(© Beyond The Image Media) The Royal Ballet & Opera has announced a major cast change for “I Vespri Siciliani.” The company revealed that Marina Rebeka has withdrawn from performances of the opera due to illness. In her stead, Joyce El-Khoury will perform the role of Hélène in all performances except for the one on Oct. 3, 2025. For that {…}
(Photo: ) Giuseppe Verdi’s “I vespri siciliani” recounts the story of a historical revolution: the uprising of the Sicilian people against their French rulers in 1282, leading to the liberation of the island from their occupation. The political narrative is intertwined with the personal lives of the main characters. Duchess Elena, whose brother was killed by the French, seeks vengeance {…}
Verdi’s “I Vespri Siciliani” was last on the stage in Naples back in 2011, featuring the original French version created by the composer for the Opera de Paris in 1855. This year, however, Teatro San Carlo is showcasing the Italian rendition, which is more commonly performed in Italy, without the ballet sequences. The narrative, crafted by Eugene Scribe’s libretto, revolves {…}
(Credit: Simone-Falcetta) The Teatro Regio di Torino is set to celebrate its 50th anniversary with a gala performance of “I Vespri Siciliani” on July 6, 2023. The gala will see Riccardo Frizza conduct the Verdi work with soloists Roberta Mantegna, Piero Pretti, Vladimir Stoyanov, and Michele Pertusi. In a statement, Frizza noted, “It’s an honor to be conducting the Gala Concert, {…}
Milanese Stefano Secco studied piano and singing with Alberto Soresina, and also graduated in percussion under the renowned Tullio De Piscopo. He has also trained with Franco Corelli, Franca Mattiucci, Leyla Gencer and Renata Scotto. He has performed in opera houses around the world with an expansive repertoire, has made extensive audio and video recordings, and has won a number {…}
The Teatro alla Scala has announced a cast change for its final performance of “I Vespri Siciliani” on Feb. 21. The company said that Marina Rebeka will sing in the final performance replacing Angela Meade who is ill. Meade also took to social media and said, “it is with a heavy heart that I must announce that I have had {…}
The Teatro alla Scala is set to present a new production of Verdi’s Risorgimento work, “I Vespri Siciliani.” The work, which has not been performed at the famed theater since 1989-90 season season, will star Luca Micheletti, Roman Burdenko, Adriano Gramigni, Piero Pretti, Dmitry Beloselskiy, Marina Rebeka, and Angela Meade. In a statement Pretti said, “This is a stirring, complex, {…}
On Friday, Oct. 22, 2021, for the first time since 2004, Verdi’s “I Vespri Siciliani” returned to New York with New Amsterdam Opera’s concert performance of this lesser-known Verdi work of French grand opera at the historic West Park Presbyterian Church on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. New Amsterdam Opera had delayed the concert for nearly two years because of the {…}
(Credits: Opera Australia / Dario Acosta / © Sergey Misenko / Lourdes Balduque / Chris Gloag) Italian television channel Rai5 has announced broadcasts for the week of Jan. 25 – Jan. 29, 2021. The broadcasts will be dedicated to opera stagings by Davide Livermore. First up will be a production of Rossini’s “Il barbiere di Siviglia” with Chiara Amarù, Edgardo {…}
(Credit: Opera Australia official website) Celebrated Australian opera director Elijah Moshinsky has died at the age of 75. Moshinsky graduated from the University of Melbourne and made his operatic debut in 1975 at the Royal Opera House with a production of Britten’s opera “Peter Grimes.” The famed director went on to stage a number of highly successful productions at the {…}
(Credit: LA Opera official website / Cory Weaver) The InClassica Malta International Music Festival has announced its 2021 slate, which will take place from April 17 to May 11, 2021. The line-up will include 33 soloists, including Martha Argerich, Grigory Sokolov, Rudolf Buchbinder, Gautier Capuçon, Danielle De Niese, Carmen Giannattasio, Daniel Hope, Gidon Kremer, Denis Matsuev, Andreas Ottensammer and Maxim {…}