(Photo credit: Bodil Maroni Jensen) Composer Sofia Gubaidulina passed away on March 13, at the age of 93. Gubaidulina was born on Oct. 24, 1931, in Chistopol in the Tatar Republic of Russia. She studied composition and piano at the Kazan Conservatory and graduated in 1954. At the beginning of her career she faced a number of repressive measures and {…}
(Credit: Frances Marshall) Back in 2006, renowned opera expert Fred Plotkin began hosting events at NYU’s Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò in New York City. The set up was straight forward – a conversation between the host, Plotkin and the guest, a well-known opera star, that also included video and audio clips throughout. The conversation would explore musical matters as well as {…}
Photo Credit: Karen Almond When you think of friends in opera, who do you think of? Perhaps your mind goes to the happiness shared between sisters in “Cosi Fan Tutte.” Or, more seriously, you think of the squabbles inherent in Johann Strauss’ “Die Fledermaus.” Whatever it may be, you don’t have to look far to find more than meets the {…}
The phrase “dog days” usually refers to the humid, heavy days of summer when the weather is abrasive and too hot to really do anything. Generally temperamental and discomforting, the term comes from the “dog star” Sirius rising over the Eastern horizon during the middle part of the year. It’s a time of great change and great lethargy. Premiered in {…}
(PC: Met Opera/ Marty Sohl) Happy April Fools from us at Opera Wire. This year, let’s take a look at what makes the crazy character Papageno from Mozart’s ‘The Magic Flute’ so captivating. What makes us love him? And why do we root for him? Who is Papageno? This beloved bird man, who is scared by everything but courageous when {…}
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 {…}
Throughout time, women have routinely been at the bad end of the deal when it came to composing, performing, or really anything that has to do with music. However, as we now know, that didn’t mean women composers, performers, critics, and everything in between didn’t exist. Actually, the opposite! Composers like Hildegard von Bingen, Barbara Strozzi, Clara Schumann, and Amy {…}
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 {…}
What can be said about opera composers? Those who compose opera usually live very operatic lives filled with tons of drama fit for the stage. This is no more apparent than the great verismo composer Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) who, in his relatively short life, had many affairs, a formal wife, a “legitimate” and “illegitimate” son, and yet still found the {…}
Romantische Oper (or German romantic opera) was a style developed in the 19th century, inspired from the movement known as the Counter-Enlightenment begun in the late 18th century. Generally, this style meant the incorporation of emotion, existential themes, and varied levels of nationalism and nationalist themes into opera’s aesthetics and themes. Defining The Style The style’s origins can be traced {…}
On December 31st, 1990, acclaimed Australian dramatic soprano Dame Joan Sutherland would give her last stage appearance, marking the end of a 40+ year, international career which brought her to audiences around the world, changing lives and minds everywhere she went. Singing in a gala performance of several operatic excerpts including Die Fledermaus’ Act 2 at the Royal Opera House {…}
