We all know the story. The manger. The three wise men. Herod’s murder of innocent children. And of course, the birth. Jesus Christ’s origins are a well-documented story for many and the source of great inspiration for artists for centuries. Opera is no different with a plethora of works related to great story. A look back over the history of {…}
The 2017-18 season for the Paris National Opera was leaked online before the company ensured that the information taken offline. Despite the quick action from the Paris Opera, the information was online long enough to learn about the new engagements and that information currently resides on the blog Opera Critiques by David Le Marrec. Opening night at the Bastille will {…}
Elina Garanca has steadily been moving to the dramatic mezzo-soprano repertoire as her career has developed. In this new solo album, the mezzo-soprano showcases what audiences will hopefully see in the future. “Revive,” the title Garanca has chosen for her album, is a mix of many popular tunes from the mezzo repertoire and some rarely heard. The result is an {…}
The opera world is known to be untouchable and sometimes elitist. Opera stars are known for just performing opera and not going out of this vein of music. However, this is simply a misconception of pop culture thought. Opera stars are very well versed in many styles of music and many of the most popular have explored new musical landscapes {…}
Latvian director Alvis Hermanis has backed out of a production of Lohengrin in Bayreuth. According to MV Online, the director’s political views were not necessarily at the core of his decision to renounce the production. Last year he quit a production in Hamburg, citing a disdain for Germany’s open border policies toward refugees. He published a statement in three languages {…}
Superstar baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky is in the hospital with pneumonia but is “out of danger,” according to Russian state agency Tass. The agency reported on Tuesday that the singer was taken to hospital in St. Petersburg with pneumonia. The singer’s condition is said to be normal, though there is no telling when he might be discharged from the hospital. It has {…}
Andrea Bocelli, amidst backlash from fans, has decided to drop his scheduled performance at Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration on January 20, 2017. The famed tenor who has sold millions of albums worldwide was slated to be the major star performer at the ceremony, but fans took to social media to demand he reject the invite. A #BoycottBocelli became the rage {…}
Anna Netrebko has once again “crossed-over” to the pop world. This time the Russian soprano is joining Andreas Gablaier in a new song “Amoi seg ma uns wieder.” The song is featured in Gabalier’s new album MTV Unplugged, which is part of a concert series with MTV. The soprano is also featured in a new music video which shows the {…}
This year is coming to a close and after having looked back at some of the milestones certain stars made this year, it is time to look at 2017. There is so much to look forward to as many of the greatest stars will take on new roles while other will reprise signature roles in new productions with star-studded casts. {…}
This review is for the final performance of the run on Dec. 18, 2017 and was written in collaboration with Francisco Salazar. How do you get younger audiences to engage with that “old” and “outdated” art form known as opera? That is the eternal question for the major opera houses around the world as they look to find a viable {…}
Andrea Bocelli is one of the most popular artists in the world. His voice is legendary and his ability to bridge the popular with the operatic has made him an icon. But the tenor, often beloved for his warm voice, is now getting some major backlash after announcing that he will be the singer of repute at the Inauguration of {…}