Olga Peretyatko was in glorious voice for her captivating recital at La Scala. Beautiful on both the eye and the ear she charmed throughout her highly demanding and lengthy programme, bewitching the audience for more than two hours – people headed toward the exits at 10.40pm after an 8pm start. A mixed programme offered three settings of Gretchen’s (or Margarete’s) soliloquy … [Read more...]
Riccardo Frizza answers the Gramilano Questionnaire… Conductors’ Edition
Q&A When did you start playing an instrument? I was five years old. Why did you start playing? Because I was given a little piano in my house. Which musician inspired you most when you were young? Lenny Bernstein. Which musicians (instrumentalists or singers) do you most admire? Joshua Bell and Placido Domingo. What’s your favourite piece to conduct? Every place … [Read more...]
Salzburg, L’italiana in Algeri – the role Cecilia Bartoli was born to play
Cecilia Bartoli was made to sing Isabella. Rossini wrote L’italiana in Algeri 200 years ago, but he could have been thinking of her. She waited until she was 50 to sing the role, though having pushed her voice into the stratosphere with feats of extreme-singing in her Sacrificium programme [the castrati repertoire] she hindered her ability to return to such a low-laying part. … [Read more...]
Interview with Jonas Kaufmann: opera in the age of #MeToo and why he refused to go to the sauna
Jonas Kaufmann: [#MeToo is happening in opera] and not just for the girls! We men are at risk too! I know the situation well because as a young man it happened to me. I was at the beginning of my career and an agent offered me a concert, a fantastic opportunity. But in return I would have had to go with him to a sauna... it was a very unambiguous exchange. I was afraid, and I … [Read more...]
La Scala, Milan: Opera and Recital Season 2018 – 2019
OPERA SEASON 2018 - 2019 La Scala announced its 2018-2019 Opera season today with 15 titles, nine of which are new productions, and two are La Scala premieres. At the heart of the season remains the Italian repertoire, continuing with the cycle of works of Verdi, Puccini, Verismo (which will return in 2020 with Giordano’s Fedora and Montemezzi’s L’amore dei tre re), and the … [Read more...]