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Rolando Villazón

[Interview] Rolando Villazón: My enemy was anxiety.

4 August 2022 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Rolando Villazón, photo Monika Höfler

Rolando Villazón works now as a writer, an artistic director, and director, with singing talking a secondary role. “My enemy was anxiety, fragility, and a lack of confidence. It's not a question of … [Read more...] about [Interview] Rolando Villazón: My enemy was anxiety.

Bartoli steps in as Villazón withdraws from closing gala at Salzburg Festival

23 May 2018 by Gramilano 1 Comment

Cecilia Bartoli and the Staatskapelle Berlin, © Salzburger Festspiele, Marco Borrelli

The closing gala concert at Salzburg’s Whitsun Festival was to have featured the Festival’s director, Cecilia Bartoli, together with tenors Jonas Kaufmann and Rolando Villazón, and the Staatskapelle … [Read more...] about Bartoli steps in as Villazón withdraws from closing gala at Salzburg Festival

Cecilia Bartoli – the enchantress casts her spell at the Lucerne Festival

10 September 2016 by Gramilano 4 Comments

After a couple of years of not hearing La Bartoli live, I was a little apprehensive before her concert at the Lucerne Culture and Congress Centre, KKL, after having read Rupert Christiansen’s … [Read more...] about Cecilia Bartoli – the enchantress casts her spell at the Lucerne Festival

ROYAL OPERA SEASON 2016 – 2017: theatre, cinema and radio

7 April 2016 by Gramilano 1 Comment

All the details of the 2016-2017 Opera Season at London's Royal Opera House: skip to section: ROYAL OPERA 2016-2017 SEASON - IN BRIEF THE ROYAL OPERA 2016-2017 SEASON THE ROYAL OPERA SEASON … [Read more...] about ROYAL OPERA SEASON 2016 – 2017: theatre, cinema and radio

Ramón Vargas in crescendo at La Scala

7 September 2015 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Talk about gaining momentum! Tenor Ramón Vargas’s recital at La Scala started off limply, not helped by a very determined little frog which insisted on residing in his throat until the interval. He … [Read more...] about Ramón Vargas in crescendo at La Scala

La Scala complete Opera casts and dates: 2014 – 2015

18 June 2014 by Gramilano 2 Comments

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 … [Read more...] about La Scala complete Opera casts and dates: 2014 – 2015

Villazón and Barenboim at La Scala: Schumann, Verdi and beer

28 May 2014 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Seeing Rolando Villazón in recital for the first time was surprising. I was expecting him to bound on stage like a hyperactive puppy, agitated and full of life, gazing wide-eyed at the audience, … [Read more...] about Villazón and Barenboim at La Scala: Schumann, Verdi and beer

Angela Gheorghiu falls ill as the curse of La Scala strikes again…

2 October 2013 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

As already reported on this blog here, and here, the recital series at La Scala seems to have a generous share of bad luck when it comes to cancellations. There are only seven vocal recitals during … [Read more...] about Angela Gheorghiu falls ill as the curse of La Scala strikes again…

The curse of the La Scala recital series? Barenboim bows out

28 April 2013 by Gramilano 4 Comments

Ok, the headline is a bit over the top, but the vocal recitals at La Scala have been having a spot of bad luck recently, especially seeing that there are only seven recitals each season. Just over … [Read more...] about The curse of the La Scala recital series? Barenboim bows out

The opera world’s Angelina Jolie, Nino Machaidze: It’s useless to be nervous

5 November 2011 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Nino Machaidze, the 28-year-old soprano from Georgia, graduate of Milan's Teatro alla Scala Academia, is in Los Angeles with Romeo and Juliet which is boomeranging her around the world's opera houses … [Read more...] about The opera world’s Angelina Jolie, Nino Machaidze: It’s useless to be nervous

Vienna Opera and La Scala exchange goes ahead tomorrow

8 September 2011 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

A much-anticipated exchange between the Vienna Opera and Milan's Teatro alla Scala will go ahead despite earlier fears it might be cancelled because of a strike. Two unions at the Milan opera house … [Read more...] about Vienna Opera and La Scala exchange goes ahead tomorrow

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NEWS

Royal Academy of Dance acquires Dancing Times photographic archive

[Review] Eun-Me Ahn’s ‘Dragons – “Like a large plate of tasteless food”

A final bow for Russell Janzen: From Danseur Noble to creating Contemporary Ballet

World premiere of film of Kenneth MacMillan’s Sea of Troubles

Matthew Bourne’s Edward Scissorhands embarks on six-month UK tour

The Royal Ballet celebrates Bronislava Nijinska in free livestream

Phoenix Dance Theatre appoints Marcus Jarrell Willis as new artistic director

Prison cancels opera about violent gangster and gay composer Ivor Novello

Scottish Ballet’s Twice-Born double bill in rehearsal

SlowDancing/NYCB – hyper slow-motion films of New York City Ballet dancers in NYC

FEATURED POSTS

The Tricks of the Trocks: powder, ice and pointe shoes

English National Ballet in Derek Deane's Swan Lake, photo by ASH, Arnaud Stephenson, 2013

Derek Deane on 20 years of his Swan Lake ‘in the round’

In and Out: Bolle, Gomes, Stiefel – how easy is it to be an openly gay ballet dancer?

Anna Netrebko and Yusif Eyvazov in cover art for the Romanza album

Interview with Anna Netrebko on her son, his autism and his abandonment by his father Erwin Schrott

Steven McRae by Rick Guest crop

The Royal Ballet’s Steven McRae on injury: turning weakness into strength

Maurice Béjart's Gaîté parisienne with Marijn Rademaker photo by Stuttgarter Ballet

Dutch National Ballet’s Marijn Rademaker on injury and recovery

Renata Scotto with Maria Callas

Renata Scotto vs Maria Callas – the 1970 fight at La Scala

Yasmine Naghdi in rehearsal for Tarantella, The Royal Ballet © 2017 ROH. Photograph by Bill Cooper

[Interview] The Royal Ballet’s Yasmine Naghdi: a time to reflect

Gregory Kunde as Otello, photo by Matthias Baus, Teatro alla Scala 2015

Top opera singers discuss how they choose and prepare new roles

Luca Pisaroni as Leporello in Don Giovanni at Glyndebourne   photo by Bill Cooper

In conversation with Luca Pisaroni: back to Milan with his La Scala debut

GRAMILANO

Graham Spicer is a writer, director and photographer based in Milan, aka ‘Gramilano’. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy. His articles have appeared in various publications from Woman’s Weekly to Gay Times. He wrote the ‘Danza in Italia’ column for Dancing Times magazine.

Since 2022, Gramilano is pleased to welcome guest authors: Alisa Alekseeva, Paul Arrowsmith, Kathrina Farrugia-Kriel, Jonathan Gray, Marina Harss, Matthew Paluch, Jann Parry, Graham Watts, and Deborah Weiss.

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