(Credit: Teatro Nuovo) On the evening of Thursday, July 18, 2019, opera lovers excitedly took to their seats for a semi-staged production of Rossini’s rarely performed “La Gazza Ladra” (“The Thieving Magpie”) at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater. The opera was presented by Teatro Nuovo, a fairly new organization which aims to produce “exciting revivals of neglected Bel Canto {…}
(Credit: Suzanne Vinnik) Rising star soprano Gabriella Reyes will be performing alongside the Montclair Orchestra on Sept. 22, 2019. The concert, which will take place at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, will feature the overture from Rossini’s “Semiramide,” Rimsky Korsakov’s “Scheherazade,” and Behzad Ranjbaran’s “Songs of Eternity;” this latter selection will feature Reyes. The main theme of the concert is music {…}
Gioachino Rossini is deservedly well-known for many an opera, however, he is also well-known for being one of those rare composers who actually retired from opera. His most ambitious opera “Guillaume Tell,” written in 1829, was also his last. Consequently, he had the luxury of spending over three decades in retirement in Paris at the prime of his life. Nonetheless, {…}
(Credit Robert Workman) First performed at Glyndebourne in 1954 and revived now twice, both in 2016 and 2019, Rossini’s “Il barbiere di Siviglia” has consistently proven to be just the right dose of comic relief within a well-rounded opera season. With the production featuring Director Annabel Arden’s 2016 dreams coming to life again in 2019, at the hands of revival {…}
As the summer inches closer, lovers of opera and the performing arts can enjoy a number of smaller, independent productions throughout New York City. Naturally, one would not expect to see an opera singer delivering arias from on top of a piano in the middle of Washington Square Park, but that’s exactly what happens with Opera Under the Arch. The {…}
Of Rossini’s many comedies, “L’Italiana in Algeri” is among his most renowned. The work, which had its world premiere on May 22, 1813, was written by Angelo Anelli and was composed in less than a month. It has remained a fixture in the repertory since its world premiere, noted as a major vehicle for mezzo-sopranos such as Marilyn Horne, Teresa {…}
Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” will be showcased via the Vienna State Opera’s live stream service on May 21, 2019. The famed Rossini comedy will star Juan Diego Flórez in a role that he championed in the earlier part of his career. It will be interesting to see the tenor return to this iconic interpretation after having moved into heavier {…}
The San Diego Opera is set to join forces with “The Enchanted Tail” for a free 40-minute opera for the whole family. The event is set to take place on June 1, 2019, at the Greek Amphitheatre at the Point Loma Nazarene University. The performance will feature the music of Mozart, Verdi, and Rossini to tell the story of a {…}
Italo Tajo was one of the famed Italian basses of the mid-20th century. He was born in Pinerolo on April 25, 1915 and studied at the Music Conservatory of Turin. In 1935, he made his stage debut and in 1939, he became a member of the Rome Opera. In 1940, he joined the Teatro alla Scala, which was promptly followed {…}
Tenor Luigi Alva is one of the great Rossini and Mozart interpreters of the mid 20th century. Born in Peru on April 10, 1927, Alva served in the Peruvian Navy before focusing on singing. His opera debut came in 1949 in Lima and in 1953, he headed to Milan where he would make his debut in 1954 at the Teatro {…}
A year ago, we released a quiz dedicated to opera history. Obviously, there was no way to summarize all the information into just 10 trivia questions. We knew the day would come when we would be able to incorporate some other fun information in the form of another quiz. And that day has now come. Behold another trivia quiz made {…}