Opera Santa Barbara will present a free screening of the film “Farinelli” on Feb. 17, 2026. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion and is part of the company’s “Opera at the Movies” series. The event serves as a prelude to the company’s upcoming production of Händel’s “Caesar and Cleopatra,” which runs from Feb. 27 and March 1, {…}
(Photo: Noah Shaye) On June 28, 2025, Musikfestspiele Potsdam Sanssouci presented a rare revival of Baldassare Galuppi’s opera “Didone abbandonata” — the 1752 Madrid version. Commissioned by the legendary castrato Farinelli to honor King Ferdinand VI of Spain, this adaptation brought together three giants of the 18th century opera: Farinelli himself, librettist Pietro Metastasio, and composer Galuppi. More concise and {…}
With opera in full swing in Europe and multiple artists beginning to tour, the opera world seems to be getting back to a somewhat new normal. This week Cecilia Bartoli embarks on a European tour with Les Musiciens du Prince – Monaco, returning to the stage after months of quarantine and after canceling her Salzburg Whitsun Festival. Bartoli will perform {…}
Cecilia Bartoli has announced her upcoming album celebrating over three decades on the Decca Classics label. The mezzo-soprano will release a brand new album commemorating the life and career of the most famous opera singer of the 18th century: the castrato Farinelli. The new album will include arias by Farinelli’s older brother Riccardo Broschi and his teacher and mentor Nicola {…}
(Photo: Innsbrucker Festwochen/Rupert Larl) In 1732, “Merope” was premiered at the Turin carnival. It was written by the now little known composer Riccardo Broschi to a libretto by Apostolo Zeno. The complex plot is typical of the period, in which a usurper, Polifonte, has taken the throne of Messene, after having murdered its King, Cresfonte, and his children. Such an {…}
The story of the famed castrato, Farinelli, will be arriving to Broadway this December for a limited engagement in “Farinelli and the King.” This British production, written and composed by Claire van Kampen, is a real-life tale of one of history’s most famous Italian singers of the 18th century. After a premiere at the Shakespeare Globe, the production, directed by {…}
