Tenor Alfredo Kraus is undeniably one of the greatest artists in the history of opera. Born 90 years ago on Nov. 24, 1927, the tenor had a superlative technique that allowed him to become one of the prolific tenors of his era. He excelled in the bel canto repertoire and took on the French masters, but he also specialized in {…}
“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 Anthony Minghella’s “The {…}
English composer Benjamin Britten holds a reputation as one of the most prolific figures in 20th-century music. With a massive centennial celebration held worldwide just four years ago, his legacy is still preserved today as opera houses around the world continue to stage his legendary pieces. Britten was born on Nov. 22, 1913, and not a day has gone by where {…}
It’s the holiday season and that means gift buying and making difficult choices. As a result, OperaWire has lightened the task as we chose albums from some of our favorite artists and our key recommendations from the hundreds of releases from 2017. Maria Callas If you are going to spend money this year, Maria Callas: The Live Recordings is OperaWire’s {…}
Sumi Jo has had a fascinating career. Born on Nov. 22, 1962, the South Korean soprano has not only established an international career singing at all the major opera houses around the globe, winning several major awards and competitions (including a Grammy), but she has also seen herself in contention for an Oscar. In fact, she’s had quite the career {…}
Rene Kollo (or René Kollodzieyski, as he was born on Nov. 20, 1937), was a renowned Wagnerian tenor. He took on every major leading role by the great composer, recording almost all of his interpretations to great acclaim with the best of conductors. His Siegfried was recorded with Wolfgang Sawallisch, his Lohengrin and Walther von Stolzing with Herbert Von Karajan, {…}
Agnes Baltsa is one of Greece’s gift to the opera world. Born on Nov. 19, 1944, the mezzo-soprano put together one of the most exciting opera careers in the 20th century. She actually started playing the piano at age six and moved to Athens at the age of 14 to concentrate on developing her voice. From there she climbed the {…}
Amelita Galli-Curci, born on Nov. 18, 1882, was one of the greatest singers of her era and continues to be revered as one of the finest of all time. And it isn’t hard to see why. Her technique was impeccable and to this day she remains one of the shining examples of exquisite vocal phrasing and overall polish. Just pop {…}
“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 Martin Scorcese’s “The {…}
