On February 27th, 1897 African-American contralto Marian Anderson was born in Philadelphia. With a career full of monumental firsts and acts of heroism, Anderson’s name is forever tied towards the fight for equal rights, not only for women but for the African-American community. A beacon of social change, Anderson’s legacy will never be forgotten. As an activist performer, Anderson accomplished {…}
This week the Washington Concert Opera is set to conclude its 2022-23 season with Verdi’s “Nabucco” featuring a cast of rising stars and established singers. Leading the team will be established baritone Lester Lynch. The baritone will be adding another Verdi role to his repertoire after having appeared in such works as “Il Trovatore,” “Rigoletto,” “La Traviata,” and “Aida.” In {…}
Over time, enough foods, wines, and spirits have been themed to “Lohengrin” that all gathered together; they could well be presented during that opera’s opulent wedding feast. The Alsatian producer Victor Hertz, for example, offers a Cuvée Lohengrin, a pinot gris. In 2012, when La Scala opened with a Claus Guth production of “Lohengrin” starring Jonas Kaufmann, Milan’s late, great {…}
(Credit: Kike Barona) This week Opera Columbus will make history by performing its first Spanish-language opera, Maria de Buenos Aires.” For the historic production, the company has put together a Latino cast that is headlined by the Serbain-Colombian mezzo Monica Danilov. Danilov will make her Opera Columbus debut in the title role marking also her first major lead role at {…}
Although they are best known for films such as “The Cocoanuts” (1929), “At The Circus” (1939), and “A Night in Casablanca” (1949), one of the Marx brothers operatic-related films was just as spell-binding and deserves its place in history. When “A Night At The Opera” first premiered in 1935 in the continental United States, the brothers were still under contract {…}
On Feb. 17, the Hawai’i Opera Theatre is set to open a production of “L’Elisir d’Amore” with a cast of rising stars making a house debut. Among the stars is Efraín Solís. The Latine singer is a graduate of the San Francisco Opera Adler Fellowship where he sang his first performances of Papageno in “Die Zauberflöte,” Dandini in “La Cenerentola,” {…}
Romantische Oper (or German romantic opera) was a style developed in the 19th century, inspired from the movement known as the Counter-Enlightenment begun in the late 18th century. Generally, this style meant the incorporation of emotion, existential themes, and varied levels of nationalism and nationalist themes into opera’s aesthetics and themes. Defining The Style The style’s origins can be traced {…}
This week the San Diego Opera is set to present two of Puccini’s operas from “Il Trittico;” “Gianni Schicchi” and “Suor Angelica.” The event is special as it will see Stephanie Blythe making history by becoming the first mezzo to perform the role of “Gianni Schicchi.” Blythe is no stranger to the opera “Gianni Schicchi” as she has played the {…}
Films based on opera often feel inadequate. They are frequently an attempt to introduce reality into art, and this concept is flawed. Directors fail to realize that what it should be is the other way around: bringing art into reality, making opera about human beings and their everyday trials. Luckily, some directors do know what they’re doing, and Italian director {…}
