Top article

All articles

L_cavcd15

Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci: Betting It All on Verismo

Perhaps not as well known as some more regularly staged operas, Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci (by Mascagni and Leoncavallo, respectively) are, nonetheless, major operas in the history of the genre (laying the foundations of verismo), with some of the most famous arias in opera and, in particular, having been interpreted by the greatest singers (Caruso foremost among them). And more recently, by Jonas Kaufmann, reprising the role of Turiddu at the Salzburg Easter Festival...

Published onthe 25 of March
L_xl_anja-harteros

Anja Harteros : Aida young at last

Linked for a long time to Wagner's repertoire, Anja Harteros  is nowadays obviously more dedicated to Verdi's one. Next friday, she embodies Aida at the Accademia Santa Cecilia in Roma, alongside Jonas Kaufmann and Ludovic Tezier. After referring to the work a few days ago, we now look at the role-title singer. *** Are divas condemned to live on an aeroplane between two triumphant appearances? They have been roundly criticised, perhaps...

Published onthe 25 of February
L_focus-aida-en

Aida, an Underrated Masterpiece

On 27 February, the Saint Cecilia Academy of Rome will be used as the setting for a concert version of Aida, the Verdi opera, interpreted in particular by Anja Harteros, Jonas Kaufmann and Ludovic Tezier in the principal roles, under the baton of Antonio Pappano directing the Santa Cecilia Orchestra and Chorus. An “ideal cast” for one of the most popular operas, which we often think we are familiar with but which contains deeper subtleties than we sometimes imagine. We shall...

Published onthe 22 of February
L_musfidelio

Fidelio: Beethoven’s only opera opens La Scala season

Article proposed by An ode to freedom, love and humanity, Fidelio is Beethoven’s only opera but it’s a masterpiece. It opened the new season at Milan’s La Scala, a highlight of Italy’s cultural calender. It also marks the end of Daniel Barenboim's era as musical director there. Beethoven slaved for over a decade on his opera, which is based on a true story of the French Revolution. “I really like the story. It’s a tangible...

Published onthe 09 of December
L_arabellaeuro

Dresden still spellbound by Strauss

Proposed by Richard Strauss had a special bond with the city of Dresden lasting several decades. His legacy still resonates in the Saxon capital. Among the celebrations marking the 150th anniversary of his birth the Semper Opera House staged Arabella, with top stars Anja Harteros and Thomas Hampson in the lead roles. The performance was a homage to the German composer, over half of whose operas premiered on this prestigious stage. “Richard Strauss is one of the...

Published onthe 14 of November
L_arabella-en

Timeless Arabella

In a letter dated 1927, Richard Strauss begs Hugo von Hofmannsthal to write him a new libretto: “You can even make me a second ‘Rosenkavalier’ if you don’t have anything better in mind.” This was to be the starting point of Arabella, the work with which the two accomplices would try to match the success of Der Rosenkavalier. The composer never imagined that this new work would mark the end of his collaboration with the man he called his “Da Ponte.”...

Published onthe 11 of November
L_enlevement-au-serail-en

The Abduction from the Seraglio, or the Art of Synthesis

At the age of 24, just freed from his tyrannical employer, Archbishop Colloredo, Mozart set off to win over the Viennese public by realizing his dream of writing a grand opera in German that would rival Italian opera. The Abduction from the Seraglio was a triumph from its opening night, becoming Mozart’s most popular work in his lifetime. Nothing seemed able to slow the success of this singspiel, which travelled all over Germany before continuing its triumphal career in Europe. The...

Published onthe 15 of October
L_musica-il-trovatore

Verdi’s Il Trovatore takes Salzburg by storm

Content provided by Rolex Partner, Verdi’s ‘Il Trovatore’ is a highlight of this year’s Salzburg Festival, thanks in part to an outstanding cast. It is one of the most popular operas of all time, despite being so ‘dark’ in many ways. Love, revenge, a mother burnt alive and a brother lost and tragically found are just some of the ingredients in this masterpiece. Vying for the heart of the fair Leonora is the tenor, and the baritone, the...

Published onthe 21 of August
L_il-trovatore-en

Il Trovatore: A Song of Night, Fire and Vengeance

The Salzburg Festival plays Verdi’s Il Trovatore. A dark and flamboyant, complex and convoluted work being known to require the “four most beautiful voices in the world”. In order to complete this demanding challenge, the Salzburg Festival relies on Placido Domingo (il conte di Luna) and Anna Netrebko (Leonora), Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Azucena) and Francesco Meli (Manrico). To coincide with the Salzburg’s production, we are getting back further in detail on this unlikely and brillant Trovatore,...

Published onthe 08 of August
L_kaufmann

Jonas Kaufmann in the passionate love story ‘Manon Lescaut’ at the Royal Opera House

Content provided by Rolex Partner, Jonas Kaufmann is considered one of the most versatile tenors of our time and is now adding another role to his repertoire as he debuts as Renato Des Grieux in Puccini’s ‘Manon Lescaut’. “This role is extremely beautiful and I think I will perform it a lot in the future. So this means the beginning of a great friendship and a passion for this opera,” Kaufmann explained. Plácido Domingo virtually...

Published onthe 11 of July
L_kaufles

Jonas Kaufmann recounts Manon Lescaut

At the age of 44, the great German tenor, today considered the greatest of his generation, has chosen to add a new role to his repertoire, that of Des Grieux in Puccini’s Manon Lescaut. After Mario Cavaradossi in Tosca and Dick Jonhson in La Fanciulla del West, this is only his third Puccini role, even though his baritone-tinged tenor voice seems ideally made for this repertoire. Why did he wait so long? Perhaps just because he was never offered it. Or because he felt that, before...

Published onthe 17 of June