Gabriella Tucci is one of the hidden Italian treasures of the 20th century. The soprano, born on August 4, 1929 in Rome, studied at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia and eventually made her debut at Spoleto in 1951. The opera? “La Forza del Destino.” Her stage partner? Beniamino Gigli. But her career took a bigger step forward when she shared {…}
Deborah Voigt is one of America’s most renowned artists. The soprano was born on August 4, 1960 to a religious family in 1960. Her career took a gradual course, though the soprano rather openly talks about her problems with confidence and her weight issues throughout her formative years in her biography “Call Me Debbie, a must-read in which opens about {…}
Rossini’s final opera is arguably his finest. “Guillaume Tell,” which had its world premiere on August 3, 1829, has never been his most popular. But in the work, the great composer took all the dramatic ideas he had developed throughout his career and encapsulated them into a cohesive and potent opera. The work has found popularity in the 21st century, {…}
Anne Sofie von Otter has spoken out against the #MeToo movement. The mezzo-soprano, whose husband committed suicide after being accused of sexual misconduct noted in an interview with Die Zeit, that her husband Benny Fredriksson went into the “deepest depression” after being cast out of his job and, ultimately, drove him to take his own life. The mezzo was critical of {…}
Here’s a look at the operas to see this weekend around Europe. The Queen of Spades – Salzburg Festival, Austria The highly anticipated new production of Tchaikovsky’s masterwork opens with Brandon Jovanovich singing the lead and Evgenia Muraveva as Liza. Oksana Volkova, Hanna Schwarz, Igor Golovatenko, and Vladislav Sulimsky also star in Hans Neuenfels’ production. Mariss Jansons conducts. Carmen – Bregenz Festival, Austria Bizet’s {…}
There is something so intimate about the theater at Santa Fe Opera. Though intimacy may not be the word in mind for the over 2,000 seat semi-outdoor theater, it was magical to watch the setting sun as the backdrop for Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly.” It’s a treat reserved specifically for the New Mexican audience. Director Lee Blakely’s melancholy production of “Madama {…}
Amidst allegations of sexual misconduct, Bernard Uzan has opted to leave the opera world. In a statement to his roster of artists, the manager said, “I come from a very different culture, I am of the sixties generation, which is not an excuse, but simply a fact, and I have made my mistakes throughout my life. If I have offended {…}
Rossini’s “Guillaume Tell” is quite a unique case. Premiering on August 3, 1829, the opera is considered by many to contain some of Rossini’s greatest dramatic genius. And yet the opera has never quite held a proper place in the operatic canon the way that his “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” or even “La Cenerentola” have. And yet, in some ways, {…}
We are past the midpoint of the summer. Some of this week’s picks are the last opportunities to check out some exciting productions. But there are also some performances that are just kicking off on the weekend! The Face on the Barroom Floor – Central City Opera On Friday night, Central City Opera ends the run of “The Face on {…}
Dear Readers, Over the course of the past few days, you may have noticed that OperaWire has not functioned properly. In truth, the website has grown so quickly that it was too big for the server that we were hosting it on. From one day to the next the website simply was impossible to access. Once we were aware of {…}
Deutsche Grammophon has released a new EP for Yusif Eyvazov. The company released a track of “Nessun Dorma” from Puccini “Turandot.” The track features the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Jader Bignamini and is the latest in a series of Eps that Deutsche Grammophon has been releasing. Previously, the company released tracks featuring Anna Netrebko and Eyvazov. Eyvazov will make {…}