Suspension of disbelief is crucial in the opera-going world – its characters being frequently endowed with childlike minds that have no sense of time or fear of consequence. With its apparently ageless characters and scarcely tenable premise, Verdi’s tale of “Simon Boccanegra” – the 14th century’s first Doge of Genoa – has few laurels on which it can rest. Encompassing {…}
Lawrence Tibbett was one of the shining stars of the Metropolitan Opera in the pre-World War II era. The baritone, born on Nov. 16, 1896, would sing over 600 performances with the company between his debut on Nov. 24, 1923 and his final performance on March 24, 1950. Interestingly, he began his Met career as a bit role in “Boris {…}
How many opera singers could claim to have been nominated for Best Actor at the Academy Awards? Lawrence Tibbett can. Born on Nov. 16, 1896, the American baritone grew up in Los Angeles singing in church choirs and at funerals to survive after his father was killed in a shootout when he was but seven years old. He served as {…}
The Tanglewood Festival has announced its 2019 season. As with other programs of this sort, we will limit ourselves to the vocal and operatic selections on display. For the full program, click here. Verdi’s Requiem will get a performance with Kristine Opolais, Oksana Volkova, Jonathan Tetelman, and Ryan Speedo Green. Andris Nelsons will conduct the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Performance Date: {…}
Austrian soprano Leonie Rysanek was one of the great dramatic sopranos of the 20th century. Born in Vienna on Nov. 14, 1926, Rysanek’s childhood saw her working in munition factories. She was hoping to be an actress, but her brother encouraged her to become a singer. So at age 16, she entered the Vienna Academy and by age 23 she {…}
Per the Met’s press office DiGiacomo has always been scheduled to perform the Dec. 28 performance. Sonya Yoncheva will no longer perform the Dec. 28 performance of Verdi’s “Otello” at the Metropolitan Opera. The soprano’s team announced via Twitter that she would no longer appear in the performance. The soprano is slated to be at the Opéra de Paris for New {…}
Rosa Feola is set to star in Franco Zeffirelli’s upcoming production of “Rigoletto.” According to the Giornale della Musica, the Italian soprano will be Gilda in the production, which is slated to open at the Royal Opera Muscat in 2020. The news comes a day after it was announced that at the age of 97, the legendary director would direct his first {…}
Lamberto Gardelli, born on Nov. 8, 1915, became one of the great conductors of the Italian repertory during the “Golden Age” of opera. He was born in Venice and studied at the Liceo Musicale Rossini and Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. He started off as a pianist before eventually turning into a conductor. He was an assistant to Tulio Serafin {…}
The Film Forum is doing an encore screening of “Senso” after a successful first presentation. The screening will include a pre-talk with journalist, filmmaker, and Verdi devotee August Ventura. Ventura will introduce the 7:45 p.m. show talking about Visconti’s use of Verdi’s “Il Trovatore” and will explain the role Verdi’s operas played as an agent of social and political change. Ventura {…}
On Nov. 9, 2018, Michelle Bradley will perform in the last of four Verdi Requiem performances at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. And then in January the soprano, who adores Verdi’s music above all else, will make her role debut as Leonora in “La Forza del Destino.” It’s been a tremendous 2018 overall for Bradley, who made her role debut as {…}
Opera Naples is set to introduce a new lecture series this year, highlighting works from its upcoming season. The company will open its “A Toast to Opera” series on Nov. 29, 2018, at the Wang Opera Center, taking a look at the company’s upcoming production of “Aida.” The presentation will be done in conjunction with Theatre Zone, which is set {…}