On Friday, Nov. 24, the Metropolitan Opera will present Verdi’s famed Requiem with a star cast that includes Aleksandrs Antonenko, Ekaterina Semenchuk, Krassimira Stoyanova, and Ferruccio Furlanetto, all under the baton of Music director emeritus James Levine. Hearing the mass at the Metropolitan Opera is not a particularly common event and the work itself has not featured prominently in the {…}
Brooklyn’s Regina Opera company has kicked off its 2017-18 season with Verdi’s timeless “La Traviata.” As befitting a company entering its 48th season, its knowledge and execution of the work well-reflected the experience of the cast and crew. The rather-limited stage of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Academy was used to great effect as the faces flooded on and {…}
The Vienna State Opera’s will showcase its “Un Ballo in Maschera” production this coming Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017, as part of the company’s season-long live streaming service. The production will be led by conductor Jesús López Cobos, and star the likes of Piero Pretti as Gustaf III, Adrianne Pieczonka as Amelia, and Marco Caria as Ankarstrom. The production is directed {…}
Piero Cappuccilli is one of the great baritones of the 20th century. Born on Nov. 9, 1926, the Italian was noted for his rich and abundant voice, which was so perfect for the Verdi repertoire. The Trieste native made his official operatic debut in 1957 at the Teatro Nuovo in Milan as Tonio in “Pagliacci.” From there he would build {…}
Lamberto Gardelli, born on Nov. 8, 1915, in Venice, Italy, is one of the great Italian conductors in all of history. He dominated the repertoire of his native country, taking on the major repertory staples, and also placing a spotlight on the lesser-known operas. Among the composers that he championed in this respect was Giuseppe Verdi and it is thanks {…}
Vincenzo Bellini isn’t the most revolutionary of opera composers. In fact, his work is rather simple and his operas, most of them featuring questionable libretti, are not necessarily the most complex dramatic works (with the exception of “Norma”). And yet, the composer, born on Nov. 3, 1801, is among the most beloved in the opera world and even earned the {…}
The Lyric Opera of Chicago opened its season with a fabulous collaboration with the Joffrey Ballet with the French version of “Orphée et Eurydice.” It was a sensational production, although the fact that Gluck’s work doesn’t really feature a great amount of singing perhaps left a void for some hearty Lyric operagoers. Anybody who felt that way certainly had their {…}
“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 Oliver Stone’s “Wall {…}
Tito Gobbi is arguably one of the greatest, if not the greatest baritone of the 20th century. Born on Oct. 24, 1913, his career really took off after the second World War with the singer performing all around the world in a wide range of great Italian repertoire. He not only sang with a gorgeous baritone sound that featured tremendous {…}
Cheryl Studer, one of the most unique sopranos in recent history. Born on Oct. 24, 1955, she put together an enviable career that ranged from singing a tremendous amount of opera roles as dramatic and lyric soprano and then mezzo, to winning a plethora of major awards, to eventually becoming a teacher. She recorded countless albums and her legacy is {…}
Over the past year, María José Siri’s career has skyrocketed from opening the Teatro alla Scala in a new production of “Madama Butterfly” to premiering a new production of “Manon Lescaut” at the Teatro Regio di Torino. This past month she was also called to make another high-profile opening at the Vienna State Opera in “Il Trovatore.” Since then she {…}
