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La Bohème

Royal Opera House Stream goes live with 130 titles

4 October 2022 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Vadim Muntagirov in rehearsal for Live from Covent Garden 20 June 2020 c 2020 ROH. Photograph by Tristram Kenton

The Royal Opera House has launched a streaming service that offers 45 performances from The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera’s archives. Together with these are also 85 behind-the-scenes features, … [Read more...] about Royal Opera House Stream goes live with 130 titles

[Interview] Luciano Pavarotti’s daughter talks about life with the King of the High Cs

15 August 2022 by Gramilano 1 Comment

Luciano Pavarotti Recital 1988

Cristina Pavarotti, 58, is Luciano Pavarotti’s second child, and will be in Los Angeles on 24 August for the positioning her father’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the accompanying … [Read more...] about [Interview] Luciano Pavarotti’s daughter talks about life with the King of the High Cs

Royal Opera House Ballet and Opera season 2022-2023 in brief

7 April 2022 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Royal Opera House

jump to OPERA SEASON 2022-2033 jump to BALLET SEASON 2022-2033 20 new productions, 9 world premieres and 3 UK premieres13 co-productions, co-commissions and partnerships with global … [Read more...] about Royal Opera House Ballet and Opera season 2022-2023 in brief

[Interview] “Me and my voice” American tenor Michael Fabiano on music and other passions

7 March 2022 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Michael Fabiano, photo by Jiyang Chen crop

American tenor Michael Fabiano will make an important role debut and house debut on 22 March when he sings Calaf in Turandot at the Rome Opera. “I’ve been preparing it for years,” he told me. “Many … [Read more...] about [Interview] “Me and my voice” American tenor Michael Fabiano on music and other passions

Royal Opera House: new ballet and opera streams

20 December 2021 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Zenaida Yanowsky as Marguerite and Roberto Bolle as Armand in Marguerite and Armand. © ROH, 2017. Photographed by Tristram Kenton.

Wayne McGregor’s The Dante Project is available from the Royal Opera House’s streaming service from Monday 20 December at 19.30 GMT (20.30 CET). The Guardian said: For his new ballet, Wayne … [Read more...] about Royal Opera House: new ballet and opera streams

The Royal Opera House says ‘Thank You NHS’

27 April 2021 by Gramilano 2 Comments

Royal Opera House, new exterior ©2018 ROH. Photograph by Luke Hayes (1)

Royal Opera House has announced a suite of performances, partnerships and events, as well as a special performance by the Royal Opera Chorus for hospital radios up and down the UK, to say thank you to … [Read more...] about The Royal Opera House says ‘Thank You NHS’

Mirella Freni’s voice will open La Scala’s gala for its new season

30 November 2020 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Mirella Freni as Adriana Lecouvreur in 1989, photo by Lelli e Masotti © Teatro alla Scala-sm

There will not be 24, but now 25 voices in La Scala’s gala to open its 2020-2021 season A riveder le stelle (Seeing the Stars Again). On 7 December, the video introducing the evening will feature the … [Read more...] about Mirella Freni’s voice will open La Scala’s gala for its new season

Jacquelyn Wagner answers the Gramilano Questionnaire… Singers’ Edition

7 September 2020 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Jacquelyn Wagner photo by Harald Hoffmann 01

in italiano Q&A When did you start singing? I always sang as a kid – operatically, even though I had no idea what an opera was – and my parents encouraged me a lot. I started singing … [Read more...] about Jacquelyn Wagner answers the Gramilano Questionnaire… Singers’ Edition

Mirella Freni dies at 84

9 February 2020 by Gramilano 1 Comment

Mirella Freni, who would have been 85 on 27 February, has died at her home in Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. She had been fighting an illness for a long while and died … [Read more...] about Mirella Freni dies at 84

Hui He answers the Gramilano Questionnaire… Singers’ Edition

9 October 2019 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Hui He at the close of a concert

When did you start singing? I always loved to sing since I was a child. I sang on every occasion, also during public events at school, where my maths teacher heard me and advised me to take singing … [Read more...] about Hui He answers the Gramilano Questionnaire… Singers’ Edition

