Zinka Milanov was born on May 17, 1906. Exactly 12 years later, on May 17, 1918, Birgit Nilsson was born. The two women would go on to markedly different careers, though they both performed at the greatest houses in the world and would perform with many of the same artists, albeit in different operas. Both women were dramatic sopranos, and {…}
This summer the Skylark Opera will present Mozart’s beloved masterpiece “Don Giovanni.” The new production will a site-specific production in collaboration with Angels & Demons Entertainment and will be set during the Prohibition era, circa 1932. The production will feature Don Giovanni as a nefarious owner of the most popular speakeasy in town. The production will take place at the Minneapolis {…}
“It’s like having a crime and then trying to justify it and find why it was committed.” That is how soprano Marina Rebeka, currently making her role debut as Donna Elvira at the Metropolitan Opera, approaches every single opera role or artistic endeavor she takes on. The soprano recently spoke with OperaWire regarding her upcoming projects, putting a spotlight on {…}
I am going to be rather forward with you. This analysis of Wednesday’s “Don Giovanni” at the Metropolitan Opera will kick off on a positive note before turning a bit sour in tone. But lo and behold, after that, I am going to return to my boyish enthusiasm for what I experienced at the opening of this revival run. The {…}
Making your way to an evening at the opera, you pass through Prague’s medieval, cobblestone streets. In the distance, sets the orange, Bohemian sun behind the black silhouette of Prague Castle. Now descending into a cellar, you’ll find yourself in the theater lobby, packing your hands with Czech beer and awaiting the opening notes of the longest running production of {…}
The Mostly Mozart Festival is one of the highlights of the summer in New York City, filled with many selections from the great genius. Of course, there is always a nice selection for opera lovers and this year is no different. There will be two concerts that feature choral music. The first of these is “The Singing Heart” on July {…}
Conductor Daniele Rustioni is poised to change things up at the Opera de Lyon in coming seasons. The Italian maestro was presented as the newly minted Music Director of the company at a private reception in New York on Thursday at the Bar Boulud on Broadway. Along with him was Lyon Opera’s own General Director Serge Dorny to reveal the {…}
The prestigious Olivier Awards were handed out on April 9 and while “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” dominated the awards, the opera community had something to celebrate. Mark Wigglesworth, who conducted “Don Giovanni” and “Lulu” at London Coliseum, won the outstanding achievement in opera award beating out Stuart Skelton and Renée Fleming. Meanwhile, the New Opera Production was awarded to Phillip {…}
Before Juan Diego Flórez stormed on the scene, Peru’s most famous tenor was none other than Luigi Alva. The lyric tenor actually sang a number of the same roles that his compatriot would take on decades later, but his legacy is ultimately far different. Alva, born in Paita on April 10, 1927, served in the Peruvian Navy for some time {…}
The San Francisco Opera has announced that it will present Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” as part of its Opera at the Ballpark series. The company will simulcast the June 30 performance from the War Memorial Opera House at the AT&T Park which will reach up to 30,000 fellow attendees. Audience members will get to enjoy food while watching the opera and {…}
Opera Orlando is opening its new 2017-2018 season in the park! The company’s first production will open on August 21, 2017, at 2 P.M., featuring Mezzo-soprano Amanda Crider. The next weekend “The Three Baritones,” Nathan Stark, Brain Myer, and Gabriel Pressier, will perform. Finally, Tenor Marco Panuccio will end the summer series for Opera Orlando. All of the concerts will {…}
