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 lesson with her neighbour who was a voice teacher. He listened me, and he told me that I was ready to attend the conservatoire in Xi’an, my city. I went there, in few years I became … [Read more...] about Hui He answers the Gramilano Questionnaire… Singers’ Edition
Metropolitan Opera
Tenor Marcello Giordani has died at 56
Tenor Marcello Giordani died this afternoon following a heart attack – he was 56 years old. He was at his home in Augusta in the Province of Syracuse when at about 3 pm, after lunch, he felt unwell, but an hour of attempts to revive him by medical staff who arrived by ambulance and helicopter were to no avail. Just a month ago he was singing the role of Calaf in Turandot at … [Read more...] about Tenor Marcello Giordani has died at 56
Vittorio Grigolo comments on recent accusations after a triumphant performance at La Scala
Vittorio Grigolo received an enthusiastic ovation after his performance as Nemorino in L’Elisir d’amore at La Scala. After having seen contracts suspended with The Royal Opera and The Metropolitan Opera, La Scala decided to take no action against the tenor as there is an undergoing investigation by The Royal Opera House. The audience was clearly very much on Grigolo’s side … [Read more...] about Vittorio Grigolo comments on recent accusations after a triumphant performance at La Scala
Vittorio Grigolo: I couldn’t apologise. I was sent home like a killer.
December 2019 UPDATE: Colleagues support Vittorio Grigolo as he replies to being fired by the Royal Opera House and the Met In a video to his fans, Vittorio Grigolo has put forward his version of the story of his alleged groping a colleague onstage while on tour with The Royal Opera. The action led to him being suspended from The Royal Opera and The Metropolitan Opera while … [Read more...] about Vittorio Grigolo: I couldn’t apologise. I was sent home like a killer.
Lawrence Brownlee answers the Gramilano Questionnaire… singers’ edition!
Q&A When and why did you start singing? When I was a kid… I come from a musical family, and so music has always been a part of who I am. But I got serious about singing in high school when people told me girls would think I was cute. So my love for singing began there, really. Which singer inspired you most when you were young and which singer do you most admire? Oh gosh … [Read more...] about Lawrence Brownlee 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
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 frequent onstage partner with Enrico Caruso at the Metropolitan Opera. This account below, taken from her fascinating 1937 autobiography Men, Women, & Tenors, describes her … [Read more...] about Soprano Frances Alda: arguing with Toscanini, a debut at La Scala, Chaliapin’s hairy chest, and Caruso at the Met
The tides of memory – identity, migration and the new diasporas in a film by Luisa Mariani inspired by William Kentridge
William Kentridge’s mural, Triumphs and Laments, in Rome became the city’s biggest contemporary art work and is also Kentridge’s largest public work. The 550m stretch of black and white images was unveiled on 21 April 2016. It was commissioned to mark the anniversary of Rome’s founding in 753BC. https://youtu.be/0y-U8GlPUKk The mural’s inauguration was celebrated by a … [Read more...] about The tides of memory – identity, migration and the new diasporas in a film by Luisa Mariani inspired by William Kentridge
Raina Kabaivanska recounts career secrets including La Scala’s fur coat and Pavarotti’s kiss
Latest in a collaboration between Italy’s L’Opera magazine and La Scala to celebrate the careers of singers – both living and deceased – was Saturday’s encounter with the great Bulgarian soprano Raina Kabaivanska, still statuesque and glamourous at 82. Interspersed with audio and video clips of some of her celebrated roles, were well-aimed questions from the extremely … [Read more...] about Raina Kabaivanska recounts career secrets including La Scala’s fur coat and Pavarotti’s kiss
Franco Vassallo answers the Gramilano Questionnaire… Singers’ Edition
Q&A in italiano When did you start singing? When I was 11 to a disc of Rigoletto with Gobbi, Callas and Di Stefano; a blanket on my shoulder and an umbrella served as my cloak and sword! Above all I loved "La donna è mobile" and the role of the Duke of Mantua; my voice would crack but I didn’t give in! Why did you start singing? Because I thought it was … [Read more...] about Franco Vassallo answers the Gramilano Questionnaire… Singers’ Edition
The world’s cheapest city (and most expensive) for a cultural break
Prague has come up trumps as the place where those planning a cultural city break can save money this autumn, according to the 2017 British Post Office Travel Money Cost of Culture Report. The Czech capital emerges as cheapest in a survey of opera, dance, music concert, gallery and museum prices in 16 cultural cities, with runners-up Warsaw, Budapest and Moscow making it a … [Read more...] about The world’s cheapest city (and most expensive) for a cultural break