The idea of putting a movie inside of movie isn’t new, just look at films like “Matinee” (1993) and “The Stunt Man” (1980). But what about an opera inside an opera-based film? This is also not new. For example, the 1947 British film, “Take My Life.” For British director Henry Cass, however, the idea was realized in his 1949 film, {…}
If you wanted to list off the greatest baritones of the 20th century, Tito Gobbi will land somewhere on that list. Born on Oct. 24, 1913, the baritone actually started his career studying law. But a family friend suggested that he study singing. So he moved from Padua, where he was studying, to Rome. In 1935, at the age of {…}
For many, there has never been a more beautiful lyric tenor voice than that of Giuseppe di Stefano. Luciano Pavarotti once stated that, “Di Stefano is my idol. There is a solar voice… It was the most incredible, open voice you could hear. The musicality of di Stefano is as natural and beautiful as the voice is phenomenal.” Born on July 24, {…}
Tito Gobbi is arguably one of the greatest, if not the greatest baritone of the 20th century. Born on Oct. 24, 1913, his career really took off after the second World War with the singer performing all around the world in a wide range of great Italian repertoire. He not only sang with a gorgeous baritone sound that featured tremendous {…}
Verdi’s “Rigoletto” returns to the Met stage on Friday, Jan. 20 in a lengthy run through February and then a few days in April. Olga Peretyatko and Željko Lučić will be the production’s mainstays, singing every single presentation of the work this season. This will be the Lučić’s fourth run of “Rigoletto” at the Met, byt far his most performed {…}
Rudolf Bing’s name towers in the world of opera. The Austrian-born impresario, born on January 9, 1902, has an enduring legacy, in many ways tainted by the scandals and feuds Bing was known to have with the opera’s greatest figures and lesser-known figures during many of the company’s most tumultuous years. But to see the general manager who wielded his {…}
Rossini’s famed “Il Barbiere di Sivilgia” or “The Barber of Seville” returns to the Metropolitan Opera on Monday, Jan. 9, 2017 with an all-star cast for a whopping 10 performances through early February. Here is a look at what to expect from the company’s revival of the beloved work. The Performers A few years ago, Peter Mattei made a name {…}
Thursday December 22 is the 158th birthday of one of the greatest opera composers of all time – Giacomo Puccini. The Italian composer is best known for his brilliant melodic invention and his operatic output, while relatively small when compared with the likes of Italian predecessors such as Verdi, Rossini or Donizetti, is among the most popular in the entire {…}
The Metropolitan Opera will premiere Verdi’s early masterpiece “Nabucco” on Monday December 12 in a performance featuring legendary tenor-turned-baritone Placido Domingo. The Performers This series of six performances will be Domingo in the title role at the Met after he successfully performed it at the Royal Opera House. The performance was released on DVD. Domingo has showcased a number of {…}