April 23, 2012: Gioacchino Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia (‘The Barber of Seville’)
58 loyal opera fans enjoyed our first Rossini
opera in our new Bel Canto cycle, the
opera house favorite Il
Barbiere
di Siviglia (‘The Barber of
Seville’). This live production
from 2005 of Rossini’s bubbling masterpiece from the Teatro Real in Madrid
featured the tenor of the moment Juan Diego Florez as Almaviva, Maria Bayo as
Rosina, Pietro Spagnoli as Figaro, and Ruggero Raimondi as Don Basilio . Gianluigi Gelmetti lead the Orchestra and
Chorus of the Teatro Real in a sophisticated production that was well
appreciated by the attending audience.
Guests were offered petite cherry custard tarts along with an effervescent
fruit punch at the intermission. We
continue on into the Bel Canto cycle
next month with Rossini’s sparkling comedy Le Comte Ory, another great work
that recently in 2010 enjoyed a revival in a new production at the Metropolitan
Opera House in New York. Join us every
month as we continue to bring to you the
finest opera performances, performers, and artists of our day.
March 26, 2012: Georges Bizet's Carmen
Opera@theLibrary broke all attendance records to date with 90 passionate opera fans in the house for the outstanding 1984 film production of the most popular opera of all time, Bizet’s beloved Carmen. This classic film adaptation of Bizet’s opera concerning obsessive, doomed love starred Placido Domingo as the soldier who falls for a sultry and tempestuous seductress. Julia Migenes-Johnson lived and breathed in the title role of Carmen, and was joined by Ruggero Raimondi as the toreador Escamillo, and Faith Esham as the peasant girl Micaela. Francesco Rosi directed this film and it was shot on location in the surrounding areas of Spain, including Seville, Ronda, and Carmona, to simulate the Seville of that era. Maestro Lorin Maazel conducted the Orchestre National de France and Chorus. Guests were offered red velvet and yellow-gold mini cupcakes along with a non-alcoholic red sangria punch at the intermission. Carmen initiates our foray into a new operatic cycle, and we will be fully embracing all the most popular works in the bel canto repertory, following next month with a stellar performance of the classic Rossini favorite Il Barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville).
February 27, 2012: Guisepppi Verdi's La Forza del Destino
68 opera fans thoroughly enjoyed this rare and historic opportunity to witness a production of one of Verdi’s most dramatic and passionate operas, recorded live from the Metropolitan Opera House on March 14th, 1984. The great American diva, soprano Leontyne Price, headlined this production, along with Leo Nucci, Giuseppe Giacomini, and Isola Jones, with Maestro James Levine conducting the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus. Guests were offered assorted specialty cookies, along with a refreshing foamy fruit punch at the intermission. This performance marked the end of our all-Verdi cycle, for now we embark on our highly-anticipated Bel Canto cycle, and we will present some of the most popular and memorable works of the repertoire, starting off with a not-to-be-missed HD performance of the beloved Bizet masterwork Carmen, with international superstars mezzo-soprano Elina Garanca in the title role, and tenor Roberto Alagna as Don Jose in the spectacular 2010 Met production that was broadcast worldwide live in theaters as part of the Opera in Cinema series.
January 23, 2012:
Guiseppi Verdi's Otello
70 opera fans were thrilled and delighted with this outstanding film production of one of Verdi’s greatest operas, with lavish staging and direction by the internationally-renowned Franco Zeffirelli, filmed on location in Italy and the Netherlands. Maestro Lorin Maazel conducted the formidable forces of the Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro alla Scala, Milan. This filmed performance from 1986 featured the phenomenal Placido Domingo (in blackface), in the title role as the doomed Otello, soprano Katia Ricciarelli as the tragic Desdemona, and bass-baritone Justino Diaz as the hissable villain Iago. Guests were offered assorted ‘jealousy bites’ cookies, along with a stellar ‘green with envy’ punch at the intermission. The all-Verdi cycle concludes in February 2012 with a magnificent performance of La Forza del Destino with the legendary Leontyne Price. We will then begin our highly-anticipated Bel Canto cycle, and we will present some of the most popular and memorable works of the repertoire, starting off with a not-to-be-missed HD performance of the beloved Bizet classic Carmen, with international superstars mezzo-soprano Elina Garanca in the title role, and tenor Roberto Alagna as Don Jose in the spectacular Met production.
This page last updated May 2, 2012
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