On Jan. 4 Grace Bumbry will celebrate her 80th birthday. The mezzo soprano is recognized as one of the pioneers in the world of classical music who paved the way for future African-American opera and classical singers. The mezzo had the distinction of having a powerful and big voice that sang with commitment and intensity. She was also recognized for her agility and bel canto {…}
On Jan.3, 1843 Donizetti’s comic masterpiece “Don Pasquale” made its premiere with immediate success. It immediately became part of the standard repertoire and a piece that was translated into French, and performed all over the world. Since its premiere the opera has been performed more than 700 times and has been recorded by many great artists. To celebrate the works {…}
Bellini’s “La Sonnambula” is one of the most popular Bel Canto works in the repertoire and one of the touchstones in the coloratura soprano repertoire. The work features the famous sleepwalking scene and the daunting finale cavatina “Ah Non Giunge.” This week Daniela Fally takes on the role for the first time in her career at the Vienna State Opera. {…}
On Dec. 30, 1835 Donizetti’s “Maria Stuarda” made its premiere with the admired soprano Maria Malibran. The opera did not get a good reception due to the two sopranos being in poor voice and as a result of Malibran ignoring the censors. The result was an opera that would be ignored for 130 years and one that would not be {…}
On Dec. 31 Diana Damrau will make her role debut as Juliette in Gounod’s “Romeo et Juliette” in a special New Year’s Eve gala at the Metropolitan Opera. The occasion will also mark the premiere of Bartlett Sher’s acclaimed staging from the Salzburg Festival. With such a momentous occasion Operawire takes a look at past Juliettes who have graced the {…}
Johannes Martin Kränzle may not have the world-renown name of many major singers, but he certainly has the experience and recordings to illustrate his strength as an artist. The baritone has a varied selection from which listeners can choose from, ranging from high profile video recordings to more intimate listening experiences. Here are some of his vital albums. 1. Alberich {…}
Polish tenor Piotr Beczala was born on this day, December 28, exactly 50 years ago. In celebration of the tenor’s big day, Operawire shares 50 facts about the operatic superstar. Piotr Beczala was born on Dec. 28, 1966. He is from Czechowice-Dziedzice in southern Poland. He studied under Sena Jurinac in Switzerland. He is married to Katarzyna Beczała. Beczala is known for choosing his roles wisely {…}
For many, 2016 was a tough year for many reasons. There were many lost political battles, violence exploded around the world and many beloved artists and celebrities saw their lives come to an end. The opera world was particularly devastated in 2016 with the loss of many major stars, some of them rather young. The following is a list of {…}
On Dec. 27, 1888, Raffaele Attilo Amedeo Schipa, better known as Tito Schipa, came into the world. Over the span of his 77 years, he would give the world glorious music in many forms. He was of course best known as a tenore di grazia, though he managed a number of Verdi and Puccini operas while conquering Italian roles by {…}
