Pietro Mascagni was a composer of great talent, even if today he remains in the opera conversation because of one great work. He was born on Dec. 7, 1863, in Tuscany. He began his musical studies at age 13 and by 1880, not yet 20, Mascagni had composed a number of works. His first cantata, “In Filanda” premiered in 1881. {…}
San Francisco Opera’s double bill of “Cavalleria Rusticana” and “Pagliacci” is fully set in the same neighborhood of La Boca in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It opens with women shaking bedding from the windows, waiters straightening up the chairs from last night’s wine, lovers snatching their last kiss. The characters then emerged from it and sang the story; at the end, {…}
San Francisco opera Guild has announced that it will inaugurate its 2018-19 season with Opera Ball 2018: ¡Viva la Noche! And BRAVO! Club Opening Night Gala. The event, scheduled for Sept. 7, 2018, is set to benefit to raise funds for the Company’s education and outreach programs. The BRAVO! Club Opening Night Gala is scheduled for the company’s opening night {…}
As fate would have it, “Cavalleria Rusticana” and “Pagliacci” are more famously known as “CavPag.” The two works both premiered in middle May, two years apart (“Cavalleria Rusticana” premiered on May 17, 1890 and “Pagliacci” arrived in theaters on May 21, 1892) and have become virtually inseparable. A quick look at their corresponding histories shows many uncanny similarities and differences. {…}
Opera Vision will start streaming the famed double bill of “Cavalleria Rusticana” and “Pagliacci” from La Monnaie starting on March 14, 2018. The double bill is set to feature a number of acclaimed artists. The Mascagni work will feature Eva-Maria Westbroek, Jose Maria Lo Monaco, Teador Ilincai, Dimitri Platanias, and Elena Zilio while the Leoncavallo opera stars Simona Mihai, Carlo {…}
The San Francisco Opera has announced its 2018-19 season, which features eight operas and one important concert performance. All of the productions will be brand new for the 2018-19 season. The season opens on Sept. 7, 2017, with the famed “Cavalleria Rusticana” and “Pagliacci” as directed by Jose Cura. The production will star Ekaterina Semenchuk, Roberto Aronica, and Dimitri Platanias {…}
Sir David McVicar has been directing opera for quite some time, working with such prominent companies as the Royal Opera House, English National Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, La Monnaie, and the Glyndebourne Festival Opera. He has also sustained a healthy relationship with the Metropolitan Opera, particularly in recent years where he has been given carte blanche to put together {…}
“Pagliacci” and “Cavalleria Rusticana” is one of the signature double bills in opera that show offs the many qualities of a leading tenor. Both parts are known for their demanding vocal challenges and in many cases are sung by two different tenors. However, in the Metropolitan Opera’s current revival of David McVicar’s production, Roberto Alagna triumphed in two of his best {…}
In the beginning of the 20th-century there was a snootiness about verismo opera. All of its propagators – Puccini, Giordano, Mascagni, among others – were accused of simplifying opera by eliminating many of its challenges. Those long showy lines of coloratura were long gone. In place of it, the singers began interspersing notes and passages with great long sighs or {…}
We are in the midst of holiday season and the opera houses in Europe are going as strong as ever. This week, we feature a company opening its season, among many other distinguished performances. Let’s take a look. Der Rosenkavalier – Vienna State Opera On Saturday, opera lovers in Vienna will get a chance to hear the Strauss masterpiece in {…}
We all know “Cavalleria Rusticana,” the great masterpiece of Pietro Mascagni, who was born on Dec. 7, 1863. Unfortunately, that’s all most people in the opera world and outside of it, know about the Italian composer. It’s actually quite unfortunate, given that “Cavalleria” was his very first opera and that he would go on to write 15 total, his final {…}