(Photo: Michele Crosera) Although the Sicilian composer Alessandro Scarlatti (1660–1725) is famed for his prolific output of operas–he claimed to have written well over 100–which were significant in laying the foundations for the development of 18th century opera seria, he rarely strayed into the field of comic opera. The single major exception was his 1718 work, “Il trionfo dell’onore,” written {…}
(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 {…}
The Teatro La Fenice has named Nicola Colabianchi its new superintendent. He will succeed Fortunato Ortombina, who was named the head of the Teatro alla Scala. In a statement, Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli said, “The appointment of Maestro Colabianchi rewards the professionalism and passion of a great music expert with a high-level curriculum and the fact that his name {…}
The Teatro La Fenice is set to celebrate the 300 years of the death of Alessandro Scarlatti with is work “Il trionfo dell’onore.” The work has never been performed in Venice and will be showcased in a new production by Stefano Vizioli with costumes and set design by Ugo Nespolo. Additionally, the piece will be shown with a new version {…}
The Teatro La Fenice has announced that Michele Mariotti will conduct the annual New Year’s concert. The concert will be held on Dec. 28, 30, 31, 2025, and Jan. 1, 2026. Alfonso Caiani will lead the chorus. The Jan. 1 evening will be broadcast on Rai 1. Soloists will be announced at a later date. Mariotti is the Musical Director of {…}
The Teatro La Fenice has announced a cast change for its production of “La Traviata.” The company said that due to illness Ekaterina Bakanova will take over the final performances on Nov. 24, 27, and 30 replacing the originally scheduled Marina Monzò. Bakanova had already sung the first performance and took to social media and said, “Breaking News! I take {…}
The Teatro La Fenice has canceled the opening night of the 2024-25 season due to a strike called by the main theater unions of the company. The company said that the Nov. 20 performance will no longer take place but the following performances on Nov. 23, 26, 29, and Dec. 1 are still set to be performed as scheduled. Ticketholders {…}
(Credit: Teatro Real, Royal Opera House/Bill Cooper/Salzburg Festival) With the year coming to an end, four major Italian opera houses are set to open their 2024-25 seasons. As customary the Italian opera calendar opens in late November or early December. So here is a look at what to expect from these four famed theaters. Teatro La Fenice The Venice Theater {…}
The Teatro La Fenice has canceled its opening night performance of “Turandot” on August 30, 2024. The company said that due to the announcement of a strike by the trade unions and RSUs of the La Fenice Theater Foundation, the performance of “Turandot” will not take place. The company will contact ticketholders, who will be refunded. The other performances will {…}
The Teatro La Fenice has announced its 2024-25 season. Opera Myung-Whun Chung conducts Verdi’s “Otello” in a new production by Fabio Ceresa. Francesco Meli sings the title role in a cast that also stars Francesca Dotto and Luca Micheletti. Performance Dates: Nov. 20-Dec. 1, 2024 Marina Monzò, Francesco Demuro, and Nicola Alaimo star in Verdi’s “La Traviata.” Diego Matheuz conducts. Performance {…}
(Photo credit: Michele Crosera) Having seen more versions of “Don Giovanni” than there are sands on the beach, I can attest that the greatness of the opera is seldom undermined by a less than optimum staging. However, when the staging is good—or even great—, one feels that there is no better opera than “Don Giovanni.” The revival of Damiano Michieletto’s {…}