Anna Moffo, born on June 27, 1932, enjoyed one of the most varied opera careers in history. The American-born soprano studied in Italy on a Fulbright Scholarship and would immediately become a TV sensation in her 20s when she appeared on RAI as Cio-Cio San in “Madama Butterfly.” That was followed by more TV productions in “Falstaff” and “La Sonnambula.” {…}
Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers out there. Opera is rife with fathers, many of whom are some of the greatest characters in the artform. But which of opera’s famous father’s is most closely related to your own father. Take this quiz, tell us about your father and find out which opera dad best resembles him! As always, have {…}
The Deutsche Oper Berlin has long been a mecca for iconoclast regie theater directors ranging from Hans Neuenfels and Claus Guth to Ole Anders Tandberg, whose recent staging of “Carmen” had more viscera on the stage than verismo. Curiously, the extant production of “La Traviata” by the former Deutsche Oper Intendant Götz Friedrich, dating back to 1999, is surprisingly uncontroversial. In his {…}
This review is for the performance on Saturday, May 26, 2018. Within the intimate space of the Riverside Theatre, Amore Opera’s production of “La Traviata” brought to the surface comedic moments hidden within Francesco Maria Piave’s libretto. While this work is not one I normally would expect humor from, this approach added to the emotional investment in the audience, as {…}
Verdi’s “La Traviata” will be the first opera to live stream from the Vienna State Opera in the month of June as the performance on the first will get a broadcast around the globe. Per the official website, Irina Lungu stars as Violetta with Pavol Breslik as Alfredo and Plácido Domingo as Germont. Marco Armiliato conducts the Jean-Francois Sivadier production. {…}
It is not too difficult to stage Verdi’s ever-popular tear-jerker “La Traviata.” Francesco Maria Piave’s libretto and stage directions are so detailed any director with access to a few lengths of velvet and some stock chandeliers can create a plausible mis-en-scène to serve Verdi’s marvelous, emotive music. French director Jean-François Sivadier, whose operatic resumé is shorter than a Rossini semiquaver, {…}
“Opera Meets Film” is a feature dedicated to exploring the way that opera has been employed in cinema. We will select a section or a film in its entirety, highlighting 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 Sam Mendes’“Spectre.” Not {…}
Opera Vision will start streaming Verdi’s “La Traviata” from Den Norske Opera and Ballet starting on April 14, 2018. The Verdi masterpiece will feature Aurelia Florian as the famed heroine with Matteo Lippi as her lover Alfredo. Yngve Søberg sings the role of Germont. Julia Jones conducts the production by Tatjana Gürbaca. The stream kicks off at 8 p.m. local {…}
Portland Opera’s General Director Christopher Mattaliano has announced a “November Classic” opera to launch the 2018/19 season. The company will begin the season in November with four performances of Verdi’s “La Traviata” at the Keller Auditorium. The season will then continue to offer the majority of programming in spring and summer of 2019. The new adjustment will allow the Portland {…}
The Royal Opera House has announced its 2018-19 season, which will continue its Live in Cinemas series. This season, there will be 11 productions, including six ballets and five operas. We will cover the operatic performances only. The first of these is Wagner’s “Die Walküre,” which will hit the big screen on Oct. 28, 2018. Let by conductor Antonio Pappano, {…}
Verdi’s “La Traviata” is one of the most iconic in music history. Why? It’s heroine Violetta is one of the most powerful and admirable characters in the art form. With her Verdi questioned the social boundaries of the time, taking a contemporary subject and placing it in the opera house during a time when opera was only intended to look {…}