I imagine that upon reading the title of this article, you were probably confused about the arbitrary pairing of Verdi’s “Il Trovatore” and Massenet’s “Manon.” The former is an opera in the Bel Canto style, firmly looking backwards in both its subject matter and style while the latter is one of Manon and French opera’s more progressive operas. The former {…}
Verdi’s “Rigoletto” returns to the Met stage on Friday, Jan. 20 in a lengthy run through February and then a few days in April. Olga Peretyatko and Željko Lučić will be the production’s mainstays, singing every single presentation of the work this season. This will be the Lučić’s fourth run of “Rigoletto” at the Met, byt far his most performed {…}
Rudolf Bing’s name towers in the world of opera. The Austrian-born impresario, born on January 9, 1902, has an enduring legacy, in many ways tainted by the scandals and feuds Bing was known to have with the opera’s greatest figures and lesser-known figures during many of the company’s most tumultuous years. But to see the general manager who wielded his {…}
On Dec. 25 the pop star George Michael passed away at 53 and with it the music industry lost an icon. The English-born singer may have been known for his hit songs “Careless Whisper” and “One More Try,” but he also dedicated his life to charity work. This included appearances at several concerts for charity. He joined Luciano Pavarotti during {…}
Rolando Villazon recently announced that he had helped raise over $5,000 in supporting USA for UNHCR and the aid it is providing for refugees. Humanitarian efforts in the world of opera are not new and there have been many other major singers like Villazon that have or continue to contribute to great causes. The following is a look at some {…}
The opera world is known to be untouchable and sometimes elitist. Opera stars are known for just performing opera and not going out of this vein of music. However, this is simply a misconception of pop culture thought. Opera stars are very well versed in many styles of music and many of the most popular have explored new musical landscapes {…}
It’s holiday season and that calls for holiday music. But why settle for listening to your favorite tunes with any old voices when you can have some of finest in history to take you through the merry times. Here is a look at some of the best holiday albums from the world’s greatest opera singers. The Three Tenors – Christmas {…}
With the holiday season upon us, it is no surprise that the major music publishers have saved some of their most hotly anticipated titles for the last weeks of the year. This week features releases from such superstars as Anna Netrebko, Jonas Kaufmann, and the late Joan Sutherland. Here is a look at the releases you can expect between December {…}