Category Archives: Opera

MADAMA BUTTERFLY AT THE MET: ASMIK GREGORIAN IS BUTTERFLY

The most recent study names Puccini’s Madama Butterfly as the sixth most popular opera in the world. In fact, seeing the opera at the age of sixteen prompted Yoko Watanabe (1953-2004) to a singing career, eventually to the position of the most famous of Japanese opera singers, certainly to be one of the most acclaimed […]

May 12, 2024 – 7:43 am | By Paul Kuritz | Posted in Acting, Books, Dance, from Paul, History, Men and Women, Music, Opera, Quotations, Theater | Comments Off on MADAMA BUTTERFLY AT THE MET: ASMIK GREGORIAN IS BUTTERFLY

MET OPERA OFFERS RONDINE, PUCCINI’S FRAGILE BITTERSWEET DELICACY

The invitation from Vienna to create an opera based on a sketch by Alfred Maria Willner, Franz Lehar’s librettist, tested Puccini’s stated dislike of the operettas with spoken dialogue . “It is the usual slipshod, banal operetta, the usual contrast between East and West, ballroom festivities and opportunities for dancing, with no study of character […]

April 22, 2024 – 10:52 am | By Paul Kuritz | Posted in Acting, Art, from Paul, History, Men and Women, Music, Opera, Poetry | Comments Off on MET OPERA OFFERS RONDINE, PUCCINI’S FRAGILE BITTERSWEET DELICACY

METROPOLITAN OPERA OFFERS EXQUISITE ROMEO ET JULIETTE

Charles Gounod (1818 –1893) was interested in an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet completed by Paul Jules Barbier (8 March 1825 – 16 January 1901) and Michel Carré (20 October 1821– 27 June 1872). The atmosphere of Provence where he began to compose fed his inspiration as he worked quickly and surely. He seemed […]

March 24, 2024 – 8:58 am | By Paul Kuritz | Posted in Acting, from Paul, History, Men and Women, Music, Opera, Theater | Comments Off on METROPOLITAN OPERA OFFERS EXQUISITE ROMEO ET JULIETTE

Michelle Bradley is Lyric Opera’s AIDA, Chicago’s Favorite Opera

Not long after Aida premiered in Cairo on Christmas Eve of 1871, Verdi’s opera was playing in Chicago, first in April 0f 1885 and then in December 0f 1886. The first Chicago Grand Opera Festival under the sponsorship of the Chicago Opera Festival Organization, J.H. Mapleson manager, was billed as “Music for the People! The […]

March 14, 2024 – 9:47 am | By Paul Kuritz | Posted in Acting, Dance, from Paul, History, Music, Opera, Quotations, radio, Theater, Uncategorized | Comments Off on Michelle Bradley is Lyric Opera’s AIDA, Chicago’s Favorite Opera

VERDI’S THE FORCE OF DESTINY AT THE METROPOLITAN OPERA

The Force of Destiny was a Verdi opera unknown to me. I began my usual pre-performance routine. I read about Verdi’s life as he began writing the Force of Destiny . I read the play upon which the libretto is based. I then read the libretto and listened to a few audio recordings. I would […]

March 11, 2024 – 9:40 am | By Jake P | Posted in Acting, Books, Current Events, from Paul, Guest Opinion, History, Magazines, Music, Opera, Quotations, Theater, Uncategorized | Comments Off on VERDI’S THE FORCE OF DESTINY AT THE METROPOLITAN OPERA