Cristina Castaldi as Giovanna and Rafael Dávila as Carlo(Charles VII) in Giovanna d’Arco.(Photo by Rod Millington)By Rex HearnThe Sarasota Opera likes to say that no other company in the world will have completed a Verdi cycle – a complete survey of all the composer’s stage works -- when it comes to an end in 2013 on the 200th anniversary of Verdi’s birth.The company’s … [Read more...]
Opera review: Second cast outstanding in PB Opera’s ‘Otello’
Allan Glassman and Michele Capalbo in Otello.By Rex HearnShakespeare’s tragedy Othello was the basis for the libretto Arrigo Boito wrote for Giuseppe Verdi, who at the time Boito approached him about the opera was 71 years old and considered himself retired.But three years later, in February 1887, Otello had its triumphant premiere at La Scala, and this work plus Verdi's final … [Read more...]