On Dec. 19, 2021, Opera Ithaca will present the world premiere of their original film production of “Hansel and Gretel.” The production will feature a new English libretto by OI Artistic Director Ben Robinson. This adaptation casts the Witch as a celebrity chef, who hosts the children on her show as both the guest stars and main ingredients. The project {…}
Mario Del Monaco is one of the singers that often springs to mind when people talk about the Golden Age of Singing. Born on July 27, 1915 to an upper-class family in Florence, he graduated from the Rossini Conservatory in Pesaro. It was there that he met Renata Tebaldi, with whom he would form an operatic “dream team” later in {…}
Many of the great opera singers have the luxury of leaving behind essential recordings. But some of them, unfortunately, don’t get that same opportunity, their voices often getting lost in history. This is not necessarily the case for the great Gabriela Tucci, born on August 4, 1929. The versatile singing-actress made a big name for herself singing across some of {…}
When we look back at the history of operatic tenors, Mario del Monaco, born on July 27, 1915, will always stand out for his massive sound and larger-than-life vocal personality. He had a massive sound that he wielded like a weapon full of intensity and emotional prowess. Looking at his repertoire, he wasn’t the most diverse of singers, his number {…}
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 {…}
Thursday December 22 is the 158th birthday of one of the greatest opera composers of all time – Giacomo Puccini. The Italian composer is best known for his brilliant melodic invention and his operatic output, while relatively small when compared with the likes of Italian predecessors such as Verdi, Rossini or Donizetti, is among the most popular in the entire {…}
