Photo: Joan Tomàs The Spanish tenor Celso Albelo debuted in the role of Duke of Mantua alongside Leo Nucci in 2006. He has performed since then in major opera houses around the world. For 17 years, he has been singing leading tenor roles. Being the Duke is one of his signature roles. His extensive tessitura–he can sing a stratospheric high {…}
The Semperoper Dresden is set to premiere Rolando Villazón’s production of “La Sonnambula” on March 19, 2023. The opera, which will be conducted by Evelino Pidò, will star Emily Pogorelc, Maxim Mironov, Rosalia Cid, Georg Zeppenfeld, and Nicole Chirka. “In the current production, Villazón reveals the resentments lurking behind picturesque facades in a self-contained rustic rural village community, whose entrenched {…}
Following the announcement of the Metropolitan Opera’s 2023-24 season, the company disclosed that a major new production was cut due to budgetary concerns. General Manager Peter Gelb told the AP said that “Rolando Villazón’s staging of Bellini’s ‘Sonnambula’ was cut and will be presented in the future.” OperaWire was later informed that the production would be headed to the Met {…}
On Jan. 2, 2023, American soprano Nadine Sierra outshone the rest of the cast of “La Sonnambula” due to her beautiful dark Lirico-leggera voice, her incredible thrilling high notes up to high F, a piercing projection and a strong, believable characterization of the weak Bellini heroine. Despite of her astonishing higher register, her voice is bigger and darker than the {…}
The Teatro Real de Madrid has rounded out the year with 13 performances of Bellini’s “La Sonnambula,” a title which had not been performed in Madrid for 22 years. What is often considered Bellini’s most balanced composition was presented with a strong double cast of international singers and a new production directed by the Spanish stage director Barbara Lluch. Salem {…}
(Credits: Dario Acosta / Simon Fowler / Deutsche Oper Berlin official website) Clermont Auvergne Opéra in Clermont-Ferrand, France has announced its 2021-22 season. For the purpose of this article, we will focus on the vocal works. Opera Gaetano Donizetti‘s “Lucia di Lammermoor” showcases Jiwon Song as Enrico, Ragaa Eldin as Edgardo, and Heera Bae in the title role. The cast {…}
(Credit: Kim Fox) The Théâtre des Champs-Elysées has announced a cast change for the upcoming production of “La Sonnambula.” Pretty Yende will replace Nadine Sierra, who is ill, in the role of Amina. In a statement, Yende said, “I am so pleased for the privilege to be jumping in as Amina in ‘La Sonnambula’ here Theatre des Champs-Elysees New Production {…}
(Credits: David Agassi / Johannes Ifkovits / Deniz Saylan / Sony Classical / Wiener Staatsoper official website) Wiener Staatsoper has announced the next slate of operas that it will be presenting on its streaming platform over the next week. First up is Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” with Mariusz Kwiecien, Erwin Schrott, Marina Rebeka, Juliane Banse, and Benjamin Bruns. Ádám Fischer conducts {…}
Soprano Eugenia Ratti died in her hometown of Piacenza on November 16, 2020 at the age of 87. Ratti was a contemporary of Maria Callas, singing opposite the famed soprano in 1957 at Teatro alla Scala as Lisa in the Visconti production of “La sonnambula,” conducted by Leonard Bernstein. She also replaced Callas as Rosina in The Dallas Opera’s 1959 {…}
“Opera Meets Film” is a feature dedicated to exploring the way that opera has been employed in cinema. We will select a film section or a film in its entirety and highlight the impact that utilizing the operatic form or sections from an opera can alter our perception of a film that we are viewing. This week’s installment features Visconti’s {…}
(Credit: Metropolitan Opera) This week’s quiz takes stock of the operas of Bellini. The Italian composer has seen a resurgence in recent decades with his operas becoming major fixtures of the standard repertory. So for this quiz, we will test your knowledge of the operas’ history as well as their famed arias as well. As always, enjoy!
