“Don Carlo,” which premiered on March 11, 1867, is arguably Verdi’s most complex concoction. The work features five major characters, all of them imbued with tremendous complexity, some more than others. Among them we see a confused prince trying to find purpose in his life; a rebel ready to risk all for his cause; a queen troubled by the conflict {…}
It’s somewhat of a cliché for Golden Age thinking to creep into the dialogue of the opera world. How many times have you heard someone make the claim that they don’t make great voices the way they used to? The obvious answer is that they don’t because the world has changed and so have tastes. But sometimes, you’ll find those {…}
This Saturday, March 3, 2018, the Washington National Opera will be staging a four-act version of “Don Carlo” with a superstar cast. While many might turn to the likes of Leah Crocetto, Jamie Barton, or Eric Owens, for the star power, tenor Russell Thomas is poised to have a big night in his Washington National Opera debut. Thomas recently spoke {…}
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 {…}
Maria Katzarava will alternate with María José Siri in “Don Carlo” in Spain. The Palau de Les Arts in Valencia announced that the Mexican soprano will perform the role of Elisabetta on Dec. 12 and 18, marking the first she sings the Verdi opera. It has been a big Verdi season for Katzarava who has also debuted Leonora in “Il {…}
Karine Babajanyan is well known for her wide-ranging repertoire in the lirico-spinto fach, performing the works of Verdi and Puccini and many of the Verismo composers. She has particularly become well-known for her interpretations of “Madama Butterfly,” “Tosca,” “Aida,” Amelia in “Un Ballo in Maschera” and has travelled to many of the leading theaters including the Berlin Staatsoper, the Hamburg Staatsoper, {…}
Friedrich Schiller is one of the great writers in history, his work focusing on major philosophy and a number of major dramas. Of course, his legacy is preserved in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, the text to the final music set to Schiller’s poetry. Born on Nov. 10, 1759, his philosophical essays centered on ethics and aesthetics, two such works centering on {…}
Over the past year, María José Siri’s career has skyrocketed from opening the Teatro alla Scala in a new production of “Madama Butterfly” to premiering a new production of “Manon Lescaut” at the Teatro Regio di Torino. This past month she was also called to make another high-profile opening at the Vienna State Opera in “Il Trovatore.” Since then she {…}
Ramón Vinay was one of the greatest dramatic tenors of all-time, his dark and potent voice often cited as the shining example of what Verdi’s “Otello” should sound like. In fact, Carlo Bergonzi famously declared that Vinay’s was the only one he found suitable for the role of the tragic Moor. Vinay, born on August 31, 1912, in Chile, actually {…}
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 {…}
Sharon Sweet and Krassimira Stoyanova. Two sopranos born on August 16 with rather different careers. The former was a well-known American dramatic soprano who took on a wide range of Italian and German repertoire, most prominently singing operas by Wagner and Verdi. The latter, a Bulgarian with a far lighter voice, has slowly dug into that very same dramatic repertoire, {…}