Poor Antonio Salieri. Born on August 18, 1750, the prolific composer’s fate in posterity has not been a kind one. Despite composing a plethora of operas that were quite popular at the time of his death, his legacy has unfortunately been linked to a legend that is far from true. You know the story: the composer was the rival of {…}
Fabio Armiliato is one of the most respected Italian tenors of his generation. Together with his late wife Daniela Dessi, he performed all over the world in many of the most popular works. He also made a career out of championing less known operas. While he is currently in demand in Europe, his U.S. engagements continue to be limited with {…}
“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 Marc Forster’s “Quantum {…}
Walter Scott, born on August 15, 1771, is among the most important English-language writers, his works essential parts of the literary canon. In fact, he created some true masterpieces that would go on to inspire some of the greatest opera composers as well. Here is a look at the important operas based on the works of Scott. Ivanhoe Scott’s most {…}
After showcasing a wide range of repertoire that will be showcased this fall in the United States, it’s time to look at the European theaters. With hundreds of houses around the world opening at the same time, it was challenging to put together this list. But after looking through several theaters, OperaWire has curated the must-see operas for this fall {…}
Ailyn Pérez is one of today’s rising stars in the opera world. She has slowly built her career with a varied repertoire that has shown her versatility and acting chops. In celebration of her birthday on August 15, 1979, OperaWire takes a look at some of the soprano’s milestones thus far. Operalia and Competitions While Pérez did not win the {…}
This week Aribert Reimann’s “Lear” makes its premiere at the Salzburg Festival in a new production by Simone Stone with Gerald Finley as the title character. The premiere will see Finley in yet another new role as he continues to expand his varied and unique repertoire. For years Finley has been a big proponent of modern and contemporary works, including the {…}
Kathleen Battle is one of the greatest opera stars of all time. Everyone knows that her career was one of many ups and downs, the latter ultimately cost her years of her prime, but while she was at the summit of the opera world, there were few anywhere near her. Battle, born August 13, 1948, had simply too many milestones {…}
“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 Werner Herzog’s “Fitzcarraldo.” {…}
