Of Donizetti’s major comedies, “La Fille du Régiment” is a unique work. Debuting on Feb. 11, 1840, this is one of the few French-language operas by Donizetti in the standard repertory. It was also his first opera set to French text. It has remained a fixture of the standard repertory over the years. There is an Italian-language version, but it {…}
OperaVision will start streaming La Monnaie’s production of “La Gioconda” on Feb. 12, 2019. Béatrice Uria-Monzon headlines in the title role while Silvia Tro Santafé takes on Laura. Franco Vassallo is Barnaba and Ning Liang is La Cieca. Finally, Jean Teitgen is Alvise. Stefano La Colla is Enzo. The stream kicks off at 7 p.m. local time. That’s around 1 p.m. {…}
Puccini’s “Tosca” will take the stage at the Vienna State Opera on Sun. Feb. 17, 2019, and audiences around the world will get a chance to witness the showcase. This performance (another later in the year will also get a live stream) will star Sondra Radvanovsky in the title role with Piotr Beczala and Thomas Hampson as Cavaradossi and Scarpia {…}
Verdi’s “Rigoletto” returns to the Metropolitan Opera on Feb. 12 with a cast that includes a number of major superstars, as well as a major debutante. Here is a look at the cast for the opera. Title Character Roberto Frontali will hit a major Met Opera milestone during the February/March run of performances – he will achieve his 100th Met Opera {…}
The Grammy awards announced its annual accolades on Feb. 10, 2019 awarding numerous producers and opera singers. The Best Opera recording award went to Bates’ “The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs.” Among the winners were composer Mason Bates, librettist Mark Campbell, the Santa Fe Opera, conductor Michael Christie, and the cast, which included Sasha Cooke, Jessica E. Jones, Edward Parks, Garrett {…}
On Feb. 7, 2019, Aida Garifullina attended The American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women Red Dress Collection 2019, presented by Macy’s. The event took place during New York Fashion Week and saw Garifullina wearing Jacob & Co. jewelry, including a white diamond choker necklace and diamond rings set in 18 karat gold. Garifullina, who made an appearance at the World {…}
Orchestra of St. Luke’s has announced its 2019-20 Carnegie Hall Season, which will include three concert performances with Principal Conductor Bernard Labadie. In its first concert of the season, Orchestra of St. Luke’s will present two works by Mendelssohn, “The Hebrides” Overture and Symphony No. 3 in A Minor, Op. 56, “Scottish.” Additionally, 24-year-old pianist Beatrice Rana will be featured during {…}
The Vienna State Opera has announced that Austrian soprano Wilma Lipp passed away at her home on Jan. 26, 2019. She was 93, having been born in Vienna on Apr. 26, 1925. Lipp trained with Friedel Sindel, Paola Novikova, and Toti dal Monte in Milan, eventually joining the Vienna State Opera, where she became an important leading Mozart soprano. She {…}
Lithuanian soprano Asmik Grigorian has revealed a her upcoming assignments in an interview with “Capriccio,” a Swedish website that covers the opera world. The soprano revealed that she will make her debut at the Metropolitan Opera during the 2019-20 season, taking on the title roles of “Salome” and “Madama Butterfly.” She also noted that she will return in a subsequent {…}
There was a plethora of drama during the performance of “Cavalleria Rusticana” and “I Pagliacci” at Gothenburg Opera on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019. During the opening performance of Damiano Michieletto’s new production, Italian conductor Pier Giorgio Morandi had to stop the performance of “Cavalleria Rusticana” not once, but twice because of separate incidents with indisposed persons in the audience. Approximately {…}
The Pittsburgh Opera announced its 2019-20 season this past week revealing a diverse repertoire that includes Baroque, Classical, Contemporary, Bel Canto and French works. The season will also include some of today’s rising stars and established singers in the industry. OperaWire had a chance to speak with the company’s General Director Christopher Hahn on the upcoming season and the process {…}
