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 {…}
Yesterday we took a look at two titanic sopranos that shared a birthday. Today, May 18, we turn our attention to two important basses that were also born on the same day. Ezio Pinza’s birth came on this day in 1892 while Boris Christoff’s came in 1914. Both artists led rather different careers with the former finishing out his career {…}
This article is a joint collaboration between David & Francisco Salazar. Yesterday we gave you the finest female performers of the Metropolitan Opera’s 2016-17 season. Now we turn toward the men that truly brought down the house. Remember that these picks are mere favorites based purely on personal preference. Since there were so many incredible performers this season, here is {…}
(Credit: Tandun.com) For centuries, the major opera houses of the world have regularly programmed operas from European composers with some offerings of North American and, in fewer cases, South American composers. But when was the last time, with the exception of Tan Dun’s “The Last Emperor,” you heard an opera from an Asian composer. You probably haven’t. And it is {…}
Plácido Domingo needs no introduction. He not only holds the record for most roles sung in opera for a single individual, but also has a lengthy career that has spanned half a century. And this week he celebrates his 50th anniversary at the Vienna State Opera in a special gala. The tenor made his debut at the Vienna State Opera {…}
Claudio Monteverdi, baptized on May 15, 1567 (he’s now 450), is known as the father of opera, his “L’Orfeo” widely recognized as the very first opera in existence. To this day, we know of two other complete works, “L’Incoronazione di Poppea” and “Il Ritorno d’Ulisse in patria,” which are both parts of the canon. But this was not his only {…}
Happy Mother’s Day to all the great mothers that are reading this article. The greatest of mothers are people that we can always count on when things get tough. When we need a shoulder to cry on, mom is the one who will always offer hers. When we have a small achievement, mom is the one ready to cry with {…}
Nadine Sierra is one of opera’s rising stars. The soprano, who turns 29 on May 14, 2017, has recently added the Richard Tucker award to a long list of major accomplishments. At such a young age, one can only expect more tremendous success to come. In just a short time she has already established herself in some of the greatest {…}
