Francesco Maria Piave News

These characters are awful, foolish people, and I hate them. Let me illustrate. Just for kicks, the Duke of Mantua, with the help of his court jester, Rigoletto, seduces Countess Ceprano, wife of Count Ceprano. After helping the Duke bed the countess, Rigoletto spends a good portion of time mocking Count Ceprano for, I don't know, having a failing marriage? Angry, the Count curses the Duke and his court, and Rigoletto loses his life and everything he loves including his beloved daughter Gilda.

When you think of classic operas LA TRAVIATA is certainly one that immediately comes to mind. Composer Giuseppe Verdi (with a libretto by Francesco Maria Piave) created a wonderful piece that has stood the test of time, and when hearing it, you'll often find a number of familiar themes, some of which have appeared as background underscoring for cartoons, films, and commercials. It has all the elements that define our conceptions of what opera is: a superb score, the demand for inspired performances, and a tragic love story. The Union Avenue Opera has put together a memorable and moving production of this timeless work that demands your time and attention.

Opera San Jose opens its 31st season with Giuseppe Verdi's Rigoletto. This tale of innocence lost and vengeance gone tragically awry will be conducted by Joseph Marcheso, with stage direction by Brad Dalton. Rigoletto will be sung in Italian with English supertitles. Six performances are scheduled from September 6 through 21 at the California Theatre, 345 South First Street in downtown San Jose. Tickets are on sale at the Opera San Jose Box Office, online at operasj.org or by phone at (408) 437-4450. The production of Rigoletto is made possible, in part, by a Cultural Affairs Grant from the City of San Jose.

dell'Arte Opera Ensemble, which offers role debut and training opportunities to emerging opera artists, celebrates its eleventh season of high-quality, affordable NYC performances with a Shakespearean summer. The company's Shakespeare Repertoire Project (SRP) includes fully-staged productions of Salieri's 'Falstaff' and Purcell's 'The Fairy Queen,' along with a semi-staged production of Verdi's 'Macbeth,' and an evening of Shakespearean 'Songs and Sonnets.' Kicking off on August 7, 2014, the dell'Arte season takes place in the intimate, 160-seat East 13th Street Theatre, placing its audience feet away from burgeoning talent and timeless opera productions with chamber orchestra.

In MACBETH, Brett Bailey gives us Shakespeare by way of Giuseppe Verdi's opera, filtered through Third World Bunfight's trademark post-colonialist, avant-garde manifesto.

General and Artistic Director Michael Egel and the Board of Directors have announced casting for the operas of the 42nd Summer Festival Season. The three, full-scale grand operas will be presented in 15 performances between June 27 and July 20, 2014 at the Blank Performing Arts Center in Indianola Iowa. A fourth production will run for 3 performances on July 10 and 19 at the newly renovated Des Moines Social Club in Des Moines as part of the company's newly-minted 2nd Stages Series. The Summer Festival Season repertory includes the return of a timeless operatic classic paired with two operas which will be company premieres - the first is a modern masterpiece and the second is a sparkling farce by opera's greatest comedic composer, Rossini. It's truly a season for everyone from first-time opera-goers to lifelong devotees highlighted by Des Moines Metro Opera's exceptional attention to details, including casting some of the most remarkable vocal talent in America today.

The 65th annual Festival d'Aix-en-Provence, under the leadership of General Manager Bernard Foccroulle, will feature five opera productions, a selection of orchestral concerts, recitals, chamber music performances, world music programs, and more than 50 events from the 16th annual European Academy of Music. The Festival marks important milestones this year: Giuseppe Verdi and Richard Wagner's 200th birthday anniversaries; Benjamin Britten's centennial; the 50th anniversary of Francis Poulenc's death; and celebrates Marseille-Provence 2013, European Cultural Capital for the year. All events unfold in extraordinary venues, many of them open-air, in and around the picturesque ancient Provencal city: a Medieval archbishop's palace, an 18th century Italian-style theatre, a private courtyard hidden behind doors dating back to the time of Louis XV, and an 11th century Romanesque chapel inside the grounds of a Renaissance castle - as well as a state of the art, 1,350-seat theatre. The official portion of the Festival runs from July 4 to 27, 2013.

Tonight, December 14 and 15, 2012 at 8:00pm, The New York Pops will present an evening full of holiday cheer at Carnegie Hall's Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage with Pink Martini: Joy to the World. Music Director and Conductor Steven Reineke will lead the orchestra in a seasonal celebration featuring guest artists Pink Martini as they perform festive favorites from their album Joy to World.

