Welcome back for this week’s look at the latest CD and DVD releases in the opera world. This week, audiences will get to hear a world premiere recording of a modern masterpiece, a recording by a male soprano, and some modern works. There are also some Bel Canto gems to discover. Intelligence Houston Grand Opera releases a recording of composer {…}
(Photo: Brescia – Amisano © Teatro alla Scala) There is no other title in operatic history that was created with as little expectation as “Falstaff.” Giuseppe Verdi concluded that he had composed everything he was meant to in life and stopped writing for several years. It wasn’t until 1880 that his wife, Giuseppina Strepponi, pointed out that to close his {…}
Muscat, the capital city of the Sultanate of Oman, has been a crossroads of culture for centuries. Ships from as far away as China once arrived here, bearing precious spices. Oman itself was and remains the leading producer of frankincense, the scent of which hangs in the air. The Sultanate sits at the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, with {…}
The Teatro Lirico di Cagliari has announced its 2024-25 Season. Opera Cilea’s “Adriana Lecouvreur” will star Fiorenza Cedolins, Rachele Stanisci, Anastasia Boldyreva, Chiara Mogini, Marco Berti, Aleksandrs Antonenko, Enrico Marrucci, and Italo Proferisce. Fabrizio Maria Carminati conducts the production by Mario Pontiggia. Performance Dates: Oct. 25-Nov. 3, 2024 Strauss’ “Die Fledermaus” will star Thomas Tatzl, Gurgen Baveyan, Lucrezia Drei, Ilaria {…}
Welcome back for this week’s look at the latest CD and DVD releases in the opera world. This week audiences get to hear a recital from the world’s most famous tenor and one of the great sopranos in the world. There will also be a new solo recital album from a great mezzo and several complete opera recordings. Czech Songs {…}
The Wiener Konzerthaus is set to present a gala entitled “O Sole Nostro” on Nov. 11, 2023. The gala will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Ristorante Sole and the concert will benefit the St. Anna children’s cancer research. The evening will showcase some of the greatest opera singers in the world including Anna Netrebko, Antonino Siragusa, Boris Pinkhasovich, Camilla Nylund, Clemens Unterreiner, Dmitry Korchak, Fabio Armiliato, {…}
The Royal Opera House Muscat has unveiled its 2023-24 season. Here is the rundown of the classical vocal performances on offer. First up is “The Barber of Seville” with the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI and the Intermezzo Choir under the musical direction of Antonino Fogliani. The opera stars Antonino Siragusa as Conte d’Almaviva, Carlo Lepore as Dr. Bartolo, Nicola {…}
(Photo: Brescia & Amisano) One of the more eye-catching works of Teatro La Scala’s current season is Leonardo Vinci’s “Li Zite Ngalera,” which has just finished a run of five performances. Vinci was born between 1690 and 1696 in Italy’s Calabria region but was dead by 1730, possibly poisoned by a jealous husband. Yet during his short life, he was {…}
The Donizetti Opera Festival has announced the titles for the 2023 season. The festival noted that it will present its annual “LUOpeRave” which will use Donizetti’s music in electronic form. The festival will present “Il diluvio universal” with Music Director Riccardo Frizza conducting the rarely performed work. The cast will include Nahuel Di Pierro, Nicolò Donini, Davide Zaccherini, Eduardo Martínez, Sabrina Gárdez, {…}
The Teatro Comunale di Bologna has announced its 2023 season. The Anteprima to the season will be “Mirandolina” by Bohuslav Martinů. Oksana Lyniv conducts the production by Gianmaria Aliverta. Performance Dates: Jan 14 & 15, 2023 The season opens with Oksana Lyniv conducting Wagner’s “Der fliegende Holländer“ in a new production by Paul Curran. The opera will star Peter Rose, {…}
(Photo: ROF/Amati Bacciardi) Without memories we are nothing but an empty shell. They define our sense of self. It is only through memory that we can make any sense of what is around us. It allows us to rationalize and contextualize tragic events, to enjoy the present, and to project the consequence of our actions into the future. Yet, memory {…}