(Credit: Michele Crosera) After 1,100 years as an independent state, Napoleon’s invasion of Venice in 1797 brought the Venetian Republic to an end. Once the Queen of the Adriatic, with an empire extending throughout the Eastern Mediterranean, it has since been reduced to a small city in the north-east of Italy, with a declining population and overrun by tourists. Unfortunately, {…}
Photo credit: Amati Bacciardi Venice’s Teatro La Fenice is currently staging Verdi’s “I Due Foscari” with a stellar cast that includes soprano Anastasia Bartoli in the role of Lucrezia Contarini. Bartoli has hit the headlines over the past few seasons with a string of stunning performances across Italy. In 2023 alone she has appeared in a variety of diverse roles, {…}
(Photo: Amati Bacciardi) Soprano Anastasia Bartoli is a rising star on the Italian and European opera scene. Over the course of this year alone, she has received a string of glowing reviews including her performance as Cristina in “Eduardo e Cristina” at the Rossini Opera Festival. In October she will be performing Lucrezia in Verdi’s “I Due Foscari” at Venice’s {…}
The Maggio Musicale Fiorentino has announced a cast chance for its production of “I Due Foscari.” Soprano María José Siri is set to take on the role of Lucrezia Contarini in the work, replacing soprano Ailyn Pérez, who was originally scheduled. Siri previously took on the opera 11 years ago; Pérez was supposed to make her role debut. Siri will {…}
(Credit: Victor Santi) La Salle Gaveau in Paris has announced an upcoming concert performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s “I Due Foscari.” The opera will star Plácido Domingo in the role of Francesco Foscari, Anna Pirozzi as Lucrezia Contarini, Arturo Chacón-Cruz in the role of Jacopo Foscari, and Emanuele Cordaro as Loredano. Mathieu Herzog will conduct the Ensemble Appasionato. La Salle Gaveau {…}
The Opéra Monte Carlo has announced a schedule change for its upcoming performance of Verdi’s “I Due Foscari.” The company has revealed that the production will now commence at 6:30 p.m. local time instead of a later start time. This schedule change was implemented due to new restrictions imposed due to continued concerns over COVID-19. The production stars Plácido Domingo, {…}
(Credits: Andreas Schager official website / Polina Plotnikova) The Deutsche Oper Berlin has announced that heldentenor Andreas Schager and Russian bass Alexander Vinogradov will take part in the New Year Gala concert on Jan. 2, 2021. Schager and Vinogradov will join a cast that includes Sara Jakubiak, Anna Pirozzi, Aigul Akhmetshina, and Amartuvshin Enkhbat. The Australian-born Kapellmeister of the Deutsche {…}
(Credit: Roberto Ricci) OperaVision is going to keep the opera going throughout the month of April. The streaming service has announced that it will showcase six Italian operas throughout the month. It all kicks off with La Fenice’s “Alceste” on April 3, 2020. The presentation will be available for repeat viewings for six months thereafter. “Guillaume Tell” will start streaming {…}
As part of their ongoing mission of celebrating one of opera’s most beloved composers, the Festival Verdi has given a preview of its 2019 program. While more details will be announced in January, the four operas for the upcoming festival will be “I Due Foscari,” “Luisa Miller,” “Aida,” and “Nabucco.” The Festival Verdi is organized by the Teatro Regio di Parma, and general director Anna {…}
Lamberto Gardelli, born on Nov. 8, 1915, in Venice, Italy, is one of the great Italian conductors in all of history. He dominated the repertoire of his native country, taking on the major repertory staples, and also placing a spotlight on the lesser-known operas. Among the composers that he championed in this respect was Giuseppe Verdi and it is thanks {…}
Leyla Gencer, born on Oct 10, 1928, was one of the greatest bel canto sopranos to ever grace the opera stage. She dominated a plethora of often over-looked Donizetti operas and sang everything she could by Bellini. And most importantly, she dominated some of the lesser known works of Giuseppe Verdi, a composer she may share a birthday with (his {…}