This week San Francisco Opera’s summer season begins, offering three favorites from the repertoire with intriguing casts. But it is Quinn Kelsey who has the honor of opening the season and bringing one of his most acclaimed roles to the house. As “Rigoletto” the Hawaiian baritone has brought his portrayal to Paris, Hawaii, London, Zurich, Santa Fe, and, most recently, {…}
Elena Souliotis and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau were both born on May 28. The former came into the world in 1943 while the latter came 18 years earlier in 1925. Both singers had tremendous careers, the German baritone among the greatest lieder interpreters of all time. Meanwhile, the soprano was one of the leading interpreters of the Italian repertoire. Ultimately they are {…}
Teresa Stratas was recognized as one of the finest singing actresses of her time. Stratas, born on May 26, 1938, was known for her commitment to the stage and for her wide repertoire. She created the role of Marie Antoinette in Corigliano’s “The Ghost of Versailles,” she dominated the Oscar-nominated Zeffirelli movie “La Traviata,” she had a fine relationship with {…}
It’s National Wine Day and opera definitely has moments where drinking is essential to the story! To celebrate this fine liquor let’s take a look at some of the most interesting drinking songs in opera. Macbeth As Macbeth receives his guests for the evening, he calls upon his wife to make a toast. And this starts a dance-like melody filled {…}
This week the Teatro Massimo di Palermo opens its production of Massenet’s “Werther” with two tenors. The first is Francesco Meli, a well-known performer who has scaled the heights of some of the world’s opera houses. However, the second tenor, Shalva Mukeria, will make his role debut and that is a reason for celebration. The tenor has been hailed by critics {…}
For many Richard Wagner is the greatest composer in the history of opera. The German master, born on May 22, 1813, revolutionized not only how opera was created, but he also changed the direction of musical composition, among other things. Everyone knows him for the 10 operas that he wrote, starting with “Die Fliegende Holländer” and concluding with “Parsifal,” though {…}
Eric Owens has been appointed the Artistic Advisor for the Glimmerglass Festival. The famed bass-baritone will be consulting closely with the festival’s Artistic and General Director Francesca Zambello and Music Director Joseph Colaneri regarding the repertoire and casting. He will also be performing roles on the mainstage in the 2018 and 2019 season. “I believe passionately in artists continuing their {…}
After looking at the top female and male singers as well as the finest maestros of the 2016-17 season, we now turn the spotlight on the 10 best-assembled casts of the season. This was a truly difficult piece to put together as this Met season had great casts for almost every single opera. But the casts listed below were simply {…}
Everyone remembers Francesco Maria Piave for his extensive association with Giuseppe Verdi. The librettist, born on May 18, 1810, famously wrote 10 librettos for the famed composer, including such masterworks as “Rigoletto,” “La Traviata” and “Macbeth.” But his output was not limited to just Verdi works. In fact, he wrote a plethora of librettos for other composers. Here is a {…}
