Strange as it may now seem, but during Wagner’s own lifetime, and well into the early 20th century, “Rienzi” was one of his most oft performed works, knocking up over 200 performances by 1908 in Dresden alone, the city in which it was premiered. Nowadays, no doubt, owing in part to Wagner’s own reservations about the work, it has become {…}
Salzburg’s Whitsun Festival hosted a Gala on Monday evening, May 21, 2018. Conducted by Daniel Barenboim and the Staatskapelle, Berlin, it was a splendid event. Cecilia Bartoli and Jonas Kaufmann did the vocal honors after Rolando Villazón canceled for health reasons. Bartoli and Barenboim included additional music to supplement the absent singer, and Jonas Kaufmann sang solo from the Wesendonck {…}
James King, born on May 22, 1925, would go onto a prolific career as a heldentenor. But it took him a long way to get there. In fact, he didn’t make his debut as a tenor until 1961 when he was in his mid-30s. The reason for this is that his initial studies had led him down the path of {…}
Richard Wagner might just be the greatest composer in opera history. That, of course, depends on how you view the likes of Mozart and Verdi. But Wagner is easily in the top three in any discussion, his works revolutionizing the entire artform. Born on May 22, 1813, Wagner lived a tumultuous life created by his own very unstable personality. But {…}
Swedish soprano Birgit Nilsson is arguably the ultimate Wagnerian soprano. Born on May 17, 1918, Nilsson grew up on a farm with parents who had hoped she would grow up to perpetuate this lifestyle. But music came early to her at the age of three and she noted herself in interviews that she could sing before she could walk. She {…}
Swedish soprano Nina Stemme, born on May 11, 1963, has had a career that many sopranos would envy. For most singers, Wagner doesn’t come easily. For others, it doesn’t come at all. Stemme has made a career out of dominating the works by the famed composer, among many other noted works. She actually kicked off her professional life studying business {…}
German soprano Evelyn Herlitzius, scheduled to make her San Francisco Opera debut as Brünnhilde in Wagner’s “Der Ring des Nibelungen,” has withdrawn from the upcoming engagement due to health reasons. In a personal statement from her home in Dresden, Evelyn Herlitzius wrote, “I regret very much that due to unforeseen health reasons, I am forced to withdraw from my Ring {…}
Siegfried Jerusalem could not have been better named. The Oberhausen native, born on April 17, 1940, would grow up to be one of the great 20th century interpreters of his namesake in Wagner’s famed “Der Ring des Nibelungen.” The tenor actually studied piano, violin, and bassoon in his formative years and started his career as a bassoon player. Eventually, at {…}
The Music Academy of the West has announced its 71st season which is set for June 11, 2018. The festival will run through August 11, 2018, and will star some of the greatest artists in the world of opera and classical music. As has been the case for these season announcements, the focus will be solely on opera and vocal {…}
Anticipation. Expectancy. The pulse of Act two of “Tristan und Isolde” in concert performance at Carnegie Hall. Under the baton of Andris Nelsons, Ray and Maria Stata Music Director of the Boston Symphony, everything was set in motion – the lover galloping to his beloved, heralded by the offstage brass . The woman waiting with rapid heart-beat for his arrival. The {…}
Tenor Jonas Kaufmann is in the midst of singing live performances of the second act of Wagner’s “Tristan Und Isolde,” a work many have been anticipating from the German tenor for many years. And while seeing him sing the second act is quite enticing (reviews have been overwhelmingly positive), it seems that he is planning on adding the full role {…}