Rossini Helps Launch "Muppets Now" Streaming On Disney +

Everyone Is a Critic: Show favorites Statler and Waldorf perched in their favorite box

It's time to play the music, It's time to light the lights. It's time to raise the curtain on the Muppet Show tonight! "Muppets Now is The Muppets Studio’s first unscripted series and first original series for Disney+. In the six-episode season, Scooter rushes to make his delivery deadlines and upload the brand-new Muppet series for streaming. They are due now, and he’ll need to navigate whatever obstacles, distractions, and complications the rest of the Muppet gang throws at him. Overflowing with spontaneous lunacy, surprising guest stars and more frogs, pigs, bears (and whatevers) than legally allowed, the Muppets cut loose in Muppets Now with the kind of startling silliness and chaotic fun that made them famous. From zany experiments with Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker to lifestyle tips from the fabulous Miss Piggy, each episode is packed with hilarious segments, hosted by the Muppets showcasing what the Muppets do best. Produced by The Muppets Studio and Soapbox Films, Muppets Now premieres Friday, July 31, streaming only on Disney