Giuseppe Verdi is Italy’s composer. Few composers have ever attained the legendary status of the man from Busetto, who created a plethora of operas throughout his career that remain fixtures of the standard repertoire today. Born on Oct. 9 (or was it 10?), 1813, Verdi would become the textbook example of how to achieve everlasting greatness when you put in {…}
The Met Opera will kick off its Live in HD series this Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018, with a performance of Verdi’s “Aida.” The broadcast, which kicks off 12:55 p.m. Eastern time, will showcase star soprano Anna Netrebko in the title role; this is just the second production of the famed opera that she takes on. This is the first of {…}
Verdi’s “Aida” is the quintessential opera in so many ways. It features a larger than life story in an exotic world alongside some of the greatest music ever written. In a house like the Met Opera, this work is also featured in an impressive and immersive set tailored to bringing us to some version of Ancient Egypt. This current production {…}
There will be 14 performances of Verdi’s “Aida” at the Metropolitan Opera during the 2018-19 season spanning from September through March. On the surface, 14 performances might not really be all that much, except when one considers that there will be what ultimately amounts to two very different casts with variations spread across three different periods of the season. So {…}
On May 20, 2018, Regina Opera Company concluded its first run of Giuseppe Verdi’s timeless “Aida.” While it is a work that is by no means underperformed around the world, this production comes as a loving tribute to the late Marie Cantoni, who founded the company back in 1970 with Nicholas Tierno. The experience the company has gained since then {…}
With the New York Opera Fest 2018 officially underway, OperaWire will be showcasing small previews for each major participant at the festival, as we did during last year’s event. However, we are doing things a bit differently this year and giving the floor directly to each company to speak to you, the reader, directly. Enjoy! The New York Opera Fest {…}
The Arena di Verona has announced its casting for the 2018 festival, showcasing some of the biggest stars in the opera world. Here is a breakdown of what stars will grace the stage of the famous arena. Carmen Three mezzos take on the iconic role of “Carmen” including Anna Goryachova and Carmen Topciu. They are joined by four Don José’s including Brian Jagde, {…}
Opera Vision will showcase two operas starting on March 17, 2018. They include Verdi’s “Aida” and Offenbach’s “Blaubart.” Verdi’s masterpiece will showcase Christina Nilsson, Ivan Defabiani, Katarina Dalayman, Alessio Cacciamani, and Johan Edholm from the Swedish National Opera under Maestro Pier Giorgio Morandi. It kicks off at 3 p.m. local time. That’s around 10:00 a.m. EDT and 7 a.m. PST {…}
Simon Estes, born on March 2, 1938, did not have an easy career path. While the bass-baritone succeeded in Europe in his early years, the United States didn’t take too well to him. He was only accepted for minor roles at most prominent theaters and it wasn’t until 1981, 16 years after his professional debut, that the Metropolitan Opera offered {…}
Every year, Metropolitan Opera audiences get pumped for a few things. But not many carry as much excitement as the Live in HD series. Every year the Met chooses a handful (or two) performances to showcase around the globe on the silver screen. Those are usually high profile presentations of new productions with opera’s greatest stars. And as you might {…}
Leontyne Price. The Met’s diva, even to this day. Over the last year, Price’s presence has grown astronomically by virtue of her association with the new house. She was a prominent part of the 50th-anniversary celebration of the new house in Lincoln Center and appeared in a recent documentary. And it is no surprise. She was and continues to be {…}