6 Fun Facts About the Career of Giacomo Lauri-Volpi

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Giacomo Lauri-Volpi is one of the most celebrated tenors in history, encompassing a wide-ranging repertoire and lengthy career. Lauri-Volpi, born on Dec. 11, 1892, was born in Lanuvio, Italy and found himself an orphan at just 11 years of age. From there he would build himself up under baritone Antonio Cotogni, and eventually find international acclaim. His career is one {…}

Special Features

Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide 2017 For Opera Lovers: Anna Netrebko, Jonas Kaufmann, Plácido Domingo & Maria Callas CD/DVDs Among Major Highlights

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It’s the holiday season and that means gift buying and making difficult choices. As a result, OperaWire has lightened the task as we chose albums from some of our favorite artists and our key recommendations from the hundreds of releases from 2017. Maria Callas If you are going to spend money this year, Maria Callas: The Live Recordings is OperaWire’s {…}

DVD and CD Releases, News

CD / DVD Releases – Week of November 13: Renée Fleming, Rolando Villazón & Elina Garanca Headline New Releases

https://operawire.com/cd-dvd-releases-week-of-november-13-renee-fleming-rolando-villazon-elina-garanca-headline-new-releases/

With the holiday season approaching, this will be filled with numerous DVDs and CDs to choose from. Many of opera’s top star in the releases including Sonya Yoncheva, Rolando Villazón and Renée Fleming. Norma Bel Canto fans will be treated to a new Norma from the Royal Opera House with a stellar cast. Sonya Yoncheva stars in the Mount Everest {…}

News

Bass Andrea Mastroni to Release New Album ‘Melancholia’

https://operawire.com/bass-andrea-mastroni-to-release-new-album-melancholia/

Bass Andrea Mastroni has announced his new album, “Melancholia,” which will be released early in 2018. The album will be dedicated to the work of Georg Frederich Handel and will also feature the Orchestra Accademia dell’Annunciata under the musical direction of Riccardo Doni. Audiences will hear arias from such operas as “Ezio,” “Ariodante” “Riccardo I Re d’Inghilterra,” “Riccardo,” “Galatea e Polifemo,” {…}

Special Features

Hispanic Heritage Month 2017 – Part 4: 12 Composers With Impact in the Opera World

https://operawire.com/hispanic-heritage-month-2017-part-4-12-composers-with-impact-in-the-opera-world/

It is Hispanic Heritage month! The Latin American community has, particularly in recent years, been a major boon to the opera world, providing it with great singers and composers. This week, as part of a weekly series to celebrate the Hispanic culture and its influence on the opera world, we will turn to the great opera composers from Latin America. {…}

Interviews, Stage Spotlight

Q&A: Saimir Pirgu On Italian & French Repertoire And His Upcoming Roles

https://operawire.com/qa-saimir-pirgu-on-italian-french-reperotire-and-his-upcoming-roles/

Saimir Pirgu is one of today’s top tenors, singing at every major international theater, including the Metropolitan Opera, the Teatro alla Scala, the Vienna State Opera, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, the Paris Opéra, the Berlin Staatsoper and Deutsche Oper, the Zurich Opera, Barcelona’s Liceu, the San Francisco Opera, and the Salzburg Festival. This season he heads to the Teatro {…}

On This Day, Special Features

5 Important Facts You Didn’t Know About Tenor Ramón Vargas

https://operawire.com/5-important-facts-you-didnt-know-about-tenor-ramon-vargas/

Ramón Vargas is one of the great artists of the past few decades. Born on Sept. 11, 1960, the tenor has managed an international career in a wide range of repertoire from the great Bel Canto roles through some more dramatic territory in recent years. Hailing from México City, the tenor started singing at age nine and would go on {…}

Reviews, Stage Reviews

Teatro Olimpico Review 2017 – L’Orfeo: Strong Singing & Gorgeous Theater Deliver Memorable Evening

https://operawire.com/teatro-olimpico-review-2017-lorfeo-strong-singing-gorgeous-theater-deliver-memorable-evening/

No apologies are made for starting this review of Monteverdi’s “L’Orfeo” with a description of the venue, Vicenza’s Teatro Olimpico, which must count as one of the world’s most beautiful and architectural significant theatres. Designed by Palladio in 1580, it was described by Goethe as “a theatre based on the ancient model, but in small proportions and indescribably beautiful…”. Palladio {…}