One of the events at this year’s “Vicenza in Lirica” was a production of Henry Purcell’s semi-opera “King Arthur,” in collaboration with the Conservatory “A. Pedrollo” of Vicenza, which provided a marvellous opportunity for its students to perform in front of the paying public in the magnificent surroundings of the Teatro Olimpico, the oldest indoor theatre in Europe. OperaWire was {…}
You know the old adage: If you want something done right, Google it. And if you want something translated right, Google Translate it. Hang on… that’s not quite right, is it? Music and words go together like peanut butter and jelly, Pavarotti and “Nessun dorma,” Maria Callas and “Casta diva.” So naturally, we decided to submit your favorite arias to the {…}
Many Music Festivals rely on remarkable locations to give performances their particular “festive” appeal. The awe-inspiring Arena di Verona, the ancient Aya Irini church in Istanbul, the umbrageous plane trees in Aix-en-Provence, the picnic-enticing gardens of Glyndebourne, the striking castle-fortress of Savonlinna, or the entire picture-postcard-perfect city of Salzburg immediately spring to mind. The medieval town of Girona in Catalonia {…}
Just a few days ago, the Operalia Competition announced its big winners. Among those were mezzo Emily D’Angelo, who actually took home a whopping four prizes on the evening as well as tenor Pavel Petrov, who walked away with the two big male competition prizes for opera and zarzuela (he shared the latter). Obviously, winning a major competition like Operalia {…}
Just like its heroine does in the final act, Puccini’s magnificent western “La Fanciulla del West” has come to the rescue. Because Maryland Lyric Opera’s original season-opening plans did not come to fruition, due to schedule challenges and a change in venue, it is now possible for Maryland-area audiences to become acquainted—or better acquainted—with this often-overlooked Puccini gem. Entering its {…}
Numerous seasons open this week that will include some of the top singers in the world. The weekend will include numerous classics as well as a musical and a rarely-performed gem. Der Freischutz – Vienna State Opera, Austria In its opening weekend, the Vienna State Opera will present three different operas, but OperaWire recommends this Weber rarity which is set {…}
The opera season is starting up again with two major companies getting productions underway. One of those companies has two operatic gems in store, making for what should be an exciting weekend on the West Coast. Cavalleria Rusticana & Pagliacci – San Francisco Opera The San Francisco Opera opens its season on Friday with a production of the famed double {…}
Romanian soprano Angela Gheorghiu has cemented her legacy as one of the finest divas of the late 20th and early 21st century. Born on Sept. 7, 1965, she was an opera star very early on. She made her international debut in 1990 as Mimì in “La Bohème” at the Cluj-Napoca Romanian National Opera. Two years later she made her international debut at {…}
Born on Sept. 7, 1940, Giuseppe Giacomini would go on to become one of the great Italian tenors of the 20th century. He had some solid success with song competitions prior to his professional debut in 1966 in Vercelli. In 1969, he was also performing around Italy, before finally making his international debut in 1970 in Berlin. Debuts in Lisbon, Barcelona, {…}
Sony Classical has announced the release of Roberto Alagna and Aleksandra Kurzak’s first album for the company. The album, entitled “Puccini in Love,” features the real life couple in duets from the famed composer. The album marks the first album in a long-term contract that both artists signed with Sony. Alagna first signed a deal with the company in January. {…}
Seattle Opera’s General Director Aiden Lang has announced that he will be leaving the company after the 2018-19 season. In a letter, Lang noted that he has been appointed to become the General Director of the Welsh National Opera after this season. “Coming to Seattle Opera was one of the greatest honors of my life and I am still absolutely {…}