February 2018

My time here in Oslo has come to an end and what better way for my trip to go out with a bang than with this charming production of Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore live from the Met headed by Maestro Domingo Hindoyan and starring Pretty Yende and Matthew Polenzani as the iconic lovers, Adina and Nemorino. This also marks the successful debut of one baryton noble, Monsieur Davide Luciano as Belcore. Enjoy the review and let me know your opinions as well.

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Puccini’s Tosca 1962 Album Review

What better to celebrate La Grande Signora Leontyne Price’s 91st birthday than with my review of her 1962 recording of Puccini’s Tosca with Herbert von Karajan in charge as the conductor and also starring Giuseppe di Stefano as Cavaradossi, Giuseppe Taddei as Scarpia, Fernando Corena as the Sacristan, Carlo Cava as Angelotti, and Piero de Palma as Spoletta. Enjoy the review and let me know your opinions as well.

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My Thoughts on Puccini’s Tosca at the Den Norske Opera og Ballett

Mein allerliebster und allmächtiger Herr Daniel Johansson has struck again as a passionate, virile, and handsome Mario Cavaradossi in Calixto Bieito’s haunting production of Tosca, which went on with no break whatsoever. He was joined by a rising full lyric soprano, Nina Gravrok, and a veteran dramatic baritone, Ole Jorgen Kristiansen. Enjoy the review and let me know your opinions as well.

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Bellini’s Norma 1973 Album Review

Ah, Madame Beverly Sills and Madame Shirley Verrett. Now that I took a gander at Madame Sutherland’s and Madame Horne’s readings of these iconic Bellini heroines, how did Beverly Sills’s pristine and silvery vocal technique and Shirley Verrett’s aristocratic, stylish, and nuanced vocal gifts fare when one puts two and two together? Enjoy the review and let me know your opinions as well.

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What an evening I had. This was yet another fine ballet adaptation of Alexander Pushkin’s classic novella, Eugene Onegin. As to be expected this focuses on Tatyana and Onegin as the central characters, whilst giving supporting characters like Prince Gremin and Olga a sufficient amount of character development. Enjoy the review and let me know your opinions as well.

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Bellini’s Norma 1964 Album Review

I take myself back in time to take a look at a recorded version of Bellini’s popular tragic opera starring La Stupenda herself, Dame Joan Sutherland as Norma, and the dramatically versatile, Madame Marilyn Horne as Adalgisa. These two Bel Canto empresses are joined by a veritable troupe of equally versatile singers from the grand yet underrated John Alexander, Richard Cross, and Joseph Ward and the elegant and fabulous Yvonne Minton in her younger years. Enjoy the review and let me know your opinions as well.

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My first opera night in Oslo starts off rather well with this rather unusual yet detailed production of Bellini’s Norma at the Den Norske Opera og Ballett headed by two alluringly versatile divas, Signora Hrachuhi Bassenz as Norma and Frau Dshamilja Kaiser as Adalgisa. Enjoy the review and let me know your opinions as well.

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Roberto Alagna Ma Vie est un Opéra Album Review

I kick off my Oslo reviews with Roberto Alagna’s exciting and awesome album of opera arias and songs. I have been yearning to review this album for quite some time, so much so that I had to listen to this over and over again to properly formulate my opinions and it also helped that the equally indescribable, alluring, and phenomenal coloratura soprano with the richness of a full lyric soprano, Aleksandra Kurzak, took part in the making of this particular album. Enjoy the review and let me know your opinions as well.

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