Who will win Best Male singer of the year?

The Opera Awards are coming april and I have started to predict the awards via Latinopost. Check out my predictions for Male Singer of the Year and then tell us who you think should win? Click here for More

Diana Damrau Interviewed by the Salazar's

In a recent interview with my brother David Salazar for Latinos Post, Diana Damrau revealed that she would be singing La Sonnanbula, Daphne, and The Pearl Fishers. Here is an excerpt: 

"In the busy café of the Elinur Bunin Munroe Film Center a mother and her two children share an intimate moment. The woman, internationally renowned soprano Diana Damrau, has brought along her children: two-year old Alexander and four-month old Colyn. The baby lies in his carriage begging for his mother while Alexander bustles about the space, exploring his environment. Damrau looks after Alexander as she picks up Colyn from the carriage and for the next hour, the superstar soprano speaks while keeping her two greatest treasures near.

"It's wonderful. It keeps you in the world and makes your life complete," says Damrau as she admires little Colyn resting in her arms. To Continue Click Here."

Met Opera Review: Westbroek delivers on her Promise in Zadonai's eratic score

Its been over 25 years since the Metropolitan Opera presented Zadonai's opera Francesca da Rimini. The opera based on Dante's Inferno was first brought to the Met in 1916 and only returned in 1984 and 1986 with Placido Domingo and Renata Scotto in the title role.

The amount of time it took to revive is no surprise as the work as a whole is difficult vocally  and the music is  demanding for the audience as it is spare on melodies. However there are some great moments such as the conclusion to the first act where the cello plays the lushes love theme which is then repeated at the end of the third act when Francesca and Paolo read the Lancelot and Guinevere story. Another great moment in the score is Malatestino and Giovanni's duet. While the music lacks any clear melodies, the way Zadonai contrasts Malestino's comic sardonic character and Giovanni's anger is brillant. Malatestinos music is represented by light winds while Giovanni's music uses the orchestra's brass and full string section. The final duet is also a highlight as the music brings out Francesca and Paolo's desires. It is no longer restrained and subtle, it is explosive with swelling violins and ends in a climatic verismo style with the two singers going to the top of their ranges. It is one of the most passionate moments in the entire opera.

While there are these brilliant moments Zadonai takes too long with generic characters such as in the third act when he takes twenty minutes on spring songs that do not move the plot forward. He could have used a more extensive love duet in that act. The other issue is the work ends up being a bit to cold and its hard to actually connect with it. However it is still an opera that definitely deserves more performances and one that should be exposed to the public.

2014-2015 Met Opera Season Rumor

After the long awaited 2013-2014 was announced we now have some news on the next season. 2014-15 looks to be even more exciting with 6 new productions and even more exciting revivals.

Opening night will  be with a new production of Le nozze di Figaro, a production that is in a bit of flux at the moment since Anna Netrebko elected not to add Contessa Almaviva to her stage repertoire at the moment.  As it stands now, the new Mozart  will be conducted by James Levine in a production by Michael Grandage. The cast will be Maija Kovalevska, Marlis Petersen and Mikhail Petrenko but by the lack of stars the Met will most likely add a more marketable singer to the list.

Five further new productions dot the season:

The Death of Klinghoffer. Director: Tom Morris (ENO production]

Iolanta/Duke Bluebeard’s Castle. Conductor: Valery Gergiev. Director: Mariusz Trelinski. Cast includes Anna Netrebko and Alexei Tanovitski in theTchaikovksy, with  Nadja Michael and Mikhail Petrenko in the Bartók.

The New Year’s Eve extravaganza this season will be The Merry Widow, Conductor TBA. Susan Stroman directs Renée Fleming; later in the season the show returns with Susan Graham and Rodney Gilfry.

La Donna del Lago. Conductor: Michele Mariotti.  Director: John Fulljames.Joyce DiDonato, Daniela Barcellona, Juan Diego Florez.

Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci. Conducto: Fabio Luisi. Director: TBA. Marcelo Alvarez, Barbara Frittoli.

The repertoire will further include revivals of:

Aida with Liudmyla Monastyrska, Dmitry Belosselskiy.

Un Ballo in Maschera  with Sondra Radvanovsky, Yonghoon Lee.

Il Barbiere di Siviglia.

La Boheme with Maria Agresta.

Carmen with Elina Garanca/Anita Rachvelishvili, Roberto Alagna, Anita Hartig/Ailyn Perez.

Les Contes d’Hoffmann with Susanna Phillips, Matthew Polenzani.

Don Carlos with Barbara Frittoli, Nadia Krasteva, Jonas Kaufmann/Yonghoon Lee, Simon Keenlyside, Ferruccio Furlanetto. Chef d’orchestre for the first-ever Met performances in the original French will be Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

Don Giovanni

Ernani  with Placido Domingo as Don Carlo.

Faust with Anna Netrebko, Joseph Calleja, Rene Pape. [This production was described to La Cieca as "hanging by a thread," with nobody involved feeling enthusiastic about the project.]

Hansel and Gretel

Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk with Eva-Maria Westbroek, Brandon Jovanovich,Raymond Very.

Lucia di Lammermoor with Olga Peretyatko, conducted by Maurizio Benini.

Manon with Diana Damrau, Vittorio Grigolo.

Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg with Emily Magee, Karen Cargill, Johan Botha, Matthew Polenzani, Bryn Terfel, conducted by James Levine.

The Rake’s Progress with Lisette Oropesa, Stephanie Blythe, Gerald Finley.

La Traviata with Marina Rebeka, Francesco Demuro.

Die Zauberflote.

What do you guys think of this season!

Jonas Kaufmann says no to Tristan

Jonas Kaufmann stated in an interview that he will not sing Tristan for the time being. The tenor said that he will not sing the iconic role because every theater will want him to sing it and he will not have the opportunity to do other repertoire. For more on the interview click here.

Francesca da Rimini Opens Tonight

Marcello Giordani and Eva Maria Westbroek return to the Met stage for Zadonai's Francesca da Rimini.

Marco Armiliato conducts the work after a long absence at the Met 

Jose Cura to sing Carmen

“José Cura will sing the role of Don José in the Friday, March 1 performance of Bizet’s Carmen, replacing Andrew Richards, who is ill. Cura, who begins rehearsals this week for his first Met performances of the title role in Verdi’s Otello, has graciously agreed at short notice to step in for what will be his company role debut as Don José.”