Placido Domingo will sing the title role in “Gianni Schicchi” at the Metropolitan Opera. The tenor revealed in an interview with Beckmesser that he will portray the title character in celebration of “Il Triticco’s” centenary in the 2017-19 season. Domingo has already portrayed Gianni Schicchi to great success at the Los Angeles Opera where he scored rave reviews. Critics said, {…}
With the New Years’ celebrations already at an end, a lot of major opera companies are making major returns. Here is a rundown of the performances you should get excited over this weekend! Acquanetta – Beth Morrison Projects Leave it to Beth Morrison Projects to bring the world unique experiences, starting with Michael Gordon and Deborah Artman’s “Acquanetta,” a work {…}
Eva-Maria Westbroek has canceled her four performances for the Metropolitan Opera’s revival of “Cavalleria Rusticana.” The Met announced that the soprano canceled due to illness. As a result, Ekaterina Semenchuk who opened the revival on Monday will takeover. OperaWire praised Semenchuck’s opening night performance stating, “Ekaterina Semenchuck is one of the few dramatic mezzos today that can perform this role to {…}
“Pagliacci” and “Cavalleria Rusticana” is one of the signature double bills in opera that show offs the many qualities of a leading tenor. Both parts are known for their demanding vocal challenges and in many cases are sung by two different tenors. However, in the Metropolitan Opera’s current revival of David McVicar’s production, Roberto Alagna triumphed in two of his best {…}
Italian soprano Herva Nelli, born on Jan. 9, 1909, may not be a major household name the way other sopranos of the early 20th century have become, but she surely had an adventurous and prolific career that kicked off in the United States. Born in Italy, her family moved to the States when she was but 10, eventually studying at {…}
The opera season has quieted down around much of the US and Canada, but the city that never sleeps, and other towns, still have a wide range of opera offerings. Not all of them are staged productions as there are two recital offerings worth your time! Wagner Society of New York – Clay Hilley in Recital Up-and-coming tenor Clay Hilley {…}
This review is for the performance on Jan. 4, 2018. It was the most hotly anticipated production of the new Met season, the run-up to its unveiling on New Year’s Eve as big a melodrama as the opera itself, filled with unexpected twists and turns. And like the opera itself, where its final act feels like an anti-climax after the {…}
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 {…}
It was Latin night at the Met on Friday, Dec. 29, 2017, with three Latin American artists headlining a revival of Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro.” Ailyn Pérez, Isabel Leonard, and Nadine Sierra all topped the billing of a cast that also included two Eastern Europeans, Ildar Abdrazakov and Mariusz Kwiecien, as Figaro and the Count Almaviva respectively. To put {…}
It’s popular to make year-end lists, and I saw between 30-35 performances during the calendar year. Much of what I saw was terrific and, of course, there were many more outstanding performances that I didn’t see. These are the five that I will remember the most from what I saw; they are not necessarily the best but will remain in {…}
Let’s keep things Metropolitan Opera-centric this week. With one exception. It’s the end of the year and that means the big Met gala on New Year’s Eve as well as another hotly anticipated revival set to take the stage with a new cast. Isabel Leonard got everyone jumping with excitement for the upcoming “Le Nozze di Figaro” at the Met. {…}
