On Monday, Oct. 29, 2018, the Film Forum will present Luchino Visconti’s 1954 masterpiece “Senso” with a pre-screening talk. The talk will provide a historical context for the film’s opening sequence, which features Verdi’s “Il Trovatore” at Venice’s La Fenice, that soon erupts into a political riot. In a press release, August Ventura noted, “I am delighted to be returning to {…}
The New York Choral Society is set to perform a concert entitled “My Shadow and My Light.” The concert set for Nov. 12, 2018, at Carnegie Hall, will showcase Barber’s choral arrangement of his famous Adagio – “Agnus Dei.” a rarely performed piece, the work that showcases the same simplicity and gut-wrenching emotional power of its orchestral counterpart. The concert will {…}
This week the Hungarian State Opera is set start its tour in New York with a number of Hungarian works. The works include “Bluebeard’s Castle,” “The Queen of Sheba,” and the U.S premiere of “Mario and the Magician.” It will also include the U.S. premiere of what Hungarians consider the national operatic masterpiece “Bánk Bán.” And for the U.S. Premiere, {…}
When many people think of opera, Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” is undeniably one of the first ones to come to mind. The work, which premiered aptly on Oct. 29, 1787, is perfect for the Halloween spirit with its shapeshifting nature and its blend of numerous genres. It’s opening notes frighten, but before long the work moves from a drama about sexual {…}
On Nov. 2, 2018, the Vienna State Opera will transmit a live stream of Wagner’s “Lohengrin.” The performance will be led by conductor Simone Young with a cast that includes Kwangchul Youn as Heinrich, Andreas Schager as Lohengrin, Elza van den Heever as Elsa von Brabant, Evgeny Nikitin as Fredrich von Telramund, and Petra Lang as the villainous Ortrud. This {…}
On Tuesday, Oct. 30, the Met Opera opens “Carmen,” which will be the sixth opera of its season. The revival will feature a total of 13 performances across two runs, with two decidedly different casts, with one exception. Clémentine Margaine will return to the Met with her signature role, which she has performed around the globe. Per Operabase, Margaine has {…}
On Sunday, Nov. 4, 2018, the Vienna State Opera will showcase a live stream of its performance of Berlioz’s grand opera “Les Troyens.” The performance will be led by conductor French maestro Alain Altinoglu with Brandon Jovanovich as Enée, Adam Plachetka as Chorèbe, Joyce DiDonato as Didon, and Anna Caterina Antonacci as Cassandre. The performance will feature a production by {…}
Jon Vickers was once known as “God’s tenor.” Born on Oct. 29, 1926, the Canadian artist would go on to a storied career with a voice that has become as immortal as God. He was the sixth child of eight children and while his initial intention was to study medicine, he earned a scholarship to study at the Royal Conservatory {…}
INT. METROPOLITAN OPERA, NEW YORK. JANUARY 2012. The opera onstage is Donizetti’s “Maria Stuarda” starring Joyce DiDonato in a production by David McVicar. The run of performances of this production are set to be a major artistic success for all involved, earning strong reviews and eventually, a DVD release. Seated in the audience is a young man, his name Tom {…}
Mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges’ first love was basketball. “It was something I was quite great at, and could see myself going far in,” the Lakewood, Washington native revealed to OperaWire in a recent interview. But eventually, something else took over her life as she grew older and she knew that she had to leave her first love behind to pursue her {…}
On Friday, Oct. 26, the Metropolitan Opera Guild presented its Annual Luncheon to honor the career of superstar soprano Anna Netrebko. Titled “Amazing Anna” and taking place at Cipriani 42nd Street (and without too many flowers as per the honoree’s request), the event was befitting of the famed diva, proving entertaining and breezing by in a way that these events {…}
