Back in 1973, 32-year-old conductor John Nelson took the stage at Carnegie Hall. He was leading his first-ever performance of Berlioz’s monumental opera “Les Troyens.” Little did he know at that moment that the piece could come to become one of the most important of his entire career. “I was a kid back then,” the conductor told OperaWire in a {…}
It’s Thanksgiving week and that means Black Friday is coming up. While we will have a list of must-buy recordings for the Holiday season later this week, let us focus on the one recording that will be released. Les Troyens Warner Classics releases one of the most anticipated recordings of the year as John Nelson conducts a star-studded cast. The {…}
Joyce DiDonato’s famed interpretation of Didon in Berlioz’s “Les Troyens” will get a CD release this fall. The new recording, which will be released by Erato features the full uncut score of the Berlioz masterwork, drawn from two concert performances that took place over the Easter weekend in April 2017 in the Strasbourg, France. The performance is led by conductor John Nelson {…}
Jessye Norman is a singer who defied fach — she sang what she wanted, when she wanted, but more importantly, she took on what felt right for her. In fact, she once stated in her youth that “pigeonholes are only comfortable for pigeons.” And what a blessing it is that she listened to her gut, or else one might not {…}
Nicolai Gedda was one of opera’s most proficient artists, taking on dozens and dozens of roles throughout his career. For many, Gedda, born on July 11, 1925, will always be associated with the role of “Faust” in Gounod’s famous work, one which he performed hundreds of times, but he also performed a number of roles that one might not associate {…}
It is the month of revolutions with a number of major countries acquiring their respective independence in the month of July. Just to list some – the United States, France, Algeria, Colombia, Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Peru, Slovakia, Rwanda, Somalia, and Venezuela. All of these nations and many more claim their independence day during this month. Independence didn’t come for free {…}