This review is for the performance on Saturday, May 26, 2018. Within the intimate space of the Riverside Theatre, Amore Opera’s production of “La Traviata” brought to the surface comedic moments hidden within Francesco Maria Piave’s libretto. While this work is not one I normally would expect humor from, this approach added to the emotional investment in the audience, as {…}
Verdi’s “La Traviata” will be the first opera to live stream from the Vienna State Opera in the month of June as the performance on the first will get a broadcast around the globe. Per the official website, Irina Lungu stars as Violetta with Pavol Breslik as Alfredo and Plácido Domingo as Germont. Marco Armiliato conducts the Jean-Francois Sivadier production. {…}
It is not too difficult to stage Verdi’s ever-popular tear-jerker “La Traviata.” Francesco Maria Piave’s libretto and stage directions are so detailed any director with access to a few lengths of velvet and some stock chandeliers can create a plausible mis-en-scène to serve Verdi’s marvelous, emotive music. French director Jean-François Sivadier, whose operatic resumé is shorter than a Rossini semiquaver, {…}
Franco Bonisolli is one of the finest Italian tenors of his generation. Born on May 25, 1938, the tenor managed a solid career throughout the 1970s and 1980s, his onstage and offstage personality often drawing great attention. His career kicked off in 1962 in lyric tenor roles like Nemorino in “L’Elisir d’amore,” Alfredo in “La Traviata,” Rodolfo in “La Bohème,” {…}
On May 20, 2018, Regina Opera Company concluded its first run of Giuseppe Verdi’s timeless “Aida.” While it is a work that is by no means underperformed around the world, this production comes as a loving tribute to the late Marie Cantoni, who founded the company back in 1970 with Nicholas Tierno. The experience the company has gained since then {…}
The Deutsche Oper Berlin had a problem for its final presentation of “Rigoletto” on Thursday night. The baritone Markus Bruck was forced to cancel around noon that day from his scheduled appearance in the title role. Fortunately, the company had a tremendous solution at hand. The Serbian baritone Zeljko Lucic was available since he was present to perform in “Nabucco” {…}
Librettist often get overlooked in the opera world. A lot of it has to do with the perception of opera plots, in many cases, being lesser than the quality of the music attached to them. And the result is that the composer gets the credit for the work. This is what happened with Francesco Maria Piave. We don’t know “La {…}
There aren’t many well-known Croatian opera stars. But there is Zinka Milanov. Born on May 17, 1906, the Croatian diva would go on to one of the most stable careers at the Metropolitan Opera. She studied in Milan and Berlin during her youth, making her opera debut in Slovenia at age 21. Her role? Leonora in “Il Trovatore.” It was {…}
Ferruccio Furlanetto is one of opera’s great Verdi basses, though his repertoire has vastly evolved throughout his successful career. Born on May 16, 1949, Furlanetto made his professional debut at age 25 in Lonigo. Five years later he was at La Scala in Verdi’s “Macbeth.” His Met debut came in 1981, where he has been a fixture throughout his career. {…}
“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 Sam Mendes’“Spectre.” Not {…}
During the later 1900s, there were a few baritones associated with the repertoire of Verdi – the so-called “Verdi baritones.” While many might immediately turn toward Leo Nucci, Renato Bruson, or Piero Cappuccilli as the big Verdi baritones of the time, Giorgio Zancanaro was undeniably among the elites. The baritone, born on May 9, 1939, studied in his native Verona, {…}