(Photo: Patricio Cassinoni) The Wexford Festival Opera is well-known for its commitment to exploring neglected and unearthing forgotten works written by both well-known and lesser-known composers. Although it has met with considerable success in this endeavor, inevitably there have been one or two failures along the way; after all, many such operas are not performed for very good reasons! Two {…}
This week the Wexford Festival Opera is set to open a production of Mascagni’s “Le Maschere,” which has long been rarely performed since it premiered. The opera will showcase a young cast of rising stars, including tenor Andrew Morstein who will sing Florindo. Winner of the “Best Male Newcomer” at the Österreichischer MusikTheater Preis Awards in Vienna, Morstein is a {…}
The traditional Cav/Pag double-bill has a flaw: “Pagliacci” overshadows “Cavalleria Rusticana.” As a result, “Cavalleria,” like an amuse-bouche, is a warmup for a more exciting opera. This bias in the Cav/Pag pairing seems illogical. Both operas are set in rural Italian/Sicilian villages, feature true-to-life characters, love triangles, and culminate in utter tragedy. Mascagni’s “Cavalleria Rusticana” stands as the first opera {…}
Credit: Julie Smith Delaware Valley Opera Company (DVOC) presented a unique triple-bill on August 13, 2023, which included the Philadelphia debut of Misha Dutka’s “The Stronger.” This was accompanied by Mascagni’s “Cavalleria Rusticana” and Leoncavallo’s “I Pagliacci.” The operas were performed at the Venice Island Performing Arts & Recreation Center in Philadelphia. It’s no small job to showcase three operas {…}
Pietro Mascagni’s one-act opera “Cavalleria Rusticana” will be presented on April 29, 2023, at the Church of the Village, 201 West 13th Street, on the corner of Seventh Avenue in Manhattan. The opera, which kicks off at 3 p.m. local time, will have a luxury cast featuring tenor Nicholas Simpson, baritone Adam Unger, and soprano Meryl Sher. They will be {…}
For the initiated “L’Amico Fritz” is far more than a somewhat obscure successor to the one-hit wonder of “Cavalleria Rusticana” which, in 1890, had famously crowned Mascagni before he was King (to paraphrase his own words). It rather stands as a vividly orchestrated bucolic clad in the musical jargon of the giovane scuola with its chromatic shifts and tonal ambiguity {…}
The Jerusalem Lyric Opera Festival has announced its 2023 Festival lineup, featuring works beloved by opera-goers. The Festival will run July 4-25, 2023. The Jerusalem International Opera Competition kicks off the season in July. Favorite arias are on tap as singers compete before a jury comprising conductors, singers, and casting directors from several of the world’s top opera houses. Performance {…}
Toronto City Opera is set to present a new production of “Cavalleria Rusticana” this June. The production, which will open on June 2 and runs through the 5th, will focus on the time period between 1951 and 1961 when over 300,000 Italians emigrated to Canada. The opera will star Corey Arnold as Turiddu, Angela Maria Sanchez as Santuzza, Andrey Andreychik {…}
Vancouver Opera is set to resume its 2021-22 season with a pair of performances of Mascagni’s seminal masterwork “Cavalleria Rusticana.” The showcase, which is set for Feb. 12 and 13 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, will be conducted by Jonathan Darlington and will star Othalie Graham as Santuzza, David Pomeroy as Turridu, Gregory Dahl as Alfio, Leah Field as Mama {…}
(Credit: https://www.visitlisboa.com/) Portugal’s Teatro Nacional de São Carlos has announced the schedule until January 2022. Here is a look at operatic and vocal performances. Operas The season opens with concert performances of Tchaikovsky‘s “Iolanta.” The opera spotlights Misha Didyk, Evgeny Stavinsky, Guriy Guryev, and Zarina Abaeva in the title role. Graeme Jenkins conducts. Performance Dates: Sep. 29 – Oct. 3, 2021 {…}
AUTUMN ARRIVES Lolita Valderrama Savage Oil-on-canvas, 40×40 inches *From a private collection. Courtesy of Mr. & Mrs. Aureo Sales, New York USA. Teatro Grattacielo and Camerata Bardi Vocal Academy have announced a unique collaboration with artist Lolita Valderrama Savage on “Tableaux of Amico Fritz.” Savage’s first international group exhibit took place at the Palazzo Strozzi in 1975 and she has {…}