Lucas Meachem answers the Gramilano Questionnaire… Singers’ Edition

10 March 2018 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Lucas Meachem © Simon Pauly 01

Q&A When did you start singing? There’s not a time I don’t remember singing in some capacity. Why did you start singing? I have a need to perform and to share my love of music with … [Read more...] about Lucas Meachem answers the Gramilano Questionnaire… Singers’ Edition

Soprano Frances Alda: arguing with Toscanini, a debut at La Scala, Chaliapin’s hairy chest, and Caruso at the Met

6 March 2018 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Frances Alda 1915 George Grantham Bain Collection (Library of Congress)

Frances Alda (1879 – 1952) was a New Zealand-born, Australian-raised operatic soprano. She was one of the world's most celebrated singers during the first three decades of the 20th century and was a … [Read more...] about Soprano Frances Alda: arguing with Toscanini, a debut at La Scala, Chaliapin’s hairy chest, and Caruso at the Met

Maria José Siri answers the Gramilano Questionnaire… Singers’ Edition

15 November 2017 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Portrait of Maria José Siri by Victor Santiago 2

Q&A   in italiano When did you start singing? I started as a young girl… for as long as I can remember. Why did you start singing? I started by accident. I was supposed to go to my saxophone … [Read more...] about Maria José Siri answers the Gramilano Questionnaire… Singers’ Edition

Luciano Pavarotti, 10 years after his death, celebrated in exclusive photos from the La Scala archives

6 September 2017 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Recital in 1983

Luciano Pavarotti died ten years ago today, on 6 September 2007. Teatro alla Scala continually welcomed the great tenor to its stage for almost three decades, from 1965 until 1992. At the Milanese … [Read more...] about Luciano Pavarotti, 10 years after his death, celebrated in exclusive photos from the La Scala archives

Angela Gheorghiu’s releases first studio recording in six years: Eternamente – The Verismo Album

31 August 2017 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Eternamente   Angela Gheorghiu 4

The studio recording - her first in six years - explores the generation of Italian composers that followed Verdi, including three duets with tenor Joseph Calleja Eternamente - The Verismo … [Read more...] about Angela Gheorghiu’s releases first studio recording in six years: Eternamente – The Verismo Album

The great basso buffo, Enzo Dara, dies at 78

26 August 2017 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

DARA ENZO in Il viaggio a Reims, photo by Lelli e Masotti   Teatro alla Scala

Enzo Dara, who would have been 79 in October, has died in Mantua, his home town. The exemplary Italian basso buffo died at 6pm yesterday afternoon in the town where he was born on 13 October … [Read more...] about The great basso buffo, Enzo Dara, dies at 78

Photo album and cast of Don Giovanni at La Scala

7 May 2017 by Gramilano 1 Comment

Don Giovanni   Thomas Hampson, photo by Brescia Amisano – Teatro alla Scala

Robert Carsen’s spectacular production for La Scala of Don Giovanni created for the opening of the opera season in 2011, started a ten-performance run last night, which ends on 6 June. The … [Read more...] about Photo album and cast of Don Giovanni at La Scala

Toscanini was born 150 years ago today… a quick summing up of a man and his career

25 March 2017 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Toscanini augtograph

Arturo Toscanini is the epitome of what a conductor should be according to the mass imagination. Like Caruso and Callas, his fame went beyond the concert halls, past the record-buyers and radio … [Read more...] about Toscanini was born 150 years ago today… a quick summing up of a man and his career

Riccardo Muti snubs the Rome Opera Orchestra at Salzburg

15 November 2014 by Gramilano 1 Comment

So Riccardo Muti will be off to Salzburg next year to conduct Ernani but, unsurprisingly, he will not be in front of the Rome Opera Orchestra, as previously announced, but his Cherubini Youth … [Read more...] about Riccardo Muti snubs the Rome Opera Orchestra at Salzburg

The funeral of Magda Olivero – 11 September 2014

12 September 2014 by Gramilano 1 Comment

Magda Olivero's funeral was a life affirming mix of emotions. She was a practising Catholic, and three different priests, who had been close to her for many years, spoke about this very special … [Read more...] about The funeral of Magda Olivero – 11 September 2014

