Druid City Opera has announced the cast for its upcoming production of “Il Barbiere di Siviglia.” The company, which is in its fourth season in Tuscaloosa, will showcase the Rossini work with Scott Purcell in the title role. He will be joined by Nicholas Simpson as Count Almaviva, Arianna Paz Ritaccio as Rosina, Peter Morgan as Bartolo, and Joseph Baunoch {…}
Opera in the Pines will world premiere “The Barber of the Cape” on May 16, 2025. The showcase, set to take place at Cape Neddick Lobster Pound in Maine, is an adaptation of Rossini’s famed “Il Barbiere di Siviglia.” In this version, Rosie, a waitress, falls for a visitor from Manhattan. In order to find her happy ending, she must {…}
Hurn Court Opera is set to present “La Cenerentola” from April 14-18, 2025 at the Theatre Royal Winchester. For this production, the company teamed up with costume students at Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) to create “Bridgerton Style dresses.” “This was a fantastic opportunity for our Costume students. To get real-life experience, to make these stunning Regency dresses for the prestigious {…}
(Photo: Armati Bacciardi) Over the next few months, OperaWire will be reviewing a number of productions at a variety of festivals across the globe. One name that keeps cropping up, at least in Europe, is that of Rosetta Cucchi. Blessed with a never-ending supply of energy and ideas, she always has one project on the go with others in the {…}
(Photo: Felix Grünschloß) OperaWire was fortunate to be present at The International Händel Festspiele in Karlsruhe earlier this month in which we caught a splendid production of the composer’s 1731 opera, “Rinaldo.” Fortunately, we managed a very quick interview with one of its star performers, mezzosoprano Valeria Girardello. OperaWire: What was the first opera you saw? Valeria Girardello: “L’Italiana in {…}
(Photo: Luca Del Pia) With its wonderful arias, sparkling ensembles and a score that pops and fizzes underpinned by its easy-to-follow, fast-moving narrative, full of energy and comedy, fronted by Figaro, a character known to many people that have never even set foot in an opera house, “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” still has the pulling power it did over 200 {…}
(Photo Credit : ©Simon Gosselin) Opéra de Nancy, in co-production with Théâtre de la Ville de Luxembourg, Opéra de Reims and Théâtre de Caen, presents Rossini’s “La Cenerentola.” A youthful opera – the composer was only twenty-five years old when he wrote it – this dramma giocoso is reminiscent of opera seria in its moral ending and, as is often {…}
(Photo: “The Barber of Seville” debuted just over 200 years ago in Rome. The opera played to a jeering audience, a staged event where adherents of the composer Giovanni Paisiello – whose own version of the opera, “Il barbiere di Siviglia, ovvero La precauzione inutile” had pleased operagoers 20 years earlier – packed the house and catcalled throughout the premiere {…}
(Photo: Rolando Paolo Guerzoni) Composed by Gioachino Rossini in 1818, “Mosè in Egitto” is an opera that deserves close attention for its historical and musical significance. Created during a transitional phase in his career, Rossini crafted a masterpiece that merges sacred drama with opera seria. Based on the biblical tale of Exodus, Moses in Egypt marks a turning point in {…}
(Photo: Amati Bacciardi) “Ermione” managed only seven performances when premiered at Naples’ San Carlo in 1816 before being shelved. It had to wait until 1987 to be revived, when it received its first modern staging at the Pesaro Rossini Opera Festival. Since then, it has had numerous performances, with each adding to its reputation as one of the composer’s most {…}
(Photo: Amati Bacciardi) After the initial success of its premiere in 1819 at Teatro La Scala, Rossini’s “Bianca e Falliero” managed to hold its place on Italian stages and beyond for over 10 years before disappearing completely. It was not until 1986 that its first revival in modern times took place, thanks to the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro. The {…}