How Teatro Real Madrid’s Production of ‘The Tale of Tsar Saltan’ Transforms Fairy Tale Into Modern Psychological Drama

(Photo Credit: © Forster) The premiere of “The Tale of Tsar Saltan” at the Teatro Real de Madrid became an extraordinary event. Dmitri Tcherniakov offered the audience a new interpretation of the famous opera by Rimsky-Korsakov, transforming it from a fairy-tale into a psychological drama. The director boldly departs from familiar images and, like a surgeon, reveals the hidden meanings {…}

Oct 16, 2023

Heartbeat Opera to Present ‘The Golden Cock’ a Drag Adaptation of ‘The Golden Cockerel’

Heartbeat Opera will present “The Golden Cock” at Roulette in Brooklyn on Nov. 9 at 7:30 PM and Nov. 10 at 7:00 PM and 9:30 PM. Heartbeat Opera’s adaptation of Rimsky-Korsakov’s “The Golden Cockerel” takes the original story and transforms it into a drag show with costumes by celebrated New York designer David Quinn. The drag extravaganza is Heartbeat’s most {…}

Apr 15, 2023

Olga Peretyatko to Present ‘Slavic Songs’ Recital at La Monnaie / De Munt

La Monnaie / De Munt is set to present a recital featuring soprano Olga Peretyatko alongside pianist Matthia Samuil on May 15, 2023. The duo will present “Slavic Songs,” a recital featuring music by Tchaikovsky, Chopin, Rimsky-Korsakov, Dvorak, and Rachmaninoff. The concert will also feature music by two Ukrainian composers – Mykhaylo Zherbin and Heorhiy Mayboroda. The soprano will also {…}

Jun 19, 2021

Online Music Guild to Present Viktoria Slobodina & Yu Chen Recital

Soprano Viktoria Slobodina will join forces with pianist Yu Chen for a recital on June 19, 2021. The showcase, which will be streamed directly on the Online Music Guild, will feature music by Puccini, Verdi, Dvorak, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Tchaikovsky. Slobodina hails from Saint Petersburg and studied in Vienna. She received a special prize at the Vienna New Year’s Concert International {…}

Sep 10, 2020

Opera Meets Film: How Chaplin’s ‘The Gold Rush’ Uses Wagner / Rimsky-Korsakov Quotes to Create his Most Operatic Film Score

“Opera Meets Film” is a feature dedicated to exploring the way that opera has been employed in cinema. We will select a film section or a film in its entirety and highlight 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 Charles {…}

Apr 1, 2020

Curtis Institute of Music to Stream Russian Works Recital

(Image Provided by Russian Opera Workshop) The Curtis Institute of Music will be streaming a Russian Works Recital this Friday, April 3, 2020 on its official YouTube and Facebook page. The showcase kicks off at 8 p.m. EDT. It featured soprano Emily Damasco, baritone Patrick Wilhelm, soprano Lindsey Reynolds, soprano Olivia Smith, baritone Charles Buttigieg, soprano Merissa Beddows, tenor Martin {…}

Mar 14, 2020

Opera Quiz: Who Was it – Rimsky-Korsakov or Mussorgsky?

Composers Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Modest Mussorgsky are actually more inseparable than one might imagine. Both were arguably the most enduring members of The Five. Rimsky-Korsakov famously completed many of his friend’s unfinished works. And the two had birthdays within days of one another. So in celebrating these two historic Russian composers, here is a quiz that pits them against one {…}

Jul 1, 2019

Eurasia Festival 2019 Review: Opening Night Gala & Eurasian Soiree

(Photo: Niabari Dugbor) On June 24, 2019, the Eurasia Festival began its second year with an Opening Night Gala at the Kaufman Music Center. What ensued was a highly compelling tour through some of the musical and cultural heirlooms of the Eurasian region. Introducing the festival and the artists to come was Eurasia Festival president Aza Sydykov. “We have had {…}

Jun 27, 2019

Independent Opera Company To Present ‘The Snow Maiden’

The Independent Opera Company is set to showcase Rimsky-Korsakov’s “The Snow Maiden” on July 5, 6, 12, and 13 at the St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Los Angeles, California. The opera will star Erica Lazerow as the title heroine for the second and third performances, with Brooke Iva Lohman opening and closing the run. Alexis Wesley as the Spring Beauty {…}

May 13, 2019

Bel Cantanti Opera Presents Rare U.S. Production of ‘The Tsar’s Bride’

The Bel Cantanti Opera is set to showcase performances of “The Tsar’s Bride” on May 18 and 19, 2019. This production will make just the third time that the work is produced in the United States and it will feature a cast that includes Asmik Arutiuniants, Rob McGinness, Viktoriya Koreneva, John Scherch, Michael Butler, Peter Bourough, Alyssa Cox, Marie Herrington, {…}

Mar 18, 2019

Composer Profile: Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, A Legendary Russian Composer Who Salvaged Many Masterpieces

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov is one of the most influential Russian composers of the 19th century. Born on March 18, 1844, he started composition at age 10 but preferred literature over music. During his school years he started to take piano lessons and slowly cultivated his music talents throughout those formative years. When he arrived in St. Petersburg in 1865, he met {…}

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