03.06.2013
Stars perform in Cavalleria rusticana
On 21 June, the main roles in Cavalleria rusticana will be performed by singers from the ‘big league’ of the opera world. Famous Italian tenor Marcello Giordani will make his debut at the Mikhailovsky Theatre after twenty seasons at the Metropolitan Opera, which has essentially been his main stage. Performing at the theatre for the first time alongside him will be Lithuanian-born Violeta Urmana, who, having first gained fame as a mezzo-soprano, has since established a ‘second career’ as a soprano.
Violeta Urmana has so many followers in St. Petersburg that each of her appearances becomes a significant event. “In the case of Violeta Urmana, we are dealing with not just a mezzo or a soprano, but with an outstanding talent and a voice of unusual beauty and possibility.” This appraisal of the Lithuanian prima donna by distinguished conductor Riccardo Muti is testament to her status as one of the top names in contemporary opera. Urmana’s vocal abilities are astounding — a huge vocal range allows the artist to easily switch between roles and endlessly extend her repertoire. The part of Santuzza — one of the few that allow a vocalist to exercise both mezzo and soprano talent — will offer full expression to the colour and volume of Urmana’s unique voice.
Marcello Giordani is known in St. Petersburg through his involvement in the ‘Dmitri Hvorostovsky & Friends’ concert. The famous tenor divides his time between the United States and Europe — performing in New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, London, Vienna, Milan, and Paris — but he seldom comes to Russia. In light of this, Giordani’s performance at the Mikhailovsky Theatre in St. Petersburg will be that much more of a treat, coming in the middle of an intense 2012/13 season, which the tenor began with La forza del destino at the Liceu in Barcelona. Also of note is the fact that Marcello Giordani was born in the small Sicilian town of Augusta, where his father was the owner of a petrol station and his mother a housewife. As Mascagni’s opera is likewise set in Sicily, this will not only add a special quality to this wonderful singer’s voice, but will ensure his heart beats in unison with that of the hero — the hot-blooded Sicilian Turiddu.
There is a tradition at the Mikhailovsky Theatre of featuring invited guest stars in productions of Mascagni’s masterpiece, which initiated the verismo movement and continues to enjoy worldwide popularity. The wonderful music and the vivid, lucid plot — void of operatic clichés — allow the artists to evince the full extents of their vocal and theatrical talents. All of this is further enhanced by the opera’s staging: at the Mikhailovsky Theatre, Cavalleria rusticana is produced by Liliana Cavani in the Italian neorealist aesthetic, which breaks free of all staid theatrical conventions.
Violeta Urmana has so many followers in St. Petersburg that each of her appearances becomes a significant event. “In the case of Violeta Urmana, we are dealing with not just a mezzo or a soprano, but with an outstanding talent and a voice of unusual beauty and possibility.” This appraisal of the Lithuanian prima donna by distinguished conductor Riccardo Muti is testament to her status as one of the top names in contemporary opera. Urmana’s vocal abilities are astounding — a huge vocal range allows the artist to easily switch between roles and endlessly extend her repertoire. The part of Santuzza — one of the few that allow a vocalist to exercise both mezzo and soprano talent — will offer full expression to the colour and volume of Urmana’s unique voice.
Marcello Giordani is known in St. Petersburg through his involvement in the ‘Dmitri Hvorostovsky & Friends’ concert. The famous tenor divides his time between the United States and Europe — performing in New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, London, Vienna, Milan, and Paris — but he seldom comes to Russia. In light of this, Giordani’s performance at the Mikhailovsky Theatre in St. Petersburg will be that much more of a treat, coming in the middle of an intense 2012/13 season, which the tenor began with La forza del destino at the Liceu in Barcelona. Also of note is the fact that Marcello Giordani was born in the small Sicilian town of Augusta, where his father was the owner of a petrol station and his mother a housewife. As Mascagni’s opera is likewise set in Sicily, this will not only add a special quality to this wonderful singer’s voice, but will ensure his heart beats in unison with that of the hero — the hot-blooded Sicilian Turiddu.
There is a tradition at the Mikhailovsky Theatre of featuring invited guest stars in productions of Mascagni’s masterpiece, which initiated the verismo movement and continues to enjoy worldwide popularity. The wonderful music and the vivid, lucid plot — void of operatic clichés — allow the artists to evince the full extents of their vocal and theatrical talents. All of this is further enhanced by the opera’s staging: at the Mikhailovsky Theatre, Cavalleria rusticana is produced by Liliana Cavani in the Italian neorealist aesthetic, which breaks free of all staid theatrical conventions.
