Of all of Meyerbeer’s greatest opera, “Le Prophète” likely reigns supreme above them all. The opera, which had its world premiere in Paris on April 16, 1849, features the richest and most complex characters of the composer’s oeuvre. While the work has never had the prominence of “Robert le Diable” or “Les Huguenots,” it is bound for a major revival {…}
First premiering in Paris in 1836, “Les Huguenots” is based on the historical events of the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre of 1572, wherein thousands of French Protestants, called Huguenots, were wiped out by Catholics in an effort to maintain Catholic dominance. The composition of this work follows shortly after the great success enjoyed by “Robert le Diable” and so Meyerbeer {…}
It’s week of rarities with two rarely performed works getting new recordings. Here is a look! Margherita d’Anjou Meyerbeer’s little-known work gets a DVD by Dynamic from last year’s Festival della Valle d’Itria. The production was conducted by Fabio Luisi stars Giulia de Blasis and Arcangelo Carbotti. When OperaWire reviewed the show last year it said: “Certainly, it was a well-performed {…}
June Anderson, born on December 30, 1952, authored one of the unique opera careers of the 20th century. The lyric soprano seemed destined for the path often taken, but wound up moving in diverse directions with regards to repertoire. This very aspect was revealed in her becoming the first non-Italian to ever win the prestigious Bellini d’Oro Prize. She sang {…}
Everyone knows the composer. Verdi’s “Otello.” Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia.” Etc. But few pay attention to the writer, the person who actually provides these great geniuses with the text for their music. Eugene Scribe, born on Dec. 24, 1791, is one of the most notable librettist in all of opera, and yet he doesn’t quite come up in conversations {…}
Giacomo Meyerbeer’s “Robert le Diable” premiered on November 21, 1831, and is among the first of the grand operas performed at the Paris Opera. Based on tales surrounding Robert the Magnificent, duke of Normandy, which claimed he was the son of the devil, the opera’s supernatural plot and dramatic impact made it an instant success. It had over 100 performances {…}
These days Giacomo Meyerbeer is not the most well-known of opera composers. It is actually quite a sad statement to make as the composer, born on Sept. 5, 1791, was arguably the Steven Spielberg of his day. His operas were the toast of the town in Paris, known for their tremendous showmanship and memorable music. To be Meyerbeer was the {…}
Martina Franca, situated in Puglia in south east Italy, is home to the annual Festival della Valle d’Itria, which is largely, although not exclusively, devoted to the presentation of obscure, neglected, and rarely-performed operas. Its stated mission is “dedicated to researching and deepening our knowledge of Italian bel canto,” and it is in this light that it selects operas and {…}
Diana Damrau’s “Grand Opera” album dedicated to Giacomo Meyerbeer was always meant to be. From her very first encounter with the famed German composer to her first meeting with Alain Lanceron, the global president of Warner Classics & Erato, the soprano was always going to develop a strong association with Meyerbeer. It just took a long time and a lot {…}
For years Meyerbeer’s music has been ignored or gone into obscurity. In recent years, some of his operas have been able to make resurgences thanks in part to star singers. But even so, the composer, one of the most famous of his time, remains an obscurity in the modern opera world. Now Diana Damrau is finally paying homage to a {…}
April 28 marks the anniversary of the world premiere of Giacomo Meyerbeer’s “L’Africaine,” his final opera. While he was a titan in his day, Meyerbeer has struggled to find footing in the modern operatic culture and many of his works, including “L’Africaine” remain obscure and unknown. And yet there are some unique features about this work that make it a {…}