On December 14 and 15, 2012 at 8:00pm, The New York Pops will present an evening full of holiday cheer at Carnegie Hall's Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage with Pink Martini: Joy to the World. Music Director and Conductor Steven Reineke will lead the orchestra in a seasonal celebration featuring guest artists Pink Martini as they perform festive favorites from their album Joy to World.

Gustavo Dudamel leads the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl in a concert performance of Verdi's great operatic tragedy, Rigoletto.

Gustavo Dudamel leads the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl in a concert performance of Verdi's great operatic tragedy, Rigoletto.

Amore Opera concludes its third season with Verdi's masterpiece, La Traviata, conducted by Gregory Ortega, and staged by Amore Opera's Artistic Director, Nathan Hull. La Traviata, an opera in three acts, is the tragic love story of the famed French courtesan with a heart of gold, Violetta, and her arduous suitor, Alfredo Germont. Although they risk everything to be together, their pure and devoted love is thwarted by societal pressures and, ultimately, death. La Traviata is presented in repertoire from tonight, May 11th through the 27th.

The London Royal Opera House production of RIGOLETTO, an opera in three acts with music by Giuseppe Verdi, will be presented live in HD through Opera in Cinema/Emerging Pictures at the Big Cinemas Manhattan Theater at 239 East 59th Street on April 17 at 2:30 p.m.

Amore Opera will conclude its third season with Verdi’s masterpiece, La Traviata, conducted by Gregory Ortega, and staged by Amore Opera’s Artistic Director, Nathan Hull. La Traviata, an opera in three acts, is the tragic love story of the famed French courtesan with a heart of gold, Violetta, and her arduous suitor, Alfredo Germont. Although they risk everything to be together, their pure and devoted love is thwarted by societal pressures and, ultimately, death. La Traviata is presented in repertoire from May 11th through the 27th.

The London Royal Opera House production of RIGOLETTO, an opera in three acts with music by Giuseppe Verdi, will be presented live in HD through Opera in Cinema/Emerging Pictures at the Big Cinemas Manhattan Theater at 239 East 59th Street on April 17 at 2:30 p.m.

Atlanta Opera Zurich General Director Dennis Hanthorn today announced the Atlanta Opera's 2012-2013 season. The Atlanta Opera's 2012-2013 mainstage productions at the Cobb Energy Centre will feature Bizet's popular classic Carmen, November 10-18, 2012; Verdi's tragic and romantic opera La traviata, March 2-10, 2013; and Rossini's comic opera The Italian Girl in Algiers, April 27-May 5, 2013. Season tickets are now on sale for the three Atlanta Opera mainstage productions at Cobb Energy Centre. Also announced were a donor benefits program called MyOpera, a completely new approach to issuing donor benefits in the world of the performing arts; 2012-2013 community engagement initiatives, including the hugely successful 24-Hour Opera Project and High School Opera Institute; and the details of the 2012 Atlanta Opera Ball: A Night in Seville, a fundraiser supporting and sustaining the exceptional artistic quality of The Atlanta Opera. Production, casting, and season ticket information are below, or can be found at atlantaopera.org.

The Opera Orchestra of New York continues its 41st season with an opera-in-concert performance of Giuseppe Verdi's Simon Boccanegra conducted by Music Director Alberto Veronesi at Avery Fisher Hall on Wednesday, March 7, 2012 at 8:00 pm.

Verdi's La Traviata, the famous tragic love story set in 19th century Paris, tells of a young man, Alfredo Germont, who falls deeply in love with Violetta Valery, a French prostitute. La Traviata, featuring a company of 60 including a full orchestra, will be performed in Italian with English supertitles.

Verdi's La Traviata, the famous tragic love story set in 19th century Paris, tells of a young man, Alfredo Germont, who falls deeply in love with Violetta Valery, a French prostitute. La Traviata, featuring a company of 60 including a full orchestra, will be brought to life on stage with all the Passion! Intrigue! Deceit! and Loss! expected in grand opera. It's the tale of an undying love that cannot be broken that will make this production a night to remember!'

Opera San Jose continues its 28th season with the romantic tragedy La traviata. An unequivocal masterpiece based on the short life of the most famous of all Parisian courtesans, this is Verdi's most popular opera.