Much is said these days about Plácido Domingo’s expansive repertoire, but before him, Nicolai Gedda was arguably the man to tackle the most works in recent opera history. So vast was his repertoire that the Swedish tenor, born on July 11, 1925, performed operas in Italian, French, English, Czech, Swedish, Russian, German, and even Latin. He left behind over 200 {…}
Opera is home to some of humanity’s most infamous villains: manipulative characters who lie, cheat, and steal, pillage and murder, and generally ruin the loves of the innocent, unsuspecting heroes and heroines that we all know and love. But conflict and tension form the bones of most great art, and opera would not be opera without the Iagos, Scarpias, and {…}
Charles Gounod is one of the great composers of French opera. Born on June 17, 1818, in Paris, he learned the piano with his mother, a pianist, from a young age. He then entered the Paris Conservatoire and won a prize for his cantata “Fernand” in 1839. Despite attempts of becoming a priest, he resumed composition, his first opera “Sapho” premiering {…}
The Portland Opera has announced that it will be showcasing the West Coast premiere of John Frame and Kevin Newbury’s “Faust” production. The showcase appeared at the Lyric Opera of Chicago earlier this season, with OperaWire’s Santosh Venkataraman noting “Frame’s unique concepts combine with glorious singing.” “This is one of the most unique and exciting projects I’ve ever worked on,” {…}
Opera Omaha has announced its 2018- 19 season, offering audiences in the Nebraska region the chance to see classic works given fresh productions, as well as giving performance opportunities to the emerging artists. Pagliacci Timothy Myers will conduct the two performances of Leoncavallo’s timeless tragedy, starring Jonathan Burton as Canio, and Leah Partridge making her role debut as Nedda. Performance {…}
The Royal Opera House has announced its 2018-19 season, which will continue its Live in Cinemas series. This season, there will be 11 productions, including six ballets and five operas. We will cover the operatic performances only. The first of these is Wagner’s “Die Walküre,” which will hit the big screen on Oct. 28, 2018. Let by conductor Antonio Pappano, {…}
Premiering at the Theatre Lyrique of Paris on March 19, 1859, “Faust” is adapted from the poem by Goethe, which follows Dr. Faust and his ordeals after entering into a contract with a minion of the devil, Mephistopheles. Despite a lukewarm opening, the opera made a number of revisions before a revival 10 years later, and would be frequently performed {…}
There was much anticipation Saturday night for the opening of “Faust” at Lyric Opera of Chicago in a new co-production with the Portland Opera. It’s certain that Gounod’s tale of the title character making a deal with the devil has never been told this way. There’s probably a clear dividing line on this production. If you prefer a grand opera {…}
Soprano Ailyn Pérez has joined the cast of “Faust” at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. The Chicago-born soprano replaced Erin Wall, who has withdrawn from “Faust,” to undergo chemotherapy, Anthony Freud, Lyric’s general director, president & CEO, announced today. In a press release, Freud added that “her doctors expect a full recovery within a few months, according to her manager. {…}
Giuseppe Di Stefano is one of the great Italian tenors in history. For many, he possessed the most beautiful timbre of any lyric tenor and some fans lament the tenor’s insistence on singing operas that were often darker and heavier than his lyric could seemingly handle. And yet, one of the reasons why Pippo, born on July 24, 1921, was {…}
With Kristin Opolais’ cancellation at the Metropolitan Opera, the Vienna State Opera had to play musical chairs. According to a press statement, the theater had to release Sonya Yoncheva from her contract of Marguerite in “Faust” in order to be ready for rehearsals at the Met. As a result, Anita Hartig will take over the three performances. The Vienna State Opera {…}