A soprano who rose from South Philadelphia to the opera houses of Europe, she was memorably seen and heard in a 1981 film considered a paragon of cinematic style.
Category: Opera
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A Model for Modern ‘Ring’ Operas Is Unfolding in Brussels
Romeo Castellucci’s production of Wagner’s “Ring” at La Monnaie embodies ideas that the Metropolitan Opera should take note of for its own staging.
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A Critic Who Strives to Hit the Right Note
Zachary Woolfe, the classical music critic for The New York Times, shared how he endeavors to make his writing accessible to both neophytes and experts.
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Robert Spano to Lead Washington National Opera as Music Director
The veteran conductor, who won acclaim as a champion of new music at the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, will begin a three-year term in 2025.
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‘Last Days,’ Opera Inspired by Kurt Cobain Film, Heads to L.A.
Oliver Leith’s opera, based on the Gus Van Sant film that fictionalized the end of Kurt Cobain’s life, has its U.S. premiere in Los Angeles.
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Review: The Boston Symphony Plays a Sober ‘Lady Macbeth’
The orchestra, under Andris Nelsons, gave a clear and controlled concert performance of Shostakovich’s crushing opera at Carnegie Hall.
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Met Opera Taps Its Endowment Again to Weather Downturn
The company has withdrawn nearly $40 million in additional funds from its endowment to cover expenses, but sees signs it may be emerging from its post-pandemic woes.
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Ewa Podles, a Rare Contralto With Sweeping Range, Dies at 71
With her molten chest voice and commanding presence, Ms. Podles, a galvanizing Polish opera singer, developed a cult following.
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In a New ‘Simon Boccanegra,’ Family Ties Are Tightened
“Simon Boccanegra,” a story of fathers, politics, love and duty, is returning to La Scala, where personal connections to the opera run deep.
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An American Soprano on the Importance of Opera
An American soprano who sang when the United States rejoined UNESCO weighed in on the agency’s addition of Italian opera singing to a heritage list.
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Opera Greets the Morning at the Prototype Festival
The offerings at this annual presentation of new opera and music theater tend to be politically charged, scrappy and stirring.
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An Opera Superfan’s Surprise Gift: $1.7 Million for the Arts
Lois Kirschenbaum, who died in 2021, made the donations to cultural groups from unexpectedly large life savings.