Tito Gobbi is arguably one of the greatest, if not the greatest baritone of the 20th century. Born on Oct. 24, 1913, his career really took off after the second World War with the singer performing all around the world in a wide range of great Italian repertoire. He not only sang with a gorgeous baritone sound that featured tremendous {…}
Anja Harteros. Anja Harteros. Anja Harteros. Yes, reading that isn’t very interesting. Listening to her and experiencing her is quite a different story. The German soprano was nothing short of sensational on a starry Saturday opening night of a revival of the Robert Carsen production of “Tosca” at the Zurich Opera. It was recently reported that Harteros has stopped singing {…}
Hidden within the Riverside Church on Clairemont avenue is the Riverside Theatre, this is where the production company Amore Opera has set the stage for its production of Puccini’s “Tosca.” Just as the opera itself grapples with love, jealousy, and what lies beneath the surface of facades, Amore Opera’s production has faithfully upheld these themes through the artistry of the {…}
Occasionally music history has strange coincidences where a famous composer is unable to finish his final work. This is particularly strange when the final work has something to do with death. Consider Mozart who died writing a requiem. Likewise, Giacomo Puccini succumbed to lung cancer before completing “Turandot.” The last piece he wrote was the funeral march for the slave {…}
Over the past year, María José Siri’s career has skyrocketed from opening the Teatro alla Scala in a new production of “Madama Butterfly” to premiering a new production of “Manon Lescaut” at the Teatro Regio di Torino. This past month she was also called to make another high-profile opening at the Vienna State Opera in “Il Trovatore.” Since then she {…}
One had to wonder, in the near full-house at a Columbus Day performance of the Metropolitan Opera’s venerable “La Bohème,” how many in the audience didn’t get to Paris this summer. Or perhaps ever? And how perfect to see this “La Bohème” on an unseasonably warm, humid night — that indeed cried out for a café table outside, to watch {…}
Puccini’s “Turandot” is an operatic fixture and one would expect that the work, so popular at the Metropolitan Opera thanks to Franco Zeffirelli’s famed production, would have been around the house for as long as one can remember. And yet the opera experienced a long hiatus of 30 years before regaining its foothold at the Met. Along the way, some {…}
For years, tenor Russell Thomas has developed into one of the rising stars of the opera world, his incredible lyricism and potent dramatic voice making him a fixture for some of the greatest operas. He has dominated in Mozart, Verdi, and Puccini alike at the greatest opera houses around the world including the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Deutsche Oper {…}
Tonight l’Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège will showcase a live stream of its performance of “Manon Lescaut.” The live stream will be broadcast via Culture Box. The performance, conducted by Speranza Scappucci will feature soprano Anna Pirozzi in the title role. Tenor Marcello Giordani takes on the role of her doomed lover Des Grieux. The production also features Ionut Pascut as {…}
Puccini’s ever-popular “La Bohème” will return to the great house this season with a plethora of differing casts over the course of its 15 performances. From its Oct. 2, 2017, season premiere to its March 10, 2018, season finale, the opera will feature a stunning three Mimis, two Musettas, four Rodolfos, four Schaunards, two Marcellos, two Collines and Paul Plishka. {…}
Aleksandrs Antonenko has replaced Marcelo Álvarez in the Metropolitan Opera’s October and November performances of Puccini’s “Turandot.” The new was announced via the Metropolitan Opera’s official Twitter account. That is the third major cancellation for the tenor this year, after stepping out of “Andrea Chénier” in Buenos Aires. He also canceled opening night at the Vienna State Opera. He is still {…}