Gioachino Rossini: William Tell Overture Context Born in February 1792 into a family of musicians in Pesaro, Italy, Gioachino Rossini began to learn the piano from age eight. Rossini became a multi-instrumentalist at a young age, being competent at piano, cello and horn by his late teens. Rossini is most Read more…
Georges Bizet: Carmen Suite No. 2 Context Premiered in Paris 1875, Georges Bizet’s now popular opera Carmen received quite a neutral response from French critics. The opera ran for an impressive 45 performances, however these were poorly attended and received by French audiences. It was only when the production started Read more…
Georges Bizet: Carmen Suite No. 1 Context Premiered in Paris 1875, Georges Bizet’s now popular opera Carmen received quite a neutral response from French critics. The opera ran for an impressive 45 performances, however these were poorly attended and received by French audiences. It was only when the production started Read more…
Giacomo Puccini: Nessun Dorma Context Nessun Dorma is a tenor aria that features at the end of Giacomo’s Puccini’s 1926 opera Turandot. The aria is sung by the main male character, Calaf, who fall in love with Princess Turandot. Any man that wishes to marry the Princess must successfully answer Read more…
Franz Liszt: Réminiscenes de Norma Context During the 1800s opera had a lot of appeal to audiences. From big dramatic story lines to emotional arias, opera was in its prime during this century. Although opera was perceived to have a glamorous aura, it was actually quite inaccessible for a large Read more…
Léo Delibes: Flower Duet Context Léo Delibes’ three act opera Lakmé is perhaps this French composer’s most well-known work. Composed between 1881-1882, Lakmé is based on Le Mariage de Loti by Pierre Loti, and Les babouches du Brahamane by Théodore Pavie. Flower Duet features in Act 1 of the opera, and is now performed as a stand alone vocal piece in Read more…
Giacomo Puccini: O Mio Babbino Caro Context Giacomo Puccini was born in Lucca, Italy in 1858 and he was one of nine children. The family was known in Lucca as a local musical dynasty due to the family’s ancestors also being very much involved with music. Puccini received a general Read more…
Opera on Location: La Traviata Waterstones, Orchard Square, Sheffield, August 23rd 2019 Another summer comes round and that means one thing for us opera lovers – Opera on Location offer another unique production of a well-loved opera. After last year’s outstanding production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni, the talented Sheffield-based opera Read more…
Giuseppe Verdi: Libiamo ne’ lieti calici Context Composed between Il trovatore (1853) and Les vêpres siciliennes (1855), La Traviata was part of Giuseppe Verdi’s ‘middle period’ of composition. Previous to La Traviata came 16 other operas including the ever-popular Nabucodonosor (1842) and Rigoletto (1851). Based at the start of the Read more…
George Frideric Handel: Ombra mai fù Commonly known as Handel’s ‘Largo of Love’, Ombra mai fù is the opening aria in the 1738 opera Serse. Sung by the character Xerxes I of Persia, the vocal part is composed for a countertenor. Perhaps the most striking element of this aria is the vocal range used, as it the Read more…