Premiering on September 30, 1791, “Die Zauberflöte,” or “The Magic Flute” in English, is the last of the works composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, barring his unfinished Requiem. Much like an operetta, “Die Zaubeflöte” is a singspiel, which has spoken dialogue between musical numbers and arias. Working with German librettist Emanuel Shikaneder, the opera contains a vast number of influences, {…}
On September 27, 2017, the Metropolitan Opera revived its Julie Taymor production of “Die Zauberflöte.” Her take on this beloved classic, complete with puppets and dancing flamingos, is a treasured relic of the Volpe era and this revival received the star treatment. James Levine, the Met’s music director emeritus, was in the pit while coloratura Kathryn Lewek offered her world-famous {…}
Superstar soprano Susanna Phillips will lead a cast in Mozart’s “Great” Mass in a performance at Carnegie Hall. She will be singing alongside soprano Camilla Tilling, tenor Thomas Cooley, bass-baritone Michael Sumuel, and the Westminster Symphony Choir. Maestro Pablo Heras-Casado will lead the Orchestra of St. Luke’s during the performance of Oct. 12, 2017. The performance will also feature a {…}
There is perhaps no tenor more lauded for his interpretation in the German repertoire than Fritz Wunderlich. The German tenor worked mostly in his home country until his untimely death in 1966. American audiences were robbed of his Metropolitan Opera debut, and there is surely a hole missing where his growth as an artist would have been fostered. In honor of {…}
The Pittsburgh Opera will present Mozart’s beloved masterpiece “The Marriage of Figaro,” at the Benedum Center this upcoming November. The production will include a quartet of talented American singers making their Pittsburgh Opera debuts. The debutantes will include bass-baritone Tyler Simpson, a mainstay at the Metropolitan Opera, as Figaro, star soprano Joélle Harvey as Susannam, baritone Christian Bowers, who recently sang in Bordeaux and {…}
Elīna Garanča is one of the most famous singers of the modern opera world. Born on Sept. 16, 1976, the Latvian mezzo has gone from bel canto specialist to a dominant singing actress in the dramatic repertoire. Known for her vocal prowess and technical perfection (have you ever heard her struggle with any vocal line?), she is also an imaginative {…}
The Vienna State Opera showcases its second live streaming event on Friday, Sept 15, 2017, with a performance of Mozart’s masterwork “Le Nozze di Figaro.” The performance kicks off at 7 p.m. local time and stars Adam Plachetka and Dorothea Röschmann as the Almavivas, Andrea Carroll as the heroine Susanna and Carlos Álvarez as her fiancé Figaro. Margarita Gristkova rounds {…}
Right after “La Bohème” kicks off its run at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte” will take over the headlines with 13 performances starting on Sept. 12, 2017, and ending on Oct. 14, 2017. Here are essential facts to prepare you for the classic gem before you check it out in London. 1. The opera will feature {…}
Mozart’s “La Clemenza di Tito” was composed and premiered on Sept. 6, 1791, around the time when he also finished his final opera “Die Zauberflöte,” before passing away at the age of 35. “La Clemenza di Tito” was produced to celebrate Leopold II’s coronation as King of Bohemia, an event which sought to ease tensions in the country between the {…}
The first single to Juan Diego Flórez’s upcoming Mozart album has been released. Sony Classical released “Dies bildnis ist bezaubernd schön” from Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte” on numerous streaming services including Spotify, Amazon, Apple, Google Play, and Itunes. The new set is Flórez’s debut album for Sony Classical and his first CD dedicated to Mozart. It also marks his first album {…}
It’s been a summer of debuts for Russell Thomas and he is about to make yet another one on Thursday, July 27, when he takes on the title role in “La Clemenza di Tito” at the Salzburg Festival. This will be Thomas’ first time singing at the festival in a role that he has previously conquered. The American tenor took {…}