This week, the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino is set to open “Nabucco,” the work that put Verdi on the map and is regarded as one of his early masterpieces. At the core of the opera is the challenging role of Abigaille, which requires a soprano who can sing both very low and very high with dramatic force and is also capable {…}
For this week’s word search, we turn our attention to the Hispanic Heritage Month (or Latinx Heritage Month). Our focus will be on major artists. Instructions: You are free to solve the word search directly on your mobile or desktop device; just click the first and last letter of each word for it to appear on the screen. For those {…}
As we dig deeper into Hispanic Heritage Month (or Latinx Heritage Month as some prefer), we take a deeper look at some of opera’s most renowned Spanish-Language composers. So for this quiz, you will get a hint. The name of an opera. A fact about a famed opera by the composer. A summary of an opera. And your job is {…}
San Francisco’s spring opera production of “Death in Venice” in 1975 was the real deal—the ingenious novella of German writer, Thomas Mann, turned into a haunting and exquisite opera by the English composer Benjamin Britten, libretto by Mfanwy Piper. The production was created by the remarkable Gerald Freedman, a well-known American theater and opera director, assistant not only to New {…}
“Opera Meets Film” is a feature dedicated to exploring the way that opera has been employed in cinema. We will select a film section or a film in its entirety and highlight the impact that utilizing the operatic form or sections from an opera can alter our perception of a film that we are viewing. This week’s installment features Maïme {…}
The Festival Verdi continues its annual festival this week with the composer’s early masterpiece “Ernani.” It is known for its challenging roles and in many ways needs four of the greatest singers in the world to do it justice. The Verdi Festival has brought in a solid cast including the prominent star Eleonora Buratto, who is set to make her {…}
“Opera Meets Film” is a feature dedicated to exploring the way that opera has been employed in cinema. We will select a film section or a film in its entirety and highlight the impact that utilizing the operatic form or sections from an opera can alter our perception of a film that we are viewing. This week’s installment features Yukio {…}
(Credit: Eric Bouloumié) After months of closure, the Opéra de Bordeaux opens its 2020-21 season with a modified production of Verdi’s beloved “La Traviata.” The masterpiece will get a starry cast including Rachel Willis-Sørensen, who makes her role debut as Violetta. Since her win at the Operalia competition in 2014, Willis-Sørensen has become well known for her lush sound and {…}
As far the baroque era goes, Handel is the master of opera. The German-born composer was one of the most beloved composers of his time, dominating the opera scenes in Italy and England. Today, his operas have slowly regained their foothold in the standard repertory. This week’s quiz will focus on Handel’s operas, providing a unique challenge for those new {…}
