(Credit: Opera Naţională Română din Timişoara official website) Romanian soprano Constanța Adriana Mesteș passed away in Bucharest at the age of 64. She graduated from the singing section of the Timișoara’s High School of Arts “Ion Vidu” in 1975. That same year, she got her first job at Opera Naţională Română din Timişoara, at first as a member of the {…}
(Credit: https://inesrivadeneira.jimdofree.com/) Inés Rivadeneira has died at the age of 91 on August 3, 2020. The mezzo-soprano was born in Lugo, Spain but moved to Valladolid at the age of two, where she lived until the age of 18. In Valladolid, she started singing in a choir and when she turned eighteen, Rivadeneira moved to Madrid, to study singing at {…}
Opera Holland Park is postponing its streaming of Verdi’s “Un Ballo in Maschera.” In a press release, the company said, “Opera Holland Park is aware of the #BlackOutTuesday movement among parts of the music industry that began to gather pace yesterday. We are individually and as a company committed to equality and we understand the desire of the music industry {…}
On June 2, 2020, Opera Holland Park will stream their acclaimed production of Verdi’s “Un ballo in maschera” on their YouTube channel and website. This video performance will mark what would have been the opening of the company’s 2020 season as the organization looks forward to being able to gather in person to perform. This production of the work was {…}
(Credit: Anton Ovcharov) Dmytro Popov is set to sing performances of Verdi’s “Un Ballo in Maschera” at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. The company announced that Popov will take over the Sept. 19 and 23 performances in the role of Gustav which Piotr Beczala was originally scheduled to sing. Popov sang the opening night on Sept. 15 and is next scheduled {…}
(Credit: Johannes Ifkovits) Piotr Beczala has canceled performances of Verdi’s “Un Ballo in Maschera” in Berlin. The Deutsche Oper Berlin announced via social media that Beczala was ill. The company stated, “Due to problems with his vocal chords, Piotr Beczala has to cancel his performances as Gustaf III in ‘Un Ballo in Maschera’ on 15/19/23 Sept at the Deutsche Oper.” As {…}
The Amore Opera has announced its 2018-19 season celebrating its 10th anniversary. This year the company will perform six productions that include opera classics, neglected gems of the repertoire, appealing children’s fare, and ever-popular Gilbert & Sullivan. Here is a look at what the season has to offer. Productions The season opens with Puccini’s “La Bohème” in a production co-directed {…}
The scene is set: a masked ball, set into the morning audience of King Gustavo III of Sweden – scarlet taffeta capes and gowns, coal-black hats and boots, creme and black masks. Donald Runnicles’, Music Director of the Deutscher Oper Berlin, lifts his baton with the brisk and lively overture to Verdi’s “Un Ballo In Maschera” and the curtain rises. {…}
Florence Quivar, born on March 3, 1944, is one of the great American mezzos of her time. She first came to love opera upon hearing the Met Opera on tour and then eventually launched on a mission to become a great opera singer in her own right. Her journey took her through the Julliard School, Philadelphia Academy of Music, and {…}
Throughout his career Verdi had to deal with the censors and their efforts to hinder his operas. Nowhere was this more prominent than in “Un Ballo in Maschera,” which premiered on Feb. 17, 1859. The work was originally entitled “Gustavo III,” but Verdi had to change the setting from Sweden to Boston and change the character of King Gustav III {…}
“Un Ballo in Maschera” is one of Verdi’s finest operas of his middle period. The libretto, while still rife with questionable melodramatic touches, features a compelling central character in the form of Riccardo / Gustavo. But more interestingly is the way that Verdi’s musical language has evolved throughout this particular work. “Ballo” is rife with glorious music that would easily {…}