“Un Ballo in Maschera” is one of Verdi’s finest operas of his middle period. The libretto, while still rife with questionable melodramatic touches, features a compelling central character in the form of Riccardo / Gustavo. But more interestingly is the way that Verdi’s musical language has evolved throughout this particular work. “Ballo” is rife with glorious music that would easily {…}
Premiering on February 16, 1892, at the Vienna State Opera, “Werther” is adapted from the novel “The Sorrows of Young Werther,” written by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Although the work would be later staged at the Opera-Comique in Paris, it was first rejected due to its serious tone and sullen protagonist. It wasn’t until the success of “Manon” that Massenet {…}
Verdi’s seventh opera, “Giovanna d’Arco,” had its world premiere on Feb. 15, 1845, at La Scala in Milan. It was one of many operas that has attempted to tell the tale of the famed heroine, but like many others, it has yet to find a place in the standard repertoire. The opera has recently managed to get some more exposure {…}
Making its premiere at Teatro alla Scala on February 11, 1843, “I Lombardi” is adapted from an epic poem written by Tomasso Grossi about the First Crusade. It would become Giuseppe Verdi’s first grand opera when he revised it four years later for its debut in France with the Paris Opera company under the title of “Jerusalem.” Though the opera {…}
Donizetti’s “La Fille du Régiment” isn’t anywhere near his greatest opera. And yet it remains a modern favorite. Part of the major charm comes from the melodic invention that he employs. He threw caution to the winds for much of this French work and just had a ton of fun. Other reasons for its popularity could be more specific in {…}
It all ends with a joke. After decades of dominating the opera world as a foremost melodrammatist, Verdi’s final opera is the complete opposite, a comedy. “Falstaff,” which premiered on Feb. 9, 1893, was written by Arrigo Boito and is nothing like the other works Verdi had ever composed. He openly mocks his other works throughout. He tears down operatic {…}
First premiering on February 6, 1959, “La Voix Humaine” is a one-act opera for orchestra and a sole soprano performer. The work touches on many of opera’s classic themes, such as tragedy and unrequited love, but framing them within the context of telephone conversations shared between Elle and her unheard former lover. Much of Poulenc’s composition reflects the telephone conversation {…}
Rossini’s comedic operas are undeniably the ones for which he is best recognized, but there are a number of Opera Seria that tend to get overlooked when they shouldn’t. One of those is “Semiramide,” an opera long considered one of the composer’s finest and growing in reputation in recent years. In a recent interview with OperaWire, conductor José Miguel Pérez-Sierra {…}
Everyone knows “La Bohème,” even people that know nothing about opera. Arguably the most famous opera of all time, next to Bizet’s “Carmen,” Puccini’s masterwork is renowned for its celebrated melodies and unforgettable characters. The opera had its world premiere on Feb. 1, 1896, with Arturo Toscanini in the pit. Legend has it that Puccini opted to write the opera {…}
Three years before he premiered “La Bohème,” Puccini gave the world “Manon Lescaut.” The opera, based on the novel by Abbé Prévost, premiered on Feb. 1, 1893, and put Puccini in the public eye as a serious opera composer. The work differs quite greatly from the “Manon” of Massenet, the Tuscan maestro himself comparing his interest in the subject matter {…}
First premiering on January 28, 1830 at the Salle Ventadour in Paris, “Fra Diavolo” is based around the accounts of Michele Pezza, who was an Italian guerilla fighting against the French occupation in Italy. Although Daniel Auber will be remembered for being a proponent of French grand opera, this opera comique has proved itself as among his most popular and {…}