Fair warning – you’ll notice that two countries dominate this weekend’s choices and among those, one opera crops up a bit. It’s a weekend with solid offerings all around, but our choices are filled with tremendous star power that was simply too potent to turn away from. Falstaff – Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, UK Verdi’s final masterpiece gets a {…}
This review is for the performance on Wednesday, June 27th. Listeners reveled in an evening dedicated to Paris’ La Belle Époque period during a special performance aired live at WQXR Classical Radio Station’s Greene Space. The show featured the highly praised tenor Nick Phan, singing Fauré’s “La Bonne Chanson,” and other musical settings of Paul Verlaine’s poetry by Debussy, Renaldo {…}
The World Cup Final will take place on Sunday, which is likely to captivate a major part of the world’s attention. But for those who would prefer a night at the opera, there are plenty of offerings. You might recognize a few company names if you’ve been following steadily these past few weeks. The offerings remain excellent as ever. Without {…}
Carlo Bergonzi was one of the leading Italian tenors of the Golden era of the 20th century. Known for his elegant phrasing, Bergonzi built up his career dominating in the repertoire of one particular composer (more on that later). Born on July 13, 1924, Bergonzi’s career actually started off as a baritone before he eventually realized that he was a {…}
This Review is for the performance on Sunday, June 17th. The River to River Festival, presented by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC), showcased Marisa Michelson and Royce Vavrek’s “Naamah’s Ark” in Rockefeller Park at the start of this year’s 76th season. This community oratorio included seven ensembles and six soloists – Victoria Clark, as Naamah, Cantor Rebecca Garfein of Congregation {…}
The Genoa council has approved the dedication of a street in the name of soprano Daniela Dessì. The proposal by Luca Pirandoni, de Movimiento Cinco Estrellas was given a unanimous vote. According to the proposal, Dessì was a Genoa world ambassador as she traveled around the world working in the best theaters, directors and was recognized for her vocal and {…}
The Philadelphia Orchestra will be back in 2019 to showcase Puccini’s “Tosca” as Bravo! Vail Music Festival’s debut opera production. Performances are set for July 11 and 13, 2019 at the outdoor Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater. The announcement was made by Bravo! Vail’s Music Festival’s Artistic Director Anne-Marie McDermott during a concert by the ensemble, as led by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. {…}
Performances of Bellini’s melodrama, “Il Pirata,” at the Teatro alla Scala have, over the years, been few and far between. Originally written for the theatre in 1827, and starring the celebrated soprano, Henriette Méric-Lalande as Imogene and the famous tenor Giovanni Battista Rubini as Gualtiero, it was roundly deemed to be a success, and quickly received two revivals, one in {…}
What hasn’t been said about Kirsten Flagstad? She was once famously called the greatest voice of the 20th century and her legacy certainly bears this out. There is a museum in her honor in her homeland of Norway and her picture appears on Norwegian Air Shuttle planes. Born on July 12, 1895, in Norway, she received early musical training in {…}
“Opera Meets Film” is a feature dedicated to exploring the way that opera has been employed in cinema. We will select a section or a film in its entirety, highlighting the impact that utilizing the operatic form or sections from an opera can alter our perception of a film that we are viewing. This week’s installment will look at “Marguerite.” {…}
On Site Opera, in partnership with MetLiveArts at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and American Lyric Theater, has been awarded a Female Composer Grant from Opera America. The grant will help create and produce “Lady Murasaki and the Tale of Genji,” a one-act, site-specific opera composed by Michi Wiancko with a libretto by Deborah Brevoort. The work will premiere in {…}