When considered in the context of his entire oeuvre, Verdi’s “Attila” is far from a masterpiece. When propped up against his best work, this early work simply doesn’t hold up. In fact, prominent Verdi scholars, such as Julian Budden, have criticized the opera and called it “the heaviest and noisiest of the Risorgimento operas, blunt in style, daubed in thick garish {…}
Massenet’s “Thaïs” is a beautiful feat of musical drama. The opera, which premiered on March 16, 1894, is rich in its character development and Massenet’s own development as a dramatist. While the work is filled with glorious musical writing, there is no doubt that the single most iconic moment of the work is the dramatic midpoint – Thaïs’ meditation. Played {…}
On the surface, Christa Ludwig and Teresa Berganza have nothing in common, aside from the fact that they were born on the same day, March 16, and were two of the greatest mezzo-sopranos in history. But their repertoire was wildly different. Ludwig was best known for her native German repertoire while the Spaniard, Berganza, was famous for her work in {…}
Antonietta Stella is one of the great Italian sopranos of all time. Known for her potent and elegant vocal artistry, she was a heralded interpreter of the dramatic repertoire. During a time when such greats as Maria Callas and Renata Tebaldi were dominating the opera world, Stella held her own, making several high-profile recordings that remain among favorites, especially in {…}
On March 14, 1847, Giuseppe Verdi premiered his version of “Macbeth” to roaring disapproval. It would take another two decades to premiere an updated version of an opera he deemed among his finest accomplishments. While the changes are nowhere near as wild as those for “Don Carlo,” “Simon Boccanegra” or even “La Forza del Destino,” there are a few major {…}
Klaus Florian Vogt is regarded as one of the most sought-after Wagnerian tenors his generations. He has marveled audiences with his intense lyricism and his commitment to each role he portrays. This week he returns to the Metropolitan Opera for the first time since 2006 when he made his debut in the title role of Wagner’s “Lohengrin.” This time Met {…}
“Simon Boccanegra” was one of Verdi’s most sublime operas and a prized creation for the composer. After suffering a brutal premiere back on March 12, 1857, the work was essentially left for dead, likely to never get a chance to firmly establish its place alongside many of Verdi’s other masterworks. But on March 24, 1881, the composer premiered another version {…}
Of all his operas, Verdi’s “Don Carlo” (or “Don Carlos), which had its world premiere on March 11, 1867, is often referred to as his most “Shakespearean.” For most people, this description comes down to one thing – tragically complex characters. That said, when they talk about “complex,” King Philip and Princess Eboli are perhaps the most talked about with Elisabetta {…}
It is arguably the most misogynistic piece in all of opera, its text essentially calls women “fickle” and “small-minded.” And yet everyone revels in its sumptuous melody that has become opera’s most iconic number. When Verdi first composed “La Donna e mobile” for his “Rigoletto,” which premiered on March 11, 1851, he hid it for tenor Raffaele Mirate because he {…}
