Tito Gobbi is arguably one of the greatest, if not the greatest baritone of the 20th century. Born on Oct. 24, 1913, his career really took off after the second World War with the singer performing all around the world in a wide range of great Italian repertoire. He not only sang with a gorgeous baritone sound that featured tremendous {…}
A Metropolitan Opera season will start with Bellini’s “Norma” for the third time in its history when Sondra Radvanovsky, who conquered the role at the Met a few years back, takes it on on Sept. 25, 2017. Radvanovsky will join a long line of famous sopranos that have taken on the opera with the company, beginning with Lilli Lehman, who {…}
For years Warner Classics has remastered Maria Callas’ collections for opera lovers, releasing various sets that showcase the art of the legendary soprano. After releasing the complete studio recordings, Warner Classics returns with “Maria Callas: Live Remastered Recordings.” Ther 42-disc box set comes on the heels of the 40th anniversary of La Divina’s death and brings many of the soprano’s signature {…}
Sony Pictures Classics has acquired “Maria by Callas: In Her Own Words.” Variety is reporting that the distribution company will release Tom Volf’s documentary about La Divina, for distribution in North America, Australia and New Zealand. The documentary filmmaker spent nearly five years working on the project to deliver a portrait of the iconic soprano illustrated by exclusive footage, photographs, {…}
We are not even going to beat around the bush here. This week’s releases come down to one artist – Maria Callas. Arguably THE singular most important opera singer of all time will get yet another re-release from Warner Classics, but with a major twist. The company is releasing a whopping 42-CD release of 20 complete operas, a Blu-Ray disc {…}
On Sept. 9, 2017, the LA Opera opens its 2017-18 season with a repertory staple, Bizet’s “Carmen.” However, what makes this revival so appealing is the addition of a soprano in the title role instead of a mezzo-soprano. Ana María Martínez takes on the iconic role for the second time after receiving raves at the Houston Grand Opera. With the {…}
Christa Ludwig is one of the greatest artists of all-time. She made her mark in the German repertoire laying claim to numerous roles in Strauss and Wagner operas. The soon-to-be 89-year-old recently had an interview with Swiss Publication NZZ on Sunday, giving her insight on a number of opera topics. You will surely find some unique and potentially controversial thoughts {…}
This week the Teatro alla Scala will revive the 1990 Liliana Cavani production of Verdi’s “La Traviata.” The production returns after DmItri Tcherniakov’s 2013 staGing failed to please Scala audiences. This time the Cavani production will be sung by two leading sopranos. First Ailyn Pérez will bring her acclaimed Violetta to the theater. Perez has performed the role around the {…}
Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” returns to La Monnaie on Jan. 31. The run will feature 11 performances that end on Feb. 14. Tickets start at 10 euros a piece with all but two performances starting at 8 PM local time. The opera will feature two separate casts. Alexia Voulgaridou and Amanda Echalaz will alternate the title role while Ning Liang and {…}
The Lyric Opera of Chicago continues its 2016-17 season in a big way when it showcases Bellini’s masterful “Norma” on its stage this Saturday. The production will feature Sondra Radvanovsky, who has dominated the title role all around the world. Conductor Riccardo Frizza recently told OperaWire that working with Radvanovsky on this role is a revelation because she is “fully {…}
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 {…}