Mirella Freni, born on Feb. 27, 1935, would go on to become one of the renowned Italian sopranos of her generation. Freni’s musical talent was recognized from an early age as she performed “Un bel dì vedremo” on a radio competition. She made her opera debut in her hometown on March 3, 1955 in “Carmen,” taking on the role of {…}
On Feb. 19, 2019, a number of opera companies in Buenos Aires came together to present a performance of arias by Puccini and announce collaborations together throughout 2019. The showcase featured such companies as Magna Lírica and its director Mariana Carnovali; Ensamble Lírico Orquesta and its leader Cecilia Layseca; Compañía Lírica Verdi and its manager Adriana Segal; and Espacio Victorium, {…}
The reveals of repertory for major opera companies is also a statement of intent. In the case of the new Met Opera seasons, there are always underlying trends worth glimpsing, to emphasize the general direction of the company. The 2019-20 season has its fair share of unique stories worth looking at further and we identified a few that dovetail with {…}
Germany’s Theater Magdeburg announced on its social media that it had to cancel its premiere of Verdi’s “Otello” on Feb. 16, 2019, due to the illness of both leading performers, Aldo Di Toro (Otello) and Raffaela Lintl (Desdemona). The theatre performed Puccini’s “La Bohème,” directed by Karen Stone, in its place. Baritone Gocha Abuladze, who was set to perform as {…}
On February 10, 2019, celebrated tenor Andrea Bocelli returned to the Metropolitan Opera for the first performance of his concert, titled “Three Centuries of Love.” This encompassing program featured selections from composers such as Massenet, Verdi, Rossini, Donizetti, Delibes, Gounod, and Puccini; joining Bocelli were sopranos Nadine Sierra and Aida Garifullina, along with mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard. This sold-out concert had {…}
Soprano Gilda Cruz-Romo is one of the great Mexican opera singers to enjoy an international career. Born on Feb. 12, 1940, Cruz-Romo would study at the Mexico City Conservatory before making her debut at in Mexico City in 1962. Seven years later she appeared at the New York City, which would lead directly to a Met debut a year later. {…}
Puccini’s “Tosca” will take the stage at the Vienna State Opera on Sun. Feb. 17, 2019, and audiences around the world will get a chance to witness the showcase. This performance (another later in the year will also get a live stream) will star Sondra Radvanovsky in the title role with Piotr Beczala and Thomas Hampson as Cavaradossi and Scarpia {…}
Leontyne Price is one of the greatest sopranos of the 20th century. Born on Feb. 10, 1927 in Mississippi, she began piano lessons with a local teacher. She slowly built up some recognition in town for her musical skills, though she seemed destined for a teaching career early on. However, at the Wilberforce College, she was encouraged to study voice {…}
The Mercury Opera will showcase Puccini’s “La Bohème” at the Chez Pierre Cabaret starting on Feb. 27, 2019. The company is known for showcasing opera in new light and this version of the famed opera is set in NYC’s Alphabet City around 1979. In this context, Marcello and Rodolfo remain an artist and writer, respectively, but Schaunard is a drag {…}
OperaVision will present a performance of Puccini’s most renowned opera “La Bohème” live from the Komische Oper Berlin on Jan. 27, 2019. The opera’s cast will feature Nadja Mchantaf as Mimì, Vera-Lotte Böcker as Musetta, Gerard Schneider as Rodolfo, Günter Papendell as Marcello, Philipp Meierhöfer as Colline, and Dánierl Foki as Schaunard. Jordan de Souza conducts in a production by {…}
“Opera Meets Film” is a feature dedicated to exploring the way that opera has been employed in cinema. We will select a section or a film in its entirety, highlighting the impact that utilizing the operatic form or sections from an opera can alter our perception of a film that we are viewing. This week’s installment features Dustin Hoffman’s “Quartet.” {…}
