It’s officially the month of March Madness and to celebrate the month which will see “Elektra” and “Lucia di Lammermoor” open at the Metropolitan Opera, OperaWire will be writing a weekly article on our favorite mad scenes, favorite interpretations of mad scenes and some of the most iconic performances of mad scenes. Lucia di Lammermoor-“Il Dolce Suono” Donizetti’s mad scene {…}
Verdi’s “La Traviata” is one of the most iconic in music history. Why? It’s heroine Violetta is one of the most powerful and admirable characters in the art form. With her Verdi questioned the social boundaries of the time, taking a contemporary subject and placing it in the opera house during a time when opera was only intended to look {…}
David Bizic is one of today’s most promising baritones, singing all over the world and performing leading roles in his home country of France. This week, he takes on another milestone in his career singing his first Enrico in “Lucia di Lammermoor.” The baritone will take on the immense role at the Opera de Toulon, a theater where he had {…}
Florence Quivar, born on March 3, 1944, is one of the great American mezzos of her time. She first came to love opera upon hearing the Met Opera on tour and then eventually launched on a mission to become a great opera singer in her own right. Her journey took her through the Julliard School, Philadelphia Academy of Music, and {…}
Simon Estes, born on March 2, 1938, did not have an easy career path. While the bass-baritone succeeded in Europe in his early years, the United States didn’t take too well to him. He was only accepted for minor roles at most prominent theaters and it wasn’t until 1981, 16 years after his professional debut, that the Metropolitan Opera offered {…}
“Opera Meets Film” is a feature dedicated to exploring the way that opera has been employed in cinema. We will select a section or a film in its entirety, highlighting 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 we will go through {…}
Gioachino Rossini is one of the three Bel Canto masters whose music has been performed regularly over the years. However, unlike Bellini or Donizetti, Rossini has gotten the reputation for being a composer of comedy and sometimes his opera seria has been overlooked in favor of such masterpieces as “Il Barbiere di Siviglia,” “Le Comte Ory,” “La Cenerentola” and “Il {…}
Verdi’s “La Forza del Destino” is a messy work. Premiering first on Nov. 10, 1862 in Russia and then reappearing in its revised and finalized form on Feb. 27, 1869, the opera is clearly one that experienced tremendous transformation over the course of those seven years. But it’s messiness doesn’t necessarily derive from these compositional edits, but from the work’s {…}
Mirella Freni is one of the great sopranos of the 20th century. Born on Feb. 27, 1935, she conquered opera hearts with her refined soprano and luscious phrasing. There simply aren’t many with as glorious a sound as she produced in her best years. Freni is noted for being a cautious singer, straddling repertoire that often seemed a tad heavy {…}
