Bellini’s penultimate opera “La Sonnambula,” which premiered on March 6, 1831, often gets a bad wrap due to its plot. But no one can deny the magical qualities of the music. This is Bellini at his most melodic. The work has been a favorite of numerous divas of the bel canto repertoire, including Maria Callas, who championed the opera extensively. {…}
Fans of bel canto opera were treated nearly a year ago to the first mounting of “Norma” at Lyric Opera of Chicago in 20 years with a dream cast that included Sondra Radvanovsky in the title role. Those fans have waited since the 1991-92 season to see Bellini’s final work, the masterful “I Puritani,” which I saw Saturday night in {…}
Lawrence Brownlee is one of the great bel canto tenors of this generation, singing the works of Donizetti, Rossini, and Bellini, among others, to tremendous critical success around the globe. He is currently in the midst of a run in one of his signature roles as Arturo in Bellini’s “I Puritani” at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and prepping for {…}
Bellini’s “La Sonnambula” relies heavily on its star soprano for a satisfactory performance. Written to showcase Giuditta Pasta, one of the greatest divas of the time, the title role of Amina is known for its technical challenges which require the soprano to have complete command of long legato lines with great breath control. It also requires attacking trills and fast {…}
“I Puritani” is Bellini’s final opera, and for some, his best. The opera had its premiere on Jan. 24, 1835, seven months before the composer’s untimely death at the age of 33. The work is often criticized for its dramatic structure, though few complain about its musical genius, showcasing Bellini at his most refined and evolved melodically. Short Plot Summary {…}
We all know about Verdi, Donizetti, Rossini, Bellini, Puccini, Giordano, and the great Italian composers of the 19th century. We often attribute opera’s greatest gems to them, remembering every gorgeous melody and the potent emotions that they create for us. But they don’t deserve all the credit. In fact, without the text, most of these composers don’t write their music. {…}
Juan Diego Flórez is one of the greatest tenors in the world. Of that there can be no doubt. Born on Jan. 13, the tenor has gone on to establish himself at every major opera house in the world in an ever-evolving repertoire that ranges from Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini all the way to the great French composers such as {…}
The Vienna State Opera’s live streaming series continues on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018 with a performance of Bellini’s final opera “I Puritani.” The opera will feature a production by director John Dew under the musical leadership of Evelino Pidò. The cast will showcase Jongmin Park, Dmitry Korchak, Adam Plachetka, and Venera Gimadieva, who was OperaWire’s Artist of the Week between {…}
June Anderson, born on December 30, 1952, authored one of the unique opera careers of the 20th century. The lyric soprano seemed destined for the path often taken, but wound up moving in diverse directions with regards to repertoire. This very aspect was revealed in her becoming the first non-Italian to ever win the prestigious Bellini d’Oro Prize. She sang {…}
Bellini’s “Norma,” which premiered on Dec. 26, 1831, is arguably one of the finest operas to come out of the bel canto repertoire. Many consider it Bellini’s finest dramatic work overall and it features one of the most challenging roles for a soprano. In fact, sopranos have often been defined by their interpretation of the opera. Written by Felice Romani, {…}
Vincenzo Bellini isn’t the most revolutionary of opera composers. In fact, his work is rather simple and his operas, most of them featuring questionable libretti, are not necessarily the most complex dramatic works (with the exception of “Norma”). And yet, the composer, born on Nov. 3, 1801, is among the most beloved in the opera world and even earned the {…}