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” {…}
Verdi’s “Otello” gets a revival at the Metropolitan Opera starting on Dec. 14, 2018. The production will not only feature the debut of famed conductor Gustavo Dudamel but will also see the return of Bartlett Sher’s production. The cast will be headlined by Stuart Skelton in what will be his fourth role at the Met Opera. He made his debut {…}
The Met Opera will continue its Live in HD series this Saturday, Dec 15, 2018, with a performance of Verdi’s “La Traviata.” The broadcast, which kicks off 12:55 p.m. Eastern time, is set Diana Damrau as the lead heroine with Quinn Kelsey as Germont, and Juan Diego Flórez as her lover Alfredo. This is Damrau’s fifth HD broadcast with her {…}
Audiences who wanted something more traditional visually will be happy with this new “Traviata,” though one hopes that the clumsiness of the staging and the exaggerated color scheme of the costumes will get some sort of revisions for future iterations.
Set among the blasted heaths and mists of ancient Scotland, “Macbeth” is indeed a tale of murder most foul, in which an assassin’s dagger is never far from someone’s back. The bodies pile up; King Duncan is first to meet his end, murdered in his sleep by Macbeth, followed by Banco, Macduff’s wife and his children’s murders. It is all {…}
“Opera Meets Film” is a feature dedicated to exploring the way that opera has been employed in cinema. We will select a section or a film in its entirety, highlighting the impact that utilizing the operatic form or sections from an opera can alter our perception of a film that we are viewing. This week’s installment features “No Reservations.” The {…}
The Metropolitan Opera will open a new production of Verdi’s “La Traviata” on Monday, Dec. 4, 2018. The new production is hotly anticipated for a number of reasons. First off, it represents the first opera under new Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin. The maestro will be doing his second run of “La Traviata” with the company. He previously conducted seven performances {…}
Maria Callas is considered for many a turning point in the opera. Born on Dec. 2, 1923, in New York (she would later renounce her U.S. citizenship), the soprano received her musical education in Greece and would find her career flourishing in Italy. She made her Italian debut in 1946 in “La Gioconda” in Verona. From there she made a {…}
Verdi’s “Il Trovatore” is an audience favorite and a timeless classic and seeing Sir David McVicar’s revival currently playing at the Lyric Opera of Chicago is like a step back into time. The action is pushed forward a few centuries to Spain in the 19th with a dark and murky Goya-themed setting as the fitting backdrop for a tale of {…}
The Bayerische Staatsoper will live stream the Dec. 2 performance of Verdi’s “Otello” via its Staatsoper.TV. The free transmission will kick off at 7 p.m. local time (1 p.m. EST and 10 a.m. PST) and is set to feature Jonas Kaufmann in the title role. Anja Harteros will star as Desdemona and Gerald Finley will round out the cast as {…}
During its 350th anniversary season, the Opéra National de Paris presented a new production of one of the most difficult and controversial Verdi’s operas, “Simon Boccanegra.” With a solid cast and no boundaries of interpretation, Calixto Bieito decided to tell a recklessly modernized story, with characters seemed prohibited from interacting with one another and simply had to ignore each other {…}