Opera snobs won’t stop us going back to La Bohème

14 July 2014 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

By Peter Franklin, University of Oxford The Royal Opera House’s restaging of La Bohème will get the same responses as any other production of the Puccini opera. The savvy enthusiast hedges … [Read more...] about Opera snobs won’t stop us going back to La Bohème

Vittorio Grigolo on his last meeting with Pavarotti and on finding his siblings

30 August 2012 by Gramilano 2 Comments

Vittorio Grigolo is a firecracker of a man, exploding in all directions, often loudly, causing excitement - and a little disorientation - among those nearby. At least that is the impression he left on … [Read more...] about Vittorio Grigolo on his last meeting with Pavarotti and on finding his siblings

Interview with Alfie Boe: Royal Opera House and the ENO are “too proud and too stupid”

2 January 2012 by Gramilano 14 Comments

Alfie Boe is good at upsetting people. He speaks his mind, leaving diplomacy at home, and not thinking about the consequences. While he is certainly more of an opera singer than Katherine Jenkins, his … [Read more...] about Interview with Alfie Boe: Royal Opera House and the ENO are “too proud and too stupid”

Angela Gheorghiu talks about returning, on stage and off, with Roberto Alagna

25 September 2011 by Gramilano 1 Comment

In today's Sunday Telegraph, Angela Gheorghiu leaves a long interview with Julia Llewellyn Smith. She talks about her battles with opera producers and artistic directors. She also talks about Roberto … [Read more...] about Angela Gheorghiu talks about returning, on stage and off, with Roberto Alagna

On-screen opera: when do I clap?

28 August 2011 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Have you been to a live HD telecast outside in the piazza or in your local cinema? Well The Times' Richard Morrison has, and addresses a problem lots of us are grappling with: As performances are … [Read more...] about On-screen opera: when do I clap?

Vittorio Grigolo talks about his voice, his art, his country… and motorbikes

28 August 2011 by Gramilano 2 Comments

Vittorio Grigolo, already saddled with the label "the new Pavarotti", gave a long interview to the Italian newspaper Il Corriere della Sera's Style Magazine. He talked about his love of motorbikes, … [Read more...] about Vittorio Grigolo talks about his voice, his art, his country… and motorbikes

La Scala’s 2011-2012 opera and ballet season announced

15 April 2011 by Gramilano 2 Comments

La Scala held a press conference this morning to announce its 2011-2012 season. How times, and timing, have changed. Just ten years ago the season was being presented in late June, with roles "to … [Read more...] about La Scala’s 2011-2012 opera and ballet season announced

“Vincerò” or “I shall win!”? The opera translation dilemma

11 April 2011 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Soprano Jane Eaglen once told me that she would never sing Norma in English, how could "Casta Diva" be replaced by "Chaste Goddess"? In fact for Italian speakers, translations are often excruciating … [Read more...] about “Vincerò” or “I shall win!”? The opera translation dilemma

2011 Olivier Award nominations and winners

Winners of the award. Adriana Lecouvreur Revived at the Royal Opera House for the first time in over a century, Adriana Lecouvreur is a fictional account of the life of the 18th century actress. … [Read more...] about 2011 Olivier Award nominations and winners

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NEWS

New York City Ballet 2023 Spring Season is announced

Principal Brandon Lawrence to leave Birmingham Royal Ballet to join Ballett Zürich

Two new opera recordings to be released by Warner Classics/Erato

Four new Principal dancers for New York City Ballet

LaScalaTv, La Scala’s new streaming platform, is now live

Royal Ballet principal dancer Laura Morera to retire

Pam Tanowitz’s Secret Things, her second world premiere for The Royal Ballet this season

Prix de Lausanne 2023 – the full lineup

Principal dancer Jared Angle to give final performance with NYCB

The Australian Ballet will tour to the Royal Opera House in August 2023

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Franco Fagioli answers the Gramilano Questionnaire… Singers’ Edition

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GRAHAM SPICER

Writer, director and photographer in Milan, blogging (under the name ‘Gramilano’) about dance, opera, music and photography for people who are a bit like me and like some of the things I like. I was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy. My scribblings have appeared in various publications from Woman’s Weekly to Gay Times. I write the ‘Danza in Italia’ column for Dancing Times magazine.

You can find me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, or follow my Facebook page.

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