Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, born on August 28, 1749, is one of the great German writers in history. Unsurprisingly, his literary prowess has inspired a wide range of operatic works, many of which are staples of the canon. Here is a survey of operas based on the works of Goethe. Faust Goethe’s masterwork is undeniably the source of many operas. {…}
Gustav Mahler, born on July 7, 1860, is one of the greatest composers of all time. He was also one of the finest conductors the world has ever seen as well. Mahler’s career is monumental to be sure, with the composer spending a decade at the Vienna Court Opera, where he presented 33 news operas to the repertory for the {…}
Baritone Thomas Hampson is one of the most intellectually-inspiring artists in the opera world. Born on June 28, 1955, the baritone is one of the most thoughtful and insightful people in the business. Just listen to an interview (see below). The Indiana native sang as a child and studied at the Eastern Washington State College, majoring in political science and {…}
We go to Mahler for wisdom and depth and to Elina Garanca for beauty and rich interpretation. Both were present Sunday morning at the Wiener Konzerthaus. The Wiener Philharmoniker, conducted by the dynamic Venezuelan conductor, Raphael Payare, book-ended Mahler’s “Funf Lied (Five Ruckert Songs),” plus one song from “Der Knaben Wunderhorn,” with Beethoven’s Leonore Overture and Bartok’s Concerto For Orchestra. {…}
The Music Academy of the West has announced its 71st season which is set for June 11, 2018. The festival will run through August 11, 2018, and will star some of the greatest artists in the world of opera and classical music. As has been the case for these season announcements, the focus will be solely on opera and vocal {…}
He’s 36 years old. He lives in an RV that he uses to travel across the US. He’s coming off a summer in which he scored one of his greatest career victories to date. And he’s also that rare breed of dramatic tenor that takes well to Wagner’s operas. He’s so adept at the musical style that he is the {…}
Gustav Mahler. Born on July 7, he was one of the greatest composers and musicians of all time. At times, chamber music, at others full-blown symphonic as never heard before, at other times operatic, at times in the vein of Eastern music (as Leonard Bernstein repeatedly noted), at times looking backwards to the past of western music, but stretching modern {…}
In the last half century, Gustav Mahler has become arguably the most widely recorded composer in the world of classical music. His music is a deeply personal experience for the truest of Mahlerites, who while open to new interpretations, remain steadfast in their devotion to their all-time favorites. No two recordings of a Mahler work are anywhere close to similar. {…}
The Salzburg Osterfestpiele has announced its lineup for 2018. The opera that will headline the festival will be Puccini’s “Tosca” starring German soprano Anja Harteros. The soprano is currently portraying Sieglinde at the festival in a new production of Wagner’s “Die Walküre.” She will be joined by Latvian tenor Aleksandrs Antonenko and the production will also star French baritone Ludovic Tezier. {…}
Jonas Kaufmann has just announced that he will be releasing a recording of Mahler’s “Das Lied von der Erde.” The recording will be released April 7, 2017 and features Jonathan Nott is conducting the Vienna Philharmonic. As of yet there are no details on who the mezzo soprano in the recording will be, though there were previous reports that the {…}