(Photo: Todd Cheney) UCLA is set to present Francesca Caccini’s “La Liberazione di Ruggiero dall’Isola di Alcina” on March 23, 2025. The showcase will take place at the UCLA William Andrews Clark Memorial Library in celebration of the 400th anniversary of the work, which is the first opera ever written by a woman. It will be presented by the Early {…}
Haymarket Opera Company has unveiled its 2023 season. It all kicks off with Scarlatti’s 1693 oratorio “La Giuditta.” The work will star Emily Birsan, Sophie Michaux, Sarah Brailey, William Dwyer, and David Govertsen. Craig Trompeter leads a chamber ensemble. The performance will take place at Gannon Concert Hall at DePaul University’s Holtschneider Performance Center. Performance Date: March 24, 2023 That {…}
Connecticut Lyric Opera has announced that it will present Francesca Caccini’s “La Liberazione di Ruggiero dall’aisola d’Alcina” on Nov. 5 and 7. The opera will be conducted by Adrian Sylveen and will star Rebecca Batista de Almeida as Alcina, Madison Marie McIntosh as Melissa, Daniel Kamalic as Ruggero, Maria Margiolakou as First Lady, Heather O’Connor as Second Lady, Allison Waggener {…}
Francesca Caccini, also nicknamed “La Cecchina,” was a Florentine composer and music teacher who distinguished herself as an important figure of the early Baroque era in Italy. Though Caccini is credited with many compositions throughout her career, only one opera—a comedy called “La liberazione di Ruggerio,” or “The Liberation of Ruggiero from the island of Alcina”—survived to the present day. {…}
“La Liberazione di Ruggiero dall’ isola d’ Alcina” (“The liberation of Ruggiero from the Isle of Alcina”) is an opera of firsts. It was the first opera composed by a woman. It was the first opera performed outside of Italy. And, perhaps, it was the first opera in which the male-female roles are reversed with a strong female coming to {…}
What is “La Liberazione di Ruggiero?” No doubt that this very opera profile might strike some curiosity from unknowing readers. Its importance is tantamount to the art form, especially in the 21st century. Simply put, “La Liberazione di Ruggiero” is the first opera composed by a woman. Moreover, it was also one of the first works to shift the narrative {…}
The dell’Arte Opera Ensemble has announced its 17th annual festival and it will feature works exclusively created by women. Entitled “Voices from the Tower,” the festival will feature the world premiere of “Princess Maleine,” which will be written by Bea Goodwin with music by Whitney George. This piece was commissioned specifically for the festival this year. The production will feature {…}