The Verdi Chorus is set to showcase its annual Spring Concert in just a few weeks. The organization will perform a wide range of repertoire from opera’s most beloved composer on April 28 and 29. Per a press release, it will feature such soloists as soprano Shana Blake Hill, soprano Karin Mushegain, tenor Alex Boyer, and baritone Ben Lowe. “The {…}
This Saturday, March 3, 2018, the Washington National Opera will be staging a four-act version of “Don Carlo” with a superstar cast. While many might turn to the likes of Leah Crocetto, Jamie Barton, or Eric Owens, for the star power, tenor Russell Thomas is poised to have a big night in his Washington National Opera debut. Thomas recently spoke {…}
Verdi’s “La Forza del Destino” is a messy work. Premiering first on Nov. 10, 1862 in Russia and then reappearing in its revised and finalized form on Feb. 27, 1869, the opera is clearly one that experienced tremendous transformation over the course of those seven years. But it’s messiness doesn’t necessarily derive from these compositional edits, but from the work’s {…}
HRH The Prince of Wales, Patron of Welsh National Opera, attended a performance of WNO’s new production of “La Forza del Destino” during the opening night performance on Feb. 2, 2018. His Royal Highness, who has been a patron of the Welsh National Opera since 1997, was met by Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of South Glamorgan, Morfudd Meredith, and hosts including WNO Honorary President {…}
Ettore Bastianini, Pablo Elvira, and Cornell MacNeil share a birthday – September 24. Two of these men, MacNeil and Bastianini were born on the same exact day. All three were baritones, overlapping a ton of repertoire. Of the three, Elvira’s career is perhaps not quite up to the legendary status of the other two men, with Bastianini often crowned as {…}
Maestro Carlo Rizzi has led over 180 performances at the Met and when all is said and done in 2017-18, he will have topped 200 performances with the company. He has led works by such composers from a vast range of Italian composers including Puccini, Verdi, Donizetti, and Rossini. Of all the works he has conducted, “La Bohème” has been {…}
Anna Netrebko has recently confirmed a plethora of major productions she will be taking on over the next few years. In an interview with the magazine Classica, the Russian diva announced that she will take on the role of Lisa in “The Queen of Spades” in Salzburg in either 2018 or 2019 with Mariss Jansons at the podium. She also {…}
Verdi’s “La Forza del Destino” has had an uneven performance history despite containing some of the composer’s most memorable music, not least its well-known overture, made famous through concert performances, and the emotionally charged duets that characterize the work. The problem, however, stems not from its music, but from its sprawling structure and the complex tensions that drive the narrative. {…}
Yesterday we took a look at two titanic sopranos that shared a birthday. Today, May 18, we turn our attention to two important basses that were also born on the same day. Ezio Pinza’s birth came on this day in 1892 while Boris Christoff’s came in 1914. Both artists led rather different careers with the former finishing out his career {…}
When you hear the name Leonard Warren, you always hear another name – Verdi. The baritone, born on April 21, 1911, was dedicated to the great Italian and practically sang every great baritone role that Verdi wrote. You name it. For many, he was the ultimate Rigoletto (he performed the opera 89 times at the Metropolitan Opera), while others will {…}
Happy Siblings day for all of you who have the fortune of having loving brothers and sisters. Opera is filled with brother-sister pairings that either work together toward common goals or fight with one another to disastrous effect. Let’s take a look at some of opera’s most famous and unique sibling pairings. The Mozart Sisters Dorabella and Fiordiligi are as {…}