Richard Wagner is one of the most controversial figures in all of history, his antisemitic statements often creating staunch adversaries to his art. And just as the man was condemned for his abject racism, some of his operas have been at the heat of controversy. Take the “Ring,” for example, with many seeing Mime and Alberich as anti-semitic symbols. But {…}
Giuseppe Di Stefano is one of the great Italian tenors in history. For many, he possessed the most beautiful timbre of any lyric tenor and some fans lament the tenor’s insistence on singing operas that were often darker and heavier than his lyric could seemingly handle. And yet, one of the reasons why Pippo, born on July 24, 1921, was {…}
Francesco Cilea, born on July 23, 1866, is perhaps best known for one opera – “Adriana Lecouvreur.” And while some might see that as a small feat consider this. Renata Tebaldi, Montserrat Caballé, Renata Scotto, Mirella Freni, Joan Sutherland, Anna Netrebko, Angela Gheorghiu. That is but a small list of the many great divas to take on the title role. {…}
Licia Albanese was one of the leading Madama Butterflies of her time while Anja Harteros has become one of the go-to spinto Sopranos, performing a wide range roles from the Strauss, Verdi and Wagner repertoire. The two sopranos, while coming from different fachs and specializing in different repertoire, still had a number of roles in common. La Traviata This was one of {…}
In a time when Tito Gobbi and Ettore Bastiani reigned supreme, Aldo Protti wasn’t quite given all that much appreciation. The baritone, born on July 19, 1920, has since retained his place in the history books. And while he is not universally hailed as the greatest, or even of the greatest of all-time, Protti retains the stature of being one {…}
Vesselina Kasarova has had a career filled with many successes all around the world. Her repertoire has been extensive and she has collaborated with many of the great conductors and artists of her generation. To commemorate her birthday on July 18, let’s take a look at some of the recordings and roles that have defined her career and have made her {…}
Dawn Upshaw is one of the most respected American sopranos of her generation, having sung at many of the major houses including the Metropolitan Opera. She also performed for the President of the United States. Currently, Upshaw, born on July 17, 1960, is an educator serving as the Artistic Director of the Graduate Program in Vocal Arts at the Bard College Conservatory {…}
Camille du Locle is not a particularly recognizable name in the world of opera. Born on July 16, 1932, only the greatest opera connoisseurs may have a clue as to who he was. And even then, there’s a chance you might not have heard of him even then. And yet he is an important performance in the history of opera, {…}
Carlo Bergonzi, born on July 13, dominated the Italian repertoire during the middle of the 20th century, becoming one of the great interpreters of the spinto repertoire. However, despite dominating the works of numerous Italian maestros, he was best associated with the works of Verdi, his voice and elegant singing perfect for the great composer. His polished vocal line suited {…}
During the first half of the 20th century, Kirsten Flagstad was THE Wagner soprano, her interpretations of the repertoire among the most famous of all time. Flagstad, for all her greatness, did not leave a lot of opera recordings, a true shame, especially considering the plethora of options available to singers shortly after her prime. The Metropolitan Opera did preserve {…}
Nicolai Gedda was one of opera’s most proficient artists, taking on dozens and dozens of roles throughout his career. For many, Gedda, born on July 11, 1925, will always be associated with the role of “Faust” in Gounod’s famous work, one which he performed hundreds of times, but he also performed a number of roles that one might not associate {…}