By: Betsy Schwarm Turandot stands last in the catalog of its composer, Giacomo Puccini (1858 – 1924). Last because he did not live to complete it. He was at work upon the score when health problems developed and were...
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By: Betsy Schwarm and Angelica DiIorio We close our 40th Anniversary Season with Puccini’s larger-than-life fantastical drama, Turandot, from May 6 to 14. This opera features some of the most gorgeous arias in the repertoire, including “Nessun dorma.”Before you head...
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By: Betsy Schwarm Given its blend of music, words, and stage action, opera can be a powerful tool for psychological exploration. It is not just a matter of what these characters are doing, but why they are doing it,...
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By: Betsy Schwarm Many performing arts fans are familiar with the tales of Victor Hugo (1802 – 1885). From Les Miserables to The Hunchback of Notre Dame to Le roi s’amuse (The King’s Diversions), the stories are well-known. If...
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By: Betsy Schwarm In 1888, Pietro Mascagni (1863 – 1945) heard of a competition for one-act operas. With four complete operas to his name, the Italian composer was on the verge of submitting one excerpted act of his historical...
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By: Betsy Schwarm Put the iconic image of a leering, sneering Jack Nicholson out of your mind. Set aside those oft-quoted lines: “Here’s Johnny” and “All work and no play make Jack a dull boy.” That’s the film by...
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By Kelly Maxwell “Imagine those paired theater masks: one laughing and one weeping. It’s a familiar image, one in use since ancient Greece where the masks served to delineate characters in a stage production. In the world of opera,...
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By Kelly Maxwell If you ask anyone to hum a melody from an opera, even if they have never seen an opera, they are very likely to hum the iconic line from Pagliacci. The soaring tenor line of “Vesti...
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By Kelly Maxwell When it comes to opera, it is hard to find a more recognizable score than The Barber of Seville. From the iconic overture, to the finale, Rossini’s masterpiece is one of the most widely performed operas...
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Opera Colorado’s production of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro runs May 4–12, 2019. For tickets and information, click here. To read a program note about The Marriage of Figaro, click here. Characters Susanna, maid-servant to the Countess soprano Countess Almaviva soprano Marcellina,...
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