Opera singing is a high-wire profession. Only the most tone-deaf will not wince when a note is off. It is all too obvious when part of a role lies too high, or too low or, indeed, hovers too much around the centre of the voice, for a particular singer. Audiences reach out in empathy when a singer arrives ‘sung out’ at the end of an opera… or prepare to boo.Dancers, and … [Read more...]
80 years of opera and ballet costumes from La Scala go on display
The theatrical costume is a paradox: it hides, yet at the same time, communicates revealing aspects of a character; it is made to be seen from afar, yet the designers and costume makers care for the tiniest details, even if invisible. Each costume contains thousands of secrets, from colour combining to decoration, from the choice of a fabric to the technique to create a form. … [Read more...]
€3,000 seats at La Scala sell out in just a few hours for Anna Netrebko in Andrea Chénier
Fancy being at the opening night to see Anna Netrebko in Andrea Chénier, the opera which opens La Scala’s 2017-2018 season? Well, the best seat in the house will set you back €3,000. But hurry, in just a few hours the theatre has almost sold out. All the most expensive seats have already gone, though there are a handful of seats in the fourth-tier side-boxes at just €2,100! … [Read more...]
Lisette Oropesa answers the Gramilano Questionnaire… Singers’ Edition
Q&A When did you start singing? We have a recording of me when I was three singing La via dolorosa, complete with background track. So it’s safe to say, I think, since I was a toddler.Why did you start singing? My whole family sings, and my mother in particular is very gifted. So it was a way to bond with everyone as we grew up, harmonizing along with the radio. And … [Read more...]
#OperaPassion from the BBC with a live streaming day, events on TV and radio, and the V&A’s “Opera: Passion, Power and Politics”
Tony Hall, currently the Director-General of the BBC but previously the Chief Executive of the Royal Opera House from 2001 until 2013, is bringing his opera experience to broadcasting in a bold new collaborative project.Across the season, which starts on 30 September, the BBC will work with 12 UK partners, including major cultural organisations and leading opera companies, … [Read more...]