(Credit: ©Miguel Lorenzo y Mikel Ponce) The opera season of Valencia finished with the tragic and romantic “Lucia di Lammermoor,” which was receiving just its second run of performances in the opera house’s 14-year history. This time around it featured an adequate cast, an inspiring production, and a passionate reading of the score by Roberto Abbado. A Gloriously Rich Production… It {…}
(Credit: Wilfried Hösl) It is a magical moment when the finest singers in the world, along with strong musical guidance and with a meaningful dramatic production are combined together. That is exactly what happened on the evening of the June 9, 2019, when the Bayeriche Staatsoper revived Barbara Wysocka’s production of “Lucia di Lammermoor” with the “Bel canto couple” of the moment: {…}
The Wiener Staatsoper is set to broadcast Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor” on Orf 2. The production by Laurent Pelly, which premiered last week, is set to star Olga Peretyatko and Juan Diego Flórez in the leading roles. George Petean and Jongmin Park also star as Enrico and Raimondo. Evelino Pidò conducts the production, which features a critical edition and a new cadenza {…}
They say art reflects life and so often the experiences we engage with in artistic form are those that help to shape our world view. The beauty of art is how it is able to traverse a wide range of perspectives, giving us not only different ways of seeing humanity, but also different ways to feel about it. Bel Canto {…}
When it comes to the bel canto repertoire, Edita Gruberova is one of the most beloved interpreters of the 20th century. Born on Dec. 23, 1946, the Slovak soprano would become known for her incredible vocal range and her technical precision in the bel canto repertory. She studied at the Bratislava Conservatory followed by the Academy of Performing Arts in {…}
La Divina, born on Dec. 2, 1923, sang just under 50 roles over the course of her career. From Carmen to Medea to Tosca, she approached each role with the dramatic prowess which truly earned her the title that we so lovingly reference to this day. In musical circles, Callas has always been and will always remain a topic of {…}
Gaetano Donizetti, born on Nov. 29, 1797, was one of the leading Bel Canto composers of all time. He wrote his first opera, “Il Pigmalione” at the age of 19 and he would go on to create 75 operas throughout his lifetime. His first major successes came with his comic operas, though in 1830, he scored a massive success with {…}
When it comes to simple beauty of voice and legato, Joan Sutherland tops most people’s lists. “La Stupenda,” as she came to be known, was born on Nov. 7, 1926 in Australia and learned singing from her mother, a mezzo-soprano. Sutherland made her concert debut in 1947 in a performance of “Dido and Aeneas” before making her stage debut in {…}
“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 James Gunn’s “Guardians {…}
Throughout the years Edita Gruberova has been recognized as one of the leading Bel canto interpreters of her generation and in the opera world. Her interpretations are considered definitive versions and in the case of “Lucia di Lammermoor,” it is one of the quintessential interpretations of her generation. Throughout the years three commercial recordings have been released documenting her evolution in the {…}
OperaVision will start streaming Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor” from the Teatro Real starting on July 7, 2018. The Donizetti masterpiece will feature Lisette Oropesa as the famed heroine with Javier Camarena as her lover Edgardo. Artur Rucinski stars as Enrico with Roberto Tagliavini as Raimondo. Daniel Oren conducts. The stream kicks off at 7 p.m. local time. That’s around 2 {…}