Gioachino Rossini, born on Feb. 29, 1729, is one of the great masters of Italian Opera. He was born in Pesaro and began to compose at the age of 12. He premiered his first opera “La Cambiale Di Matrimonio” in Venice in 1812 when he was just 18. Five years later, he was being engaged to write operas all over {…}
“Tancredi” is one of Rossini’s more renowned opera seria. The work had its world premiere in Venice on Feb. 6, 1813. Rossini famously completed the work in less than a month, borrowing the overture from another of his operas. The opera itself had a strong critical reception with the likes of Stendhal claiming it to be one of his masterworks. {…}
The Dallas Opera has announced its 2019-20 season and it features some of the most diverse programming of any season announcement to date. The proceedings kick off with Mozart’s “The Magic Flute.” The classic opera will feature Paolo Fanale, Andrea Carroll, Markus Werba, Olga Pudova, and Morris Robinson, among others. Emmanuel Villaume conducts the score in a production originally directed {…}
They say art reflects life and so often the experiences we engage with in artistic form are those that help to shape our world view. The beauty of art is how it is able to traverse a wide range of perspectives, giving us not only different ways of seeing humanity, but also different ways to feel about it. Bel Canto {…}
Born on Dec. 30, 1952, soprano June Anderson was the first non-Italian opera star to take home the famed Bellini d’Oro prize. Born in Boston and raised in Wallingford, Connecticut, she began vocal studies at age 11 and wound up becoming a finalist of the Met Opera auditions at the age of 17. A Yale graduate in French, she went {…}
On Dec. 23, 2018, Talents of the World brought their first International Music Festival to a stunning conclusion with the company’s Christmas Ball. The night saw a wide-ranging program of opera, operetta, and Christmas songs, and from start to finish there remained a sense of celebration which added much to the showcase of artistry. To Health! Opening the concert was {…}
Over the past years, Maxim Mironov has emerged as one of the great Rossini tenors of his generations and one of the greatest exponents of the Bel Canto repertoire. He has also become a favorite of the Italian audiences, performing in every important theater of the country and a frequent guest at both the Donizetti Opera Festival and the Rossini {…}
Baritone Sesto Bruscantini, born on Dec. 10, 1919, would go on to become a major Italian baritone throughout the 20th century. He actually obtained a law degree but turned to vocal studies and by 1947 had won a voice contest organized by RAI. His first professional appearance was in 1946 as Colline in “La Bohème;” his rendition of “Vecchia zimarra” {…}
An audience favorite for the ages, Gioachino Rossini’s “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” has seen numerous iterations over the years. The young Dutch director Lotte de Beer’s new production at Dutch National Opera is a French Revolution-themed affair that focuses on the female perspective via Rosina. In the beginning, we see the young Rosina denied a cupcake by Doctor Bartolo in {…}
Maxim Mironov has announced his second solo alum entitled “Questo e Rossini.” The tenor announced via social media that the new album will feature chamber music written by Rossini and will also feature pianist Richard Barker, with whom Mironov recorded his previous album “La Ricordanza.” Mironov, a Bel canto specialist, is currently performing “La Fille du Regiment” at the Teatro {…}
The Portland Opera is set to give audiences a new experience of Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville” in a 50-minute version in both English and Spanish. The performances are part of the company’s Portland Opera to Go program that takes opera to schools and community centers across Portland and Southern Washington state. This year, the company will showcase close to {…}