There was a major cast change during the Jan. 26, 2024 performance of “Medée” at the Teatro alla Scala. Soprano Marina Rebeka, who started the run on Jan. 14, 2024, but had to withdraw from performances on Jan. 20 and 23 due to illness, returned to the stage to open the Jan. 26 performance. However, due to illness, she {…}
(Callas greeting fans. Credit: © Archiv Lebeck.) Editor’s Note: In anticipation of the release of “The Callas Imprint: A Centennial Biography” on Dec. 2, 2023, OperaWire is sharing a preview. “Greatness” is a noun too frequently assigned to humans. Victims of this label view the happening of “genius” as a capricious, “limited time only” gift. Here we follow Callas on {…}
(Photo: Archive Teatro Alla Scala) Every Friday, Polina Lyapustina delivers a short essay on some of the most sensitive topics in the industry with the intent of establishing a dialogue about the opera world and its future. Back in 1996, the Italian government altered its approach to organizations representing priority national interests in the music sector. According to Legislative Decree #367, all {…}
A prestigious showcase of the opera world , the Rolex Ambassadors Gala, took place at La Scala earlier this month. Big names and outstanding performances. A unique opportunity to see the stars of the opera world together: Juan Diego Flórez, Jonas Kaufmann, Sonya Yoncheva, Yuja Wang, Plácido Domingo and Gustavo Dudamel conduct Wiener Philharmoniker. But today, I’m not going to review {…}
(Credit: © Marco Brescia & Rudy Amisano | Teatro alla Scala) Seeing an early or unfamiliar work by a major composer can be illuminating—hearing the development of a great talent in a lesser known opera can be as thrilling as a fine performance of a well loved standard. Or it can simply lay bare the piece’s weaknesses for all to {…}
A year ago, we released a quiz dedicated to opera history. Obviously, there was no way to summarize all the information into just 10 trivia questions. We knew the day would come when we would be able to incorporate some other fun information in the form of another quiz. And that day has now come. Behold another trivia quiz made {…}
Bulgarian soprano Sonya Yoncheva has withdrawn from the final three performances of Verdi’s “La Traviata” at Teatro alla Scala on March 12, 14, & 17, 2019, according to the company’s website. Yoncheva will be replaced in the role of Violetta by soprano Angel Blue. Blue has recently sung the role with both the Royal Opera House and Manitoba Opera. Other {…}
Talents of the World has announced its first International Music Festival, which will take place at Carnegie Hall over the course of three days. The company has described its mission as “the development of the intellectual and spiritual potential of Human beings, to restore and promote the disappearing traditions of bel canto, and to draw audience’s attention to the inexhaustible {…}
The Teatro Colón of Buenos Aires is the most important opera house on the planet. At least that is what tourism website Travel 365 has asserted. Per the website, the theatre, which is at the heart of the Argentine City, is “a true monument of theatrical, lyrical and acoustic art, undoubtedly the best of all time.” Teatro Colón director María {…}
Performances of Bellini’s melodrama, “Il Pirata,” at the Teatro alla Scala have, over the years, been few and far between. Originally written for the theatre in 1827, and starring the celebrated soprano, Henriette Méric-Lalande as Imogene and the famous tenor Giovanni Battista Rubini as Gualtiero, it was roundly deemed to be a success, and quickly received two revivals, one in {…}
Anna Netrebko is set to open the Teatro alla Scala during the 2019-20 season. According to La Reppublica, the soprano will return to the theater in a new production of Puccini’s “Tosca” alongside Luca Salsi with whom she worked with on “Andrea Chénier” and “Aida” in Salzburg. Riccardo Chailly will conduct the production. The news comes after La Scala announced {…}