Leonard Warren, born on April 21, 1911, was one of the greatest American baritones in opera history. He is also widely remembered for one of the most tragic deaths in the artform. Warren grew up in the Bronx and worked in his father’s fur business early in his life. At 24, he joined the chorus of the Radio City Music {…}
Leo Nucci is one of the greatest baritones of the 20th century, dominating in the repertoire of Verdi, among other Italian operas. Born on April 16, 1942, he hails from Castiglione dei Pepoli and made his debut in Spoleto as Figaro in Rossini’s “Il barbiere di Siviglia.” A quick run through of his career yield the following dates as his {…}
The Scottish Opera has announced the 2018-19 season. The season will feature five staged productions and a number of concert opera performances. Let’s dive in. The season kicks off with Verdi’s “Rigoletto,” which will get its opening night performance on Oct. 18, 2018. Aris Argiris stars in the title role with Lina Johnson as Gilda and Adam Smith as the Duke {…}
The Portland Opera is set to kick off its 2018 production of Verdi’s “Rigoletto.” The production will kick off on May 4, 2018, with subsequent showcases on the sixth, 10th, and a final performance on the 12th. All of the presentations will be at the Keller Auditorium. This year’s production will feature Portland Opera Music Director George Manahan leading baritone {…}
Premiering on March 11, 1851, “Rigoletto” is one of Verdi’s most popular operas, opening with great acclaim which cemented its place in the operatic repertoire. The libretto, written by Francesco Maria Piave, is adapted from Victor Hugo’s play “Le roi s’amuse,” which had been banned in France for its scandalous depiction of a womanizing monarch. Despite the many troubles posed {…}
Victor Hugo, born on Feb. 26, 1802, was one of the great French writers of the 19th century. Many know him as the author of “Les Miserables,” which was then adapted to the famed musical. Or others might recognize his work “Notre Dame de Paris,” in its English title “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” He is well-noted for the populism {…}
The San Diego Opera has announced its 2018-19 season, which will feature a number of repertory staples as well as major debuts from international artists. The season opens with Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro,” starting on Oct. 20, 2018. The cast will include John Moore, Nicholas Brownlee, Caitlin Lynch, Sarah Shafer, all in their company debuts. Other cast members will {…}
“Bleakness” would be best used to describe the ambience of this by now well known Royal Opera House revival: David McVicar’s “Rigoletto”. Originally mounted in 2001, it was first publicized as an audacious, controversial exposé of sixteenth-century Mantuan aristocracy; the kind of risky spectacle of which Verdi – plagued chronically by problems with his censors – could have only dreamed. {…}
This Thursday, Dec. 14, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden kicks off its revival of Verdi’s “Rigoletto.” The production will get a total of nine performances, the final one taking place on Jan. 16, 2018. There will be cast variations throughout, though there will be a consistent crop of artists for most of the performances. Here is a look through {…}
For years Dmitri Hvorostovsky was one of the leading interpreters of “Rigoletto” around the world. And while there are many baritones in the modern era that have successfully realized one of the most complex characters of the Verdi canon, few navigated the emotional turmoil quite the way the great Russian baritone did. He brought crudeness and ugliness to his vocal {…}
The Lyric Opera of Chicago opened its season with a fabulous collaboration with the Joffrey Ballet with the French version of “Orphée et Eurydice.” It was a sensational production, although the fact that Gluck’s work doesn’t really feature a great amount of singing perhaps left a void for some hearty Lyric operagoers. Anybody who felt that way certainly had their {…}