Alban Berg, born on Feb. 9, 1885, is one of the most prevalent composers of 12-tone music. He grew up in Vienna and showed more interest in literature than music from an early age. However, he would start teaching himself to compose at the age of 15 and eventually started studying under Arnold Schoenberg in 1904. His entire compositional style {…}
(Credit: Ruth Walz / Salzburg Festival) Based on the play by George Büchner, Alban Berg’s “Wozzeck” is widely considered one of the great operas of all-time. He conceived of it in 1914 and would eventually finish in 1922. It would receive its world premiere on Dec. 14, 1925. He adapted the libretto himself, creating a work that features numerous shorter {…}
“Wozzeck” is, for many, the crowning achievement of Alban Berg’s career. While the opera premiered on December 14 1925, Berg actually saw the premiere of the play upon which he based the opera on May 5, 1914. We chose to celebrate that day because it was from that initial experience that the opera germinated in the composer’s mind. So here {…}
What is the greatest opera of all time? Everyone has his or her own opinions but a recent poll of 172 of the world’s greatest singers has yielded a consensus – Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro.” The poll included such stars as tenor/baritone Plácido Domingo, sopranos Kiri Te Kanawa and Renée Fleming and bass-baritone Bryn Terfel, among others, and was {…}
For audiences anticipating the Metropolitan Opera’s upcoming 2019-20 production of Berg’s “Wozzeck,” they are in luck as Medici.tv and the Salzburg Festival are teaming to present it. On August 27, the opera will be streamed through Medici.TV allowing audiences around the world to see the acclaimed production by William Kentridge. The opera, which premiered on August 8, scored rave reviews {…}
Following its opening at Austria’s Salzburg Festival, William Kentridge’s production of Wozzeck will be coming to the Metropolitan Opera in 2019. And by the looks of it, Met audiences are primed for a major treat. Shirley Apthorp of Financial Times describes the artistic direction of Kentridge’s Wozzeck as “grim sketches and animations, a return to his earlier medium of charcoal {…}
Erich Kleiber is widely considered one of the great conductors of the mid-20th century. Born on August 5, 1890, he was in love with Wagner’s art from his childhood, playing piano transcriptions from such works as “Lohengrin” and “Tristan.” He would go on to a legendary career, particularly in the world of opera, where he had a truly profound impact. {…}
The Metropolitan Opera has confirmed that David McVicar will direct two new productions for the 2017-18 season. In the January Playbill’s welcome letter, Gelb noted that McVicar would be directing a new production of Bellini’s “Norma” and Puccini’s “Tosca.” The two productions will mark the director’s seventh and eighth productions at the Metropolitan Opera. As noted last year in a {…}
Johannes Martin Kränzle is slowly becoming a recognized artist in the world of opera. After studying violin and composition for years, the baritone turned to opera and has not looked back ever since. Even after a setback from Bone Marrow Disease, Kränzle’s return to the stage has had critics raving. This week, with many artists taking a break, Kränzle will {…}