Maria Guleghina and Salvatore Licitra were always great friends and onstage partners. They also celebrated birthdays one year apart. With Guleghina born on August 9 and Licitra on August 10, it is no surprise that we continue to find links between these two great artists and that in some ways, their legacy is joined. Of course, the two had incredible {…}
Bryan Hymel, born on August 8, 1979, is one of the exciting artists living and breathing today. The American tenor, whose lyric voice makes him perfect for the French repertoire and some dips into the Italian, is one of the most sought-after around the world, putting his mark on such operas as “Les Troyens” and “Guillaume Tell.” He doesn’t have {…}
Juan Pons, born on August 8, 1946, became one of the greatest underrated baritones of all time, his career associated with a number of major Italian operas such as “Andrea Chénier,” “Aida” and “Rigoletto.” He was always heavily reliable and put together some truly memorable vocal displays during his peak years. He also gave us some great stories, none more {…}
Erich Kleiber is widely considered one of the great conductors of the mid-20th century. Born on August 5, 1890, he was in love with Wagner’s art from his childhood, playing piano transcriptions from such works as “Lohengrin” and “Tristan.” He would go on to a legendary career, particularly in the world of opera, where he had a truly profound impact. {…}
Many of the great opera singers have the luxury of leaving behind essential recordings. But some of them, unfortunately, don’t get that same opportunity, their voices often getting lost in history. This is not necessarily the case for the great Gabriela Tucci, born on August 4, 1929. The versatile singing-actress made a big name for herself singing across some of {…}
Within the last quarter of the 20th century, there was perhaps no dramatic soprano as influential as Deborah Voigt. Born August 4th, 1960, the American soprano is most celebrated for her interpretations by Strauss and Wagner, and other German composers. Though Voigt’s repertoire ranges from bel canto to new American premieres, the “down to earth diva” had most of her {…}
Gundula Janowitz, born on August 2, 1937, is one of the most famous sopranos of the 20th century, spanning a wide range of German repertoire and making her name well-regarded in oratorios, lieder, and other concerts. While she had a major association with a wide range of great conductors and the greatest opera houses in the world, there is one {…}
Theo Adam was one of the all-time great Wagnerian artists, dominating the opera stage between the 1940s and 90s. Born on August 1, 1926, his career featured quite an extensive repertoire, with Adam not only singing all the major Wagner roles for bass-baritone, but also making success incursions into Mozart, Beethoven, Strauss, and many other composers. But for many Adam {…}
For years Olga Borodina was one of the leading mezzo-sopranos in the world, singing in all the major opera houses and dominating the lyric and dramatic mezzo repertoire. She possessed comic timing in multiple Rossini roles and was a dramatic tour de force in roles like Amneris, the Princess of Bouillon and Laura in “La Gioconda.” She also brought brilliance to the {…}
Riccardo Muti, born on July 28, 1941, is one of the greatest conductors of all time. He has specialized in the Italian repertoire, particularly the works of Verdi and has been incredibly valuable in bringing some of the composer’s early works to the fore. Muti has also been recognized for performing works without cuts and sticking to what is written {…}
When we look back at the history of operatic tenors, Mario del Monaco, born on July 27, 1915, will always stand out for his massive sound and larger-than-life vocal personality. He had a massive sound that he wielded like a weapon full of intensity and emotional prowess. Looking at his repertoire, he wasn’t the most diverse of singers, his number {…}