On March 17th, 1665, French composer and masterful harpsichordist Élisabeth Claude Jacquet de La Guerre was born to a highly musical family in Paris. She is best known for her many instrumental works, including her sonatas and suites, although her many vocal works, including songs, cantatas, and even operas, gave her name prestige. Elisabeth’s name, however, is cemented in operatic {…}
This week Rolando Villazón will bring his acclaimed production of Bellini’s “La Sonnambula” to the Semperoper Dresden. The opera will feature a number of rising stars including Emily Pogorelc, who will take on the title role. The production will mark Pogorelc’s role debut and house debut and will mark her first major Bellini opera; it is also one of her {…}
Photo: ShoutPR (Shout Factory) This review was written jointly by Chris and Finn Ruel. Mozart’s “The Magic Flute,” directed by Florian Sigl, hit the silver screen nationwide on Mar. 10, 2023. It’s a fantasy film that captures the essence of Mozart’s stunning operatic fairy tale and does it well. There is much to commend about Sigl’s film. It’s well put {…}
This past week the Teatro alla Scala opened a revival of Puccini’s “La Bohème.” The production stars a cast of well-known singers and is also making history with one of its stars as Irina Lungu will become the first singer to perform both Musetta and Mimì in the same season at the legendary Italian opera house. The soprano will first {…}
On February 27th, 1897 African-American contralto Marian Anderson was born in Philadelphia. With a career full of monumental firsts and acts of heroism, Anderson’s name is forever tied towards the fight for equal rights, not only for women but for the African-American community. A beacon of social change, Anderson’s legacy will never be forgotten. As an activist performer, Anderson accomplished {…}
This week the Washington Concert Opera is set to conclude its 2022-23 season with Verdi’s “Nabucco” featuring a cast of rising stars and established singers. Leading the team will be established baritone Lester Lynch. The baritone will be adding another Verdi role to his repertoire after having appeared in such works as “Il Trovatore,” “Rigoletto,” “La Traviata,” and “Aida.” In {…}
Peter Sellars warned the crowd gathered in the Rubin Museum on a recent Friday night that the film would be long. “It’s only an hour and fifteen minutes,” he said. “But the beginning feels like several lifetimes.” At first, the caution was unnecessary. “this body is so impermanent,” a new film Sellars directed at the height of the pandemic, explores {…}
(Credit: Kike Barona) This week Opera Columbus will make history by performing its first Spanish-language opera, Maria de Buenos Aires.” For the historic production, the company has put together a Latino cast that is headlined by the Serbain-Colombian mezzo Monica Danilov. Danilov will make her Opera Columbus debut in the title role marking also her first major lead role at {…}
Although they are best known for films such as “The Cocoanuts” (1929), “At The Circus” (1939), and “A Night in Casablanca” (1949), one of the Marx brothers operatic-related films was just as spell-binding and deserves its place in history. When “A Night At The Opera” first premiered in 1935 in the continental United States, the brothers were still under contract {…}
