‘Don Giovanni’ Is One of the Greatest Works Ever Written. Why Is It So Hard for Directors to Get Right?

(Photo: © Monika Rittershaus) “Don Giovanni” is an opera of seductions and escapes, moral wreckage and divine retribution, a shimmering mosaic of comedy, tragedy, farce, and existential dread. Yet “the mother of all operas” is also a uniquely treacherous work—at once alluring and intractable, irresistibly open yet elusive. Music’s sublimity rarely fails to connect with audiences, even in a less-than-stellar {…}

Q & A: Mezzo-Soprano Samantha Hankey on Her Vocal Technique in the Role of Donna Elvira & Her Own Evolution as an Opera Singer

(Photo credit: Faymous) From the title role in “Carmen,” one of the most coveted mezzo roles, to Dorabella in “Cosi fan tutte,” a traditional soprano role, mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey sings it all. In her interview with OperaWire, Hankey discussed her nonconformist approach to repertoire and the technique behind her success. Hankey will be singing the role of Donna Elvira in {…}