Polish baritone Mariusz Kwiecien has delivered some of the finest performances of the past decade, cementing himself as one of the greatest singing actors of his generation. Born on Nov. 4, the baritone has explored a wide-range of repertoire, always showcasing nuance in both his singing and his acting. He started his career back in native Poland before becoming a {…}
Vincenzo Bellini isn’t the most revolutionary of opera composers. In fact, his work is rather simple and his operas, most of them featuring questionable libretti, are not necessarily the most complex dramatic works (with the exception of “Norma”). And yet, the composer, born on Nov. 3, 1801, is among the most beloved in the opera world and even earned the {…}
“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 features the Colombian classic {…}
It’s Halloween! Which means that most people are taking the opportunity to disguise themselves as someone else, live out a temporary existence as a character that they either dreamed of being or enjoy playing. Opera is full of this kind of interplay, with characters disguising themselves or putting on literal costumes to get their way. One thing we often learn {…}
It will be a fun week for Ellie Dehn. A few months ago, soprano Nadine Sierra was slated to be the artist to lead the San Francisco Opera’s new production of “Manon.” But Sierra pulled out of the role and Dehn was called upon to take the torch of one of the hardest roles in the lyric soprano repertoire. It {…}
Jon Vickers, born on Oct. 29, 1926, built up a career as one of the finest dramatic tenors of his time. He conquered a wide range of repertoire across a wide range of houses, became associated with quite a few roles, and then went on to make acclaimed recordings with other major superstars. Vickers’ career got kickstarted in 1957 when {…}
You know “Carmen.” And you’ve probably gotten to know “Les Pêcheurs de perles” quite well also. But what of George Bizet’s other operas? How many are there? What subjects do they narrate and explore? Here is a run down of those other operas from the famed composer, born on Oct. 25, 1838, under the name Alexandre César Léopold Bizet. Le {…}
Tito Gobbi is arguably one of the greatest, if not the greatest baritone of the 20th century. Born on Oct. 24, 1913, his career really took off after the second World War with the singer performing all around the world in a wide range of great Italian repertoire. He not only sang with a gorgeous baritone sound that featured tremendous {…}
Cheryl Studer, one of the most unique sopranos in recent history. Born on Oct. 24, 1955, she put together an enviable career that ranged from singing a tremendous amount of opera roles as dramatic and lyric soprano and then mezzo, to winning a plethora of major awards, to eventually becoming a teacher. She recorded countless albums and her legacy is {…}
