UPDATE: On Tuesday, Jan. 17 it was announced that Sophie Koch would not be singing the role at the Met and that Clémentine Margaine would be taking over the entire run. For more information, read OperaWire’s coverage on the news. Opera’s most famous gypsy returns to the Metropolitan Opera stage on Thursday, Jan. 19. This year’s run of “Carmen” will {…}
Renato Bruson is one of the famous Verdi baritones of all time. His rotund sound had such tremendous range that allowed him to tackle all of the composer’s major roles, almost all to resounding success. He also had such a fantastic technical mastery of his voice that, despite being born on Jan. 13, 1936, he could still be heard singing {…}
Verdi’s “Don Carlo” makes its return to La Scala for the first time in decades in its five act version. For many this is the best version of the opera, but the bottom line is that there is no such thing as a real version of the opera with differing versions having different strengths. The work premiered in 1867. Heavy {…}
Verdi’s “Don Carlo” returns to Teatro alla Scala on Tuesday Jan. 17 with all star cast and 8 performances throughout the month of January and the beginning of February. The new production by Peter Stein marks the first time in 40 years at La Scala that the opera will be performed in its full five acts. Here is a look {…}
The union between an opera singer and his or her craft is a love story, many of which come in two variations. The first origin story is like most love stories, a chance encounter on their way into adulthood. Their first love was some other profession or dream that, like many first loves, never quite came to fruition. Such has {…}
Kazakhstan will play host to the 25th Operalia Competition in July 2017. The famed competition will be making its return to Eastern Europe after making an appearance there in 2011 at Moscow. It also took place in Pécs and Budapest in 2009. Otherwise the competition has mainly done rounds in Western Europe, North America and Asia (Tokyo and Beijing). Last {…}
It is always a challenge to make a role debut in a season, particularly when it features some of the most challenging repertoire in the operatic repertoire. It is an even greater risk and challenge to make three in one season. But don’t tell Davinia Rodriguez as the soprano has spent this season doing just that and succeeding all the {…}
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 {…}
Plácido Domingo heads to the cinemas on Saturday as he returns to the role of Verdi’s “Nabucco” as part of the Metropolitan Opera’s Live in HD series. The performance will feature Domingo in the title role, for which he has garnered rave reviews. OperaWire noted that the role “fits him like a glove… At 75, his voice, while possessing an {…}
The weekend of Jan. 6-8 will see the return of many prominent opera companies around the country after a lengthy holiday hiatus. The Metropolitan Opera, which continues throughout the year, will feature three popular works including “La Boheme,” an HD performance of Verdi’s “Nabucco” and evening showcase of Gounod’s “Romeo et Juliette” starring Diana Damrau and Vittorio Grigolo. Nabucco stars {…}
Rising opera star Pretty Yende will be performing on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Tuesday evening. She will be the live performance segment of the show, which will also feature Oprah Winfrey. Colbert has invited prominent opera stars before to be on his show. In 2012, he featured Placido Domingo in a memorable episode that saw the two {…}