There are instances in which it’s difficult for opera-lovers to remember “Tosca” is no comedy. From that perspective it is easy to recall the legend of a certain prima donna who once bounced back from the trampoline that was supposed to break her fall as Tosca killed herself. Floria Tosca is not one of opera’s most pitiable characters. She is {…}
First premiering on January 14, 1900 at Rome’s Teatro Costanzi, “Tosca” is one of opera’s most popular works. Adapted from Victorien Sardou’s play, “La Tosca,” by Giacomo Puccini and librettist Luigi Illica, the opera has seen countless productions worldwide since its premiere. Sardou himself expressed displeasure for his most cherished work being handled by a composer whom he did not {…}
We all know about Verdi, Donizetti, Rossini, Bellini, Puccini, Giordano, and the great Italian composers of the 19th century. We often attribute opera’s greatest gems to them, remembering every gorgeous melody and the potent emotions that they create for us. But they don’t deserve all the credit. In fact, without the text, most of these composers don’t write their music. {…}
This review is for the performance on Friday, January 12th, 2018. In keeping with the spirit of verismo, Metropolitan Opera’s production of “Tosca” offered one of the most realistic portrayals of Puccini’s celebrated work. The set may as well have been a window to another time thanks to the care taken by the creative team headed by John Macfarlane. As {…}
“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 will showcase Norman Jewison’s {…}
Puccini, born on Dec. 22, 1858, has provided the entire world with some of the greatest operas ever conceived by mankind. With his lush melodies that pull on anyone’s heartstrings and his incredible sense of drama, the composer became the Italian heir to Verdi and essentially the end of the formal line of Italian tradition. After Puccini’s death in the {…}
“Il Trittico (The Triptych)” is comprised of three one-act operas. While the works are not connected through their plots and characters, Puccini had intended for each of them to relate to the canticles of Dante’s “Divine Comedy;” only the third opera, “Gianni Schicchi,” reflects this by exploring a historical case involving the Donati family, into which Dante married. While Puccini {…}
Stepping into the opera house is almost always about stepping into the past. If that past is a vision of lavishness and grandeur, seeing the current production of Puccini’s “Turandot” at the Lyric Opera of Chicago is emblematic of what anyone would envision as the quintessential operatic experience. Now that’s not to say that this production, directed by Rob Kearley {…}
On Dec. 12, 2017, Medici.tv will present Puccini’s “La Bohème” from the Paris Opera. The new production by Claus Guth, which takes place in space, stars Bulgarian soprano Sonya Yoncheva and Maestro Gustavo Dudamel. Rising star Aida Garifullina stars as Musetta while Atalla Ayan is Rodolfo and Artur Ruciński is Marcello. When the production opened audiences booed it but critics were {…}
To wait for one whole act, plus a quarter of a second, just to glimpse the heroine, let alone hear her, is practically a crime. Especially, with all the talk. From the moment the curtain rises, what do we hear? Turandot, Turandot, Turandot. And so, where is she? On and on, troops of “the people” – boy chorus, various authorities {…}
Maria José Siri’s world-renowned interpretation of “Madama Butterfly” will be live-streamed by the Vienna State Opera on Friday, Nov. 24, 2017, as part of its season-long series. Siri will be paired with the likes of mezzo Zoryana Kushpler as Suzuki, tenor Murat Karahan as Pinkerton, and baritone Gabriel Bermudez as Sharpless. The stream kicks off at 7 p.m. local time {…}