated to a contralto who is capable—by sheer industry or natural {…}
Kiri Te Kanawa is one of the great sopranos of the 20th century, the New Zealander known for her sheer magnetism and elegance onstage. Te Kanawa, born on March 6, 1944, retired from the opera stage in the early 2000’s, making occasional cameos in ensuing years, but dedicating herself to a number of different projects and assignments. The Foundation Among {…}
Bizet’s “Carmen” is one of the great operas of all time and one of the few to really have a massive impact on popular culture. The opera, which premiered back on March 3, 1875, was a failure upon premiering with Bizet never actually getting a chance to experience the success of his masterwork. Since then the opera, which was adapted {…}
On Feb. 27, Verdi’s revised version of “La Forza del Destino” premiered at La Scala in 1869. The version included a number of changes, including a completely different ending and adjustments to a few duets. The result was a shorter opera that was hailed by critics as one of Verdi’s late masterpieces. Throughout history the opera has been a vehicle {…}
The final days of Black History Month coincide with the birthday of one of the great black singers in the history of opera, quite possibly the most important. While Leontyne Price belongs in the pantheon of the world’s greatest singers and is quite possibly the most famous ever, Marian Anderson, born on Feb. 27, 1897, was the one that allowed {…}
Born on Feb. 25, 1873, Enrico Caruso was arguably the most important opera singer in the entire history of the art form. Maybe only Maria Callas rivals him in putting the art form into the collective consciousness of 20th century audiences. Caruso, who was beloved for his simple nature and brilliant voice, was a man capable of selling out any {…}
Renata Scotto needs no introduction. She is one of the greatest singers of the 20th century and she conquered many of the prima donna roles. On Feb. 24, Scotto will be 83 and at her age the Diva still continues to teach and give masterclasses as evidenced last month at the Opera Naples. In celebration of Scotto’s birthday, OperaWire looks {…}
Rolando Villazón turns 45 on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2017. The Mexican tenor has managed a strong career over the past decade, conquering numerous struggles and paving new ways that have allowed him to remain at the forefront of opera’s diversification and development. He has reshaped his repertoire to suit his vocal and dramatic abilities, but today we recognize him for {…}