Salzburg Festival is about luxury. The audience is filled with celebrities, the casts are filled with stars, and the (relatively) higher priced tickets, all show its luxury. Yet, what defines its luxury, for me, is its long rehearsal period. When Anna Netrebko said in an interview how she wanted more rehearsals and Riccardo Muti said “preparing an opera the way {…}
Opera continues to break records with this weekend’s ratings of Verdi’s “Aida.” According to ORF, the TV screening of “Aida” from the Salzburg Festival took a 17 percent market share this weekend. The reports noted that there were an estimated 473,000 viewers. The production starred reigning diva Anna Netrebko, Francesco Meli, Ekaterina Semenchuk and Luca Salsi. Riccardo Muti conducted the Vienna Philharmonic {…}
It’s a star-studded weekend with Jonas Kaufmann, Anna Netrebko, Sonya Yoncheva, Plácido Domingo, and Nino Machaidze headlining major concerts and productions around the world. Find out where you can catch them this weekend right here. Australia Jonas Kaufmann returns to Australia for a run of Wagner’s “Parsifal” at the Sydney Opera House with Michelle DeYoung. Verdi’s Requiem will also get {…}
“Aida” at the Salzburg Festival has been sold for months with many opera lovers left without tickets. However, this weekend those not at Salzburg or without a ticket are in luck because the performance on August 12, 2017, will be presented by radio and on TV around the world. “Aida” will be recorded by ORF, NHK, ZDF and UNITEL in collaboration {…}
C Major has announced the release of Verdi’s “I Due Foscari” with Plácido Domingo from the Teatro alla Scala. The new release stars Francesco Meli and Anna Pirozzi and is conducted by Michele Mariotti. Staged by Alvis Hermanis, the production received rave reviews when it premiered in 2016. The Financial Times wrote, “Plácido Domingo is the definitive Francesco of recent times” {…}
The Salzburg Festival is donating 50,000 Euros to facilitate musical education for Syrian refugee children in Jordan over the next two years. The festival announced that the money being donated to MECI (Middle East Children’s Institute) was the net profit from ticket sales for the dress rehearsal of Verdi’s “Aida” performed on August 3, 2017. The performance starred Anna Netrebko, Francesco Meli, {…}
The Festival season continues with one of the most anticipated premieres slated to open. Austria That premiere, of course, is Anna Netrebko’s role debut as Aida at the Salzburg Festival. She will be accompanied by Riccardo Muti and Francesco Meli, who is also making his role debut as Radamès, with Ekaterina Semenchuk as Amneris. The festival will also continue runs {…}
Francesco Meli will replace Roberto Alagna as Radames at the Gstaad Menuhin Festival. The concert performance of Verdi’s “Aida,” which is slated for Sept. 1, 2017, comes on the heels of his role debut as Radamès in Salzburg where he is slated to perform it alongside Anna Netrebko under the musical direction of Riccardo Muti. At Gstaad, Meli will join Gianandrea {…}
There are a ton of Verdi tenors out there capable of dominating his major roles. But few are like Francesco Meli. The Italian tenor has made the works of the great Busetto genius his bread and better, performing such major works as “La Traviata,” “Il Trovatore,” “Rigoletto,” “Nabucco,” “Macbeth,” “Ernani,” “Don Carlo,” “Luisa Miller,” “Un Ballo in Maschera” and even some {…}
C Major has revealed that it will be recording a performance of “Aida” from this summer’s Salzburg Festival. The company put up the recording information for the production on its website. Why is this important? Because it hints at the possibility of the performance being released on DVD at a later date. And of course, these performances from Salzburg will {…}
The Teatro la Fenice has announced its 2017-18 season with numerous stars and a plethora of classic works. It all begins on Nov. 24, 2017 with Verdi’s “Un Ballo in Maschera” starring Francesco Meli, Kristin Lewis, and Vladimir Stoyanov. Verdi’s “La Traviata” follows on Dec. 6, 2017 withMihaela Marcu and Claudia Pavone sharing the lead role. Nadine Sierra will her role debut {…}
