(Credit: © WILLIAM STRUHS/Spoleto Festival USA) Barber’s “Vanessa” is a work rarely heard. That is why when the occasion to hear the work comes, audiences run to see it. It doesn’t hurt if it has a great cast. This week the National Symphony Orchestra is bringing the work to audiences with a stellar cast that includes Nicole Heaston in the {…}
Opera exists throughout the world, from more traditional forms that depart from Westernized forms such as Peking opera, to more blended forms like the Zarzuela. Outside the European framework, opera has taken on an incredibly diverse range of complexions, from the Savoy opera to the Farsa. And while many more categories exist, it cannot be denied that European-styled opera is a global {…}
What happens when a rather questionable story where good intentions end up futile in the face of capricious behavior is re-conceptualized? “The Opera!” by directors Paolo Gep Cucco and Davide Livermore. It is a strange sort of film where the two central characters are played by opera singers (Orpheus, Valentino Buzza and Eurydice, Mariam Battistelli) who seem woefully under-prepared to {…}
What is life if it’s not lived? Maria, “La Divina,” Callas lived a life which could fill 100 and yet, she kept going until her form could no longer sustain itself under the gravitas of her vitality. Having starred in her only film, “Medea“ (1969), producing some of the most important masterclass recordings of operatic history at Juilliard in New York {…}
(Photo Credit: New.MN) Opera exists all throughout the world, from more traditional forms which depart from the Westernized form like Peking opera, to more blended forms like the Zarzuela. Outside the European framework, opera has taken on an incredibly diverse range of complexions, from the Savoy opera to the Farsa. And while many more categories exist, it cannot be denied {…}
(Credit: Jennifer Taylor / Met Opera) This week the Met revives “Rigoletto” for the second time this season. The company has assembled yet another star cast that includes one of the most anticipated debuts of the season, Pene Pati. Pati will bring his acclaimed Duke of Mantua, a role he has performed all over the world including at the Wiener {…}
(Credit: Ken Howard / Met Opera) This week, the Metropolitan Opera will premiere a new production of Verdi’s “Aida” after 36 years. Michael Mayer’s new production will replace Sonja Frisell’s legendary production and with it, the Met has lined up one of the most anticipated Aida’s of her generation, Angel Blue. Over the past seasons, the Met has been preparing {…}
Photo Credit: Hindemith Foundation/Blonay, Switzerland Christmas is a time of celebration for many people for many different reasons. Whether someone is religious or not, the Holiday season is a great time to connect with many of classical music’s absolute seasonal favorites like Tchaikovsky’s beloved ballet, ‘The Nutcracker,’ Menotti’s ‘Amahl and the Night Visitors,’ and Handel’s ‘Messiah.’ It is also, however, {…}
It is time to wrap up the year and look back at our favorite moments and performers. After releasing our favorite performances of 2024 and showcasing our rising stars of the year, it’s time for OperaWire’s annual tradition of naming our top 11 singers of the year, performers that we thought stood out. Performers who had major breaks, headlined major productions or simply had {…}
