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 surrounded by friends and family. Her coffin will be placed in Modena’s Teatro Comunale Luciano Pavarotti on the morning […]
Roberto Alagna
La Scala, Milan: Opera and Recital Season 2019 – 2020
After Riccardo Chailly opens the season with Tosca, continuing the cycle of works by Puccini, he will conduct his first Strauss opera, as well as the complete Beethoven symphonies. Zubin Mehta will conduct two Verdi operas as well as Luigi Nonno’s Intolleranza which will be performed at La Scala for the first time. Handel’s Semele […]
Joyce DiDonato joins opera singers from 70 years of Desert Island Discs
As a committed fan of BBC 4’s Desert Island Discs, I am delighted that Joyce DiDonato will be revealing her list of eight recordings, a book and a luxury item that she would take if she was to be cast away on a desert island. Of course, it’s the chat between the music that is the captivating aspect […]
Angela Gheorghiu reveals Alagna’s pathological jealousy of Kaufmann
I’m in love and happy. His name’s Mihai Ciortea and he’s Romanian like me. He’s good-looking, kind and very, very young. Angela Gheorghiu is talking about her new partner who is twenty-two years her junior and works as a dentist. He followed me everywhere in the theatres. We first met a couple of years ago […]
Happy 80th Birthday Mirella Freni… from La Scala – in photos and video
Mirella Freni is eighty, and to celebrate her birthday La Scala threw open its doors to her fans and opera lovers to see the great soprano once again on the stage that was hers for so many years. A feisty Freni strode onstage and seemed surprised and visibly moved by the long standing ovation. She […]
Roberto Alagna rejects Pereira’s advances and says no to La Scala
Since being appointed Sovrintendente of La Scala, one of Alexander Pereira first aims was to entice back to the theatre some of the opera world’s most famous singers, many of whom vowed not to return – or even not to even make their début – for fear of the legendary loggionisti. These are the people who […]
La Scala complete Opera casts and dates: 2014 – 2015
4 December (Preview for young people), 7, 10, 13, 16, 20, 23 December 2014 Ludwig van Beethoven Fidelio Conductor: Daniel Barenboim Director: Deborah Warner Sets and costumes: Chloe Obolensky Cast Anja Kampe, Mojca Erdmann, Klaus Florian Vogt, Falk Struckmann, PeterMattei, Kwangchul Youn, Florian Hoffmann Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro alla Scala New production Teatro […]
Opera singer Rosalind Plowright comments on booing Bartoli at La Scala
Renée Fleming described it as the worst night of her operatic life, after Celeste Aida Roberto Alagna gave a military salute and walked off stage, Katia Ricciarelli quit the opera house refusing to come back, and Callas, Pavarotti, Verrett, Caballé and many others have all been on the receiving end. Being booed by the loggionisti at Milan’s Teatro alla Scala […]
Angela Gheorghiu talks about returning, on stage and off, with Roberto Alagna
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 Alagna: Gheorghiu’s marriage to tenor Roberto Alagna was a meeting of soul mates, but then divorce loomed and the Royal Opera House had to keep their schedules separate. […]
Roberto Alagna tells his version of the Bastille walk out to Le Figaro
After being accused provoking the departure of conductor Alain Lombard from the production of Faust at the Bastille, Roberto Alagna gave his version of what happened in an interview with Le Figaro. I am very sad. I don’t understand the reaction of the press and the blogs which carry on without knowing the facts… precisely nothing happened! […]