Opera
Cavalleria Rusticana Intermezzo in the tragic end of The Godfather III
Cavalleria Rusticana Intermezzo, the prelude to the famous opera by Mascagni, is the soundtrack of the dramatic conclusion of The Godfather Part III. This beautiful music for one of the...
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Why were Le Maschere’s seven premiers a spectacular fiasco?
Why did Le Maschere get such a bad reaction from the public? In the previous post we described the unlucky debut of Mascagni's opera Le Maschere. In this post we...
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Those seven premieres of Mascagni’s Le Maschere
Mascagni's Le Maschere is an opera based on the commedia dell'arte, the "symbol of the Italic spirit" (Mascagni). The commedia dell'arte included a series of stock characters, words improvisation and...
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Rossini’s Semiramide at MET
Semiramide, masterpiece composed by Rossini, will be performed at MET for the first time in nearly 25 years. Maurizio Benini will be on the podium as conductor with a stellar...
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Carmen Fate Motif
Carmen overture finishes with a mysterious and unexpected musical theme (a motif) which is meant to represent both Carmen as well as the concept of “fate.” This theme will appear...
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Tosca: an opera diva performed by males
Floria Tosca is supposed to be a beloved Roman opera star, a professional singer ("celebre cantante"). We know that she sings at the theatre and on private stages. It is said several...
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Tosca: passion, murder, lies and jealousy
Tosca is considered one of the most powerful dramatic Puccini's operas. The main character , the heroine Floria Tosca, is an opera diva in love with Mario Cavaradossi, a painter....
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Habanera in Carmen
The entrance aria of Carmen, the popular L'amour est un oiseau rebelle" ("Love is a rebellious bird") in Carmen by Bizet (1875), is called habanera. The score of the aria was...
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