The Arena di Verona has announced the 2020 season. The festival opens with a new production of Leoncavallo’s “Pagliacci” and Mascagni’s “Cavalleria Rusticana.” The operas return to the stage for the first time since 2006. Performance Dates: June 13-August 22, 2020 Franco Zeffirelli’s production of Verdi’s “Aida” returns to the stage for a series of performances. Performance Dates: June 20-Sept. {…}
The Arena di Verona has announced its casting for its star-studded 97th annual festival. La Traviata Four sopranos will share the leading role of Violetta Valéry, including Aleksandra Kurzak, Irina Lungu, Lisette Oropesa, and Lana Kos, while four tenors will share the role of Alfredo Germont, including Pavel Petrov, Vittorio Grigolo, Raffaele Abete, and Stephen Costello. Leo Nucci, Simone Piazzola, {…}
The Arena di Verona production of “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” is set to be televised and released on DVD. The date of its presentation has not been confirmed as of yet. According to Fansdeculture, the production will be out as part of the Arena di Verona’s series with BelAir Classiques. The current production stars Nino Machaidze portraying Rosina, Leo Nucci {…}
Anna Netrebko has announced she will make her debut at the Arena di Verona. Together with general manager and artistic director Cecilia Gasdia and Yusif Eyvazov, Netrebko announced that she will sing in Franco Zeffirelli’s production of “Il Trovatore” during the 2019 Festival. Netrebko has won over Italian audiences over the past years singing at the Teatro alla Scala and Teatro {…}
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, {…}
At the end of the final act, Otello has just killed Desdemona and he stands at the front of the stage, facing the audience. From the back of the stage Desdemona reappears and approaches Otello. Standing beside him, she simulates the taking of a knife from its sheath, raises it and plunges it into her belly, and Otello, taking a {…}
The Arena di Verona has announced its 2018 summer festival, which will feature five operas over the course of two months. The festivities kick off on June 22, 2018, with Bizet’s “Carmen.” The opera runs through August 31 for a total of 13 performances. June 23, 2018, marks the first performance of “Aida,” which will run for 16 performances, the {…}
It’s going to be a busy day for opera lovers this Saturday with three major showcases on a television. First up is a performance of “Don Carlo” from La Scala starring Ferruccio Furlanetto, Stuart Neil, Dalibor Jenis, Anatolij Kotscherga, Fiorenza Celodins, and Dolora Zajick on RAI Cinque. The showcase kicks off at 4 p.m. in Europe. The performance was conducted {…}
This review is for the performance on August 4, 2017 and was written in collaboration with Editor-in-Chief David Salazar. “Va pensiero,” the famous chorus from Verdi’s “Nabucco” is often cited as an unofficial national anthem for Italy and proved as such throughout the Risorgimento when the country was battling for its independence from the Austrian Empire. The choral passage, with {…}
Georgian baritone George Gagnidze will inaugurate the 2017 season of the Arena di Verona. Gagnidze will sing the title role in Verdi’s “Nabucco” on June 23 and 29 and on July 7, 2017 at the Roman amphitheater in a new production by Arnaud Bernard and under the musical direction of Daniel Oren. “I’m delighted to inaugurate the season of a prestigious festival {…}