Charles Castronovo, Benjamin Britten & Galina Vishnevskaya Lead New CD/DVD Releases

https://operawire.com/charles-castronovo-benjamin-britten-galina-vishnevskaya-lead-new-cd-dvd-releases/

Happy New Year! For the first edition of the year, we look at the first releases of 2024. This week we get a new album by a leading tenor and a remastering of a legendary recording conducted by the composer himself. Out of the Ashes Navona releases the USD Chamber Singers and Dr. David Holdhusen’s new album. The CD will {…}

Special Features

The Wonderful World of Opera Dogs: Galina Vishnevskaya the Soprano, Rostropovich the Cellist & Pooks the Pianist

https://operawire.com/the-wonderful-world-of-opera-dogs-galina-vishnevskaya-the-soprano-rostropovich-the-cellist-pooks-the-pianist/

(Credit: New York World-Telegram / Wolfson, Stanley) OperaWire is proud to present “The Wonderful World of Opera Dogs,” a series by Diana Burgwyn, which will focus on the relationship between opera’s most iconic stars and their beloved canines. The creation of this series and all research necessary for each individual piece were conducted solely by Diana. To learn more about {…}

Opera Wiki

Artist Profile: Soprano Galina Vishnevskaya, One of Russia’s Great Artists

https://operawire.com/artist-profile-soprano-galina-vishnevskaya-one-of-russias-great-artists/

Galina Vishnevskaya, born on Oct. 25, 1926, is not one of most recognized singers of the 20th century, though she was certainly well-recognized in the USSR. Vishnevskaya was born in Leningrad and got started singing operetta when she was barely 18 years old. She became a member of Bolshoi Theater in 1953, at the age of 27. While the greater {…}

News

Elena Obraztsova Competition Announces Western Agencies in Jury

https://operawire.com/elena-obraztsova-competition-announces-western-agencies-in-jury/

Correction: A representative from the Teatro Massimo di Palermo will not be in attendance as part of the jury. The Elena Obraztsova Singing Competition has announced the jury members for the 2024 edition which will take place between July 21 and 27, 2024. The competition, which is sponsored by Russia’s Minister of Culture, will see Larisa Gergieva, the Artistic Director {…}

DVD and CD Reviews, Reviews

CD Review: Marina Rebeka’s ‘Essence’

https://operawire.com/cd-review-marina-rebekas-essence/

“Essence” is Marina Rebeka’s fifth solo recital on her very own label, “Prima Classic.” Although it was recorded all the way back in 2021, the album was released only last November; its program therefore does not reflect the soprano’s current engagements nor does it acknowledge her accomplishments in the French repertory. Instead, it presents like a best-of compilation, with arias {…}

Interviews

Q & A: Diana Skavronskaya on Her Carnegie Hall Debut and Flourishing Career

https://operawire.com/q-a-diana-skavronskaya-on-her-carnegie-hall-debut-and-flourishing-career/

(Photo credit: Michael Meltser) OperaWire had the pleasure of speaking with soprano Diana Skavronskaya, who is originally from Uzbekistan and currently based in San Francisco. Below, she shares her passion for opera and work to make it accessible for all. OperaWire: Your résumé includes so many facets within the opera world, from mainstage performances, recitals, teaching, and conducting masterclasses, to international arts representation. Can {…}

Reviews, Stage Reviews

Salzburg Festival Recital 2023 Review: Asmik Grigorian & Lukas Geniušas

https://operawire.com/salzburg-festival-recital-2023-review-asmik-grigorian-lukas-geniusas/

(Photo: © SF/Marco Borrelli) It is always good when a song recital does not include the usual suspects of the Lieder repertoire (you know who they are). This is nothing against “Die schöne Müllerin” or “Dichterliebe.” However, Asmik Grigorian and Lukas Geniušas’s recital was exciting because it featured Rachmaninoff songs, along with some small pieces by Mussorgsky and Rimsky-Korsakov for {…}

News, Streaming

San Francisco Opera Releases ‘Streaming the First Century’

https://operawire.com/san-francisco-opera-releases-streaming-the-first-century/

The San Francisco Opera is celebrating its centennial with the release of the first installment of “Streaming the First Century.” The new online hub at sfopera.com/firstcentury will be free for selected historic recordings from the Company’s past, along with rare artist interviews, archival photographs, program articles, oral history excerpts, and newly captured conversations among past and present San Francisco Opera {…}