The Spanish language is pretty preponderant in the United States of America with a recent census stating that over 42 million people in the country aged five and older speak the language at home. It’s the second most learned language following English, with over 8 million students. And yet, it took until 2023 for the Metropolitan Opera to finally, and {…}
(Credit: Joaquín Fuentes) In 2005, Nancy Fabiola Herrera made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Suzuki in “Madama Butterfly.” Since then she has been a frequent presence at the Met singing works by Verdi, Strauss, and Bizet, among others. She has also made an important career in Spain where she has delved into dramatic operas and also made a career singing {…}
(Credit: Paola Kudacki / Met Opera) On Nov. 16, the Metropolitan Opera will make history by presenting only the third Spanish-language opera in the company’s trajectory. Additionally, the work in question, “Florencia en el Amazonas,” will be the very first Latin American opera presented by the company. For the massive milestone, the company brought together a mixed cast that includes {…}
The Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico is set to present a new production of “Florencia en el Amazonas” this October. This represents the first time that the opera is staged in a production at the Palacio de Bellas Artes. Following the works premiere in Houston in 1996, audiences in Mexico were able to hear a performance of the work {…}
Opera’s biggest superstars (past and present) are featuring in this week’s edition. There are some new works, recitals, and some classical masterpieces on offer. And a notable Latin American composer, Daniel Catán, also gets his due. Here are the top 10 operas to stream this week. La Hija de Rappaccini – Chicago Opera Theater (Streaming Now) We did note that {…}
Opera America will present “A Celebration of Daniel Catán” on April 30, 2021. The stream will feature a one-hour and 15-minute concert with performances by such artists as Ana María Martinez, Cecilia Violetta López, Richard Troxell, and Ramón Vargas. There will also be appearances by artists from the Ópera de Bellas Artes in Mexico City. The event will also feature {…}
The Chicago Opera Theater has announced an update to its digital production slated for April 24, 2021. The company announced that instead of the previously announced Daniel Catán’s “Il Postino,” COT will perform the Chicago premiere of “La Hija de Rappaccini,” also by Catán. The staged Spanish-language opera will feature native Spanish speakers in principal roles and will be directed {…}
As we dig deeper into Hispanic Heritage Month (or Latinx Heritage Month as some prefer), we take a deeper look at some of opera’s most renowned Spanish-Language composers. So for this quiz, you will get a hint. The name of an opera. A fact about a famed opera by the composer. A summary of an opera. And your job is {…}
Italian. French. German. Russian. English. These languages are at the core of opera’s standard repertory. But what many don’t know, is that Spanish-language opera has as rich a heritage to choose from and many works in Spanish deserve a similar foothold in the standard repertory. For this week’s quiz, we are going to shine the slimmest of lights on the {…}
(Credit: Michael Brosilow) Chicago Opera Theater has announced an extensive digital 2020-21 season, which will feature five full operas. “Like most arts organizations, we’ve had to take stock of our values and strengths to determine how best to approach our season,” said Stefan Edlis and Gael Neeson General Director Ashley Magnus in a press release. “For COT, the priority is {…}
Daniel Catán is one of the great opera composers in the last half of the 20th century. The Mexican composer created a number of operas throughout his career before his death at age 62 in 2011. He had stated openly his desire to create a strong tradition of Spanish-language opera, which is still lacking to this day. For this week’s {…}