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 {…}
Luciano Pavarotti is one of the greatest tenors of all-time, his artistry leaving a massive legacy behind him. The tenor, born on Oct 12, 1935 in Modena, will always be remembered for his charming disposition which was matched by the color of his voice. His ability to transcend the opera stage and reach millions around the world with a variety {…}
The Berkshire Opera Festival has announced its 2018 festival. After a successful second season, the company is kicking off with Verdi’s “Rigoletto.” The new production will star Sebastian Catana in the title role, Maria Valdes in the role of Gilda and Jonathan Tetelman as the Duke. Joseph Barron is Sparafucile and Maya Lahyani is Maddalena. Jonathon Loy will once again direct with {…}
Ettore Bastianini, Pablo Elvira, and Cornell MacNeil share a birthday – September 24. Two of these men, MacNeil and Bastianini were born on the same exact day. All three were baritones, overlapping a ton of repertoire. Of the three, Elvira’s career is perhaps not quite up to the legendary status of the other two men, with Bastianini often crowned as {…}
The full cast for Dmitri Hvorostovsky’s first full recording of “Rigoletto” has been announced. Delos made the announcement via Twitter, noting that the new album is slated for release on Nov. 10, 2017 and will also showcase Nadine Sierra as Gilda, Francesco Demuro as the Duke of Mantua, Andrea Mastroni as Sparafucille, and Oksana Volkova as Maddalena. Constantine Orbelain conducts {…}
Giuseppe Di Stefano is one of the great Italian tenors in history. For many, he possessed the most beautiful timbre of any lyric tenor and some fans lament the tenor’s insistence on singing operas that were often darker and heavier than his lyric could seemingly handle. And yet, one of the reasons why Pippo, born on July 24, 1921, was {…}
Did you miss the Met’s Live in HD broadcasts courtesy of Fathom Events these past few summers? Still want to check out some HD broadcasts from the Metropolitan Opera? Well, you have a chance to do just that, at the Met. More like, right outside the Met, as the company will offer 10 free screenings in Lincoln Center Plaza from {…}
In a time when Tito Gobbi and Ettore Bastiani reigned supreme, Aldo Protti wasn’t quite given all that much appreciation. The baritone, born on July 19, 1920, has since retained his place in the history books. And while he is not universally hailed as the greatest, or even of the greatest of all-time, Protti retains the stature of being one {…}
The Wexford Opera has announced its ShortWorks Daytime Opera slate for 2017. The festival offers a unique way to experience opera from the Clayton Whites Hotel. The daytime productions showcase shortened versions of works, running in at around one hour in length. This year’s festival will feature one repertory staple, an Italian rarity and a world premiere. First up is {…}
Celso Albelo possesses a glorious instrument that allows him to sing a wide range of bel canto operas with great ease. But in speaking with the tenor, it became very clear that he doesn’t take a single thing for granted. He might be able to whip up a few phrases without thinking about it or throw off the highest of {…}
“Rigoletto” can’t be topped for its humanity. A father and a daughter, a jester, a virginal naif, longing for and trying to sustain a good a life in selfish and lecherous world, power-hungry and greedy, 16th century Mantua. Such is the subject of Verdi’s middle period masterpiece. The libretto by Francisco Maria Piave is based on the play “Le Roi {…}
