While soprano Marina Rebeka has taken on a slew of roles in her career, it is fair to say that few have had as big an impact as that of Violetta in “La Traviata.” It is a role that she has dominated in over 18 different productions over the better part of the last decade. It is one that she {…}
(Credit: Javier del Real) The Teatro Real de Madrid presented Bellini’s rarely performed “Il Pirata” with three casts in an aesthetically powerful production by Emilio Sagi in what is likely to be one of the highlights of the 2019-20 season. While the headliners of the first cast were Sonya Yoncheva and Javier Camarena, it was the second cast of Yolanda {…}
On December 21, 2019, the Eurasia Festival presented the second concert of its Park Avenue Concert Series. Held at the organization’s new location of the Eurasia Cultural Center, this series gives performance opportunities to students of the “Azatt Sessions,” a series of classes taught by director Mark Verzatt and Eurasia Festival President and pianist, Aza Sydykov. A Tenor Opens Opening {…}
(Credit: Dario Acosta) Few sopranos have defined the last decade the way that Bulgarian diva Sonya Yoncheva has. Since her major victory at the Operalia Competition in 2010, Yoncheva has become a household headliner at all the major opera houses around the world. But what has arguably distinguished the soprano over these past few years has been her willingness to {…}
Saturday, December 7, 2019, saw the finals concert of Premiere Opera Foundation and NYIOP’s International Vocal Competition. The 20 finalists gathered in the resonant First Christian Science Church to share their artistic gifts before a live audience and a panel of distinguished judges, including Paul Hopper of the Metropolitan Opera, Gerald Martin Moore of the Glyndebourne Festival, Pamela Walsh of {…}
(Credit: Javier del Real) Few opera directors have had as much influence as Emilio Sagi. After nearly 40 years, he is not just any other opera director – he is a brand and an icon, his work easily identifiable. He debuted in his native Oviedo with “La Traviata” in 1980 before triumphing in Madrid with “Don Pasquale” in 1982. Since {…}
Opera composers are among the most admired artists of all time. All of them had unique personalities and letters and quotes gathered throughout the years have illuminated us about who they were and how they thoughts. So for this week’s quiz we will take a look at some of the iconic quotes from some of those great composers. Some quotes {…}
(Credit: Sebastien Mathe) The works of Bellini’s, and Bel-Canto in general, have been underrated for centuries, with many judging the orchestration of the pieces as simply being accompaniments for the voices carrying the main melodies. But as every genius composer of opera, Bellini kept looking for the best way to transmit the drama of the libretto through the music and {…}
(Credit: Bernd Uhlig) Elsa Dreisig is one of the bright stars of the opera world slowly building an international career. At the young age of 28, the soprano has already conquered the Berlin State Opera, the Zurich Opera, and the Opéra de Paris; she is set to make her Royal Opera House debut this season. As an ensemble member of {…}
(Credit: Steven Pisano) Bellini’s “La Straniera” is often cited as one of the composer’s unique works in his oeuvre. Composed in 1828 and based on the novel “L’Étrangère” by Charles-Victor Prévot, it was his third opera, coming just a few years before some of the more popular repertory staples that we have come to know today. Teatro Nuovo, which performed {…}
“Opera Meets Film” is a feature dedicated to exploring the way that opera has been employed in cinema. We will select a section or a film in its entirety, highlighting the impact that utilizing the operatic form or sections from an opera can alter our perception of a film that we are viewing. This week’s installment features Alice Rohrwacher’s “Happy {…}
