The story of Romeo and Juliet, who pay for their passion with their lives, has been interpreted in the widest variety of literary and musical genres ever since the Renaissance. Vincenzo Bellini's much too rarely staged Romeo and Juliet opera, I Capuleti e i Montecchi, is far removed from Shakespeare's version: rather than telling the story of a tenderly burgeoning love, the piece is an account of the last 24 hours in the two young people's lives. The underlying mood of the piece is thus one of melancholy - which then develops into a catastrophic maelstrom. The première of the thrilling Zurich production of this bel canto gem, directed by Christof Loy and conducted by Fabio Luisi, was enthusiastically received by critics and audiences alike. The two protagonists also met with acclaim: experience world star Joyce DiDonato in the trouser role of Romeo, with the young Ukrainia soprano Olga Kulchynska at her side as Giulietta.
Kristine Opolais is the young woman whose conflicting desires for love and luxury lead to her tragic end, and Roberto Alagna plays the man who falls for her in Puccini’s early hit.
On a June night in 2017, opera lovers thronged to the Royal Opera House in London to hear tenor Jonas Kaufmann, recently acclaimed by The Daily Telegraph as the world s greatest tenor, make his eagerly anticipated debut in the title role of Otello Verdi s greatest and most demanding role for tenor voice.
Johann Strauss, Jr., a would-be composer of waltzes in mid-19th Century Vienna, attempts to thwart his father's efforts to prevent his success when the older man becomes jealous of his melodic skill.
The grand scale and magnificent acoustics of the Roman arena in Verona are ideally suited to the pageantry of Verdi's Egyptian opera, presented here in a staging that is true to the original 1913 production, framed by obelisks and sphinxes and filled with chorus and dancers.
An anthology of four abbreviated operas: "William Tell" by Rossini, "The Marriage of Figaro" by Mozart, "Don Pasquale" by Donizetti, and "Carmen" by Bizet.
I Vespri Siciliani must me Verdi's most underrated masterpiece. Most people are put off by the fact that it has 5 acts, therefore they conclude that it must be incredibly long.
Originally commissioned to celebrate the completion of the Suez Canal and the opening of Cairos new opera house, Verdis Egyptian epic Aida is here seen in a spectacular new staging in the Teatro Regio Torino by the Oscar-winning American film director William Friedkin, creator of such famous movies as The Exorcist and The French Connection.
The Zurich Opera gathered a superb cast for this production: Italian soprano Eva Mei sings the Countess Violante, known as Sandrina, the feigned gardener of the title.
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In one tragic night, Quantum Physics Professor Jacob Matthews loses his wife...his everything. What he does to get her back will bring him to the edge of madness.
The story of the modern Los Angeles film industry as a series of monologues. The monologues are delivered by various characters, including a writer, a director, a producer, an actress, and a soccer mom.
Artists and the military might seem strange bedfellows, but painters, sculptors, photographers and set designers have played a critical but little-known role in modern warfare.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has been called a geological scandal due to its mineral rich soil. Unfortunately, those minerals, necessary to sustain today's technology, are funding the deadliest war since WWII.
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Two brothers from southwest Detroit struggle to improve their lives. Unable to afford college and faced with expulsion - and meanwhile supporting his mother - Jason turns to stripping which turns to prostitution, posing a huge dilemma since he has just begun the first true love relationship of his life.
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A documentary chronicling the events surrounding three Americans arrested and held as political hostages in Iran and their families’ campaign to free them.
Comments
Have you watched Bellini: I Capuleti e i Montecchi yet? What did you think about it?
