Biographies
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Alexander Davidov
Born Israel Levinson on 4 September 1872 in Poltawa, Russian tenor Alexander Davydov had some vocal lessons c1890, but his debut at Dnepropetrovsk was so heavily criticized that he moved into smaller roles. He moved to the Maryinski Theatre in 1900 where he sang the …
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Fritzi Jokl
Fritzi Jokl was born in Vienna on March 23rd 1895. She studied with Mrs. Rosenthal-Ranner and made her debut in 1917 at the Opera House of Frankfurt am Main where she continued to appear regularly until 1922. Engagements at the Landestheater of Darmstadt (1922-23), the …
Articles, Interviews & Memories
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Reflections on the greatness of Enrico Caruso
Enrico Caruso was a unique great tenor, without any doubt. I included him in my personal choice of the XX century “avant guard” group of great tenors. The group comprises the Italians Caruso,
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Sitting Down with tenor Javier Camarena
Tenor Javier Camarena is appearing in Georges Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers at the Los Angeles Opera from October 7 to October 28. Camarena sings the tenor role of Nadir, Nino Machaidze sings Leila, Alfredo Daza is Zurga, and Nicholas Brownlee is Nourabad. Plácido Domingo and …
Focus Feature
Five Operas Worth Re-Discovering
Quality certainly isn’t the only criterion that decides whether a work of art survives or not: luck and a few other rather aleatory factors seem to play a major role. In today’s standard repertoires we can find works that should not have survived the decade …
Selected Blog posts
Halloween special: ghosts, witches and vampires
My neighbors’ lawns are full of fake cobwebs and inflatable giant pumpkins, so Halloween must be approaching. There are many ways to give your celebration …
Prima la musica, poi le parole?
Prima la musica, poi le parole is a one-act opera by Salieri, commissioned and performed in 1786 at the same time as Mozart’s Der Schauspieldirektor. Emperor …
The language question
I’m currently visiting friends in San Francisco. Yesterday, a cab we were taking happened to pass the opera house. Banners proudly advertised the upcoming season, …
Book review: The Opera Fanatic
It’s always strange to find yourself described in a book you’re reading. For me (and, I suspect, many devoted opera fans), Claudio E. Benzecry’s The Opera …
Georgeanne’s First Opera
Ilana had a great post on the best operas for newbies, and her list is spectacular! Truly great suggestions. In a perfect world, we’d all …
Best Recordings of Le Nozze di Figaro
Le Nozze di Figaro is Mozart’s truly delightful comedic masterpiece. There’s something truly infectious about this opera from the beginning of that famous overture to …
Recordings That Make a Crier Out of Me
Anyone who knows me knows that I’m not a crier. But, I have to admit, that there are a few opera recordings that, on the …
Supertitles, good and bad
Supertitles have become an essential part of the opera experience. While Bayreuth continues to hold out (and probably will forever), every major house I’ve visited …
Audition madness
Here at Cambridge, the first term of the academic year is coming to a close. That means that planning and auditions for next term’s performances …
