For Luca Salsi, there is no composer better than Verdi. No one. Salsi, the Italian baritone, who is slated to sing the role of Amonasro at the Salzburg Festival starting in early August, has repeatedly professed that no composer in the history of Italian opera was able to fuse music and text with the same level of conviction and depth. {…}
When we look back at the history of operatic tenors, Mario del Monaco, born on July 27, 1915, will always stand out for his massive sound and larger-than-life vocal personality. He had a massive sound that he wielded like a weapon full of intensity and emotional prowess. Looking at his repertoire, he wasn’t the most diverse of singers, his number {…}
Swarovski will once again partner with the Salzburg Festival for the upcoming “Aida.” The glass manufacturer, which was responsible for Anna Netrebko’s dress for her concert performances of “Manon Lescaut” and the Cat suit in “Faust” last summer, will create jewels for Anna Netrebko and will use Swarovski crystals for many of the costumes worn by the principals. The idea for {…}
Liana Aleksanyan has had a rollercoaster year making an unexpected debut at the Teatro alla Scala and establishing herself as one of the most acclaimed Cio-Cio Sans of her generation. This week she continues her ascension in the opera world headlining “Aida” at the Macerata Opera Festival. The assumption of Aida brings Aleksanyan to another stage in her career as she takes {…}
The Salzburg Festival’s new production of Verdi’s “Aida” is one of the most anticipated of the summer season as it will see Anna Netrebko make her role debut as the Ethiopian princess, all while reuniting her with Maestro Riccardo Muti. However, it will also be exciting as it will see visual artist Shirin Neshat direct it. In anticipation of the {…}
Sondra Radvanovsky has canceled her upcoming performances of Verdi’s “Aida” at Orange. The soprano was forced to cancel due to physical fatigue and will no longer portray the title role on August 2 and 5, 2017. The theater has yet to announce a replacement. The starry cast will still include Anita Rachvelishvili as Amneris, Marcelo Álvarez as Radamès, Quinn Kelsey {…}
Tosca, Aida, Elisabetta and Liù are the roles associated with a lyric spinto soprano. They are the pinnacle of the Italian repertory and the works that every major diva wants to sing. Leah Crocetto gets to sing these great operas on a regular basis, as her profile has ballooned over the last few years. Today, she has become one of {…}
“Aida” is one of the most complex operas in the repertory as it has demanding music that requires singers with immense voices that can also create riveting portrayals of deeply emotional and complex beings. However, it seems like most opera companies nowadays use this opera as a fan favorite and present it in routine productions that look like they are {…}
C Major has revealed that it will be recording a performance of “Aida” from this summer’s Salzburg Festival. The company put up the recording information for the production on its website. Why is this important? Because it hints at the possibility of the performance being released on DVD at a later date. And of course, these performances from Salzburg will {…}
Zinka Milanov was born on May 17, 1906. Exactly 12 years later, on May 17, 1918, Birgit Nilsson was born. The two women would go on to markedly different careers, though they both performed at the greatest houses in the world and would perform with many of the same artists, albeit in different operas. Both women were dramatic sopranos, and {…}
Everyone knows Nina Stemme for her dramatic skills, particularly for her Wagner repertoire. As a matter of fact, she is the leading Brünhilde and Isolde of our time and she is in demand all over the world. But in fact, Stemme did not begin with this repertoire and before her breakout Isolde with Plácido Domingo, this singer did a number {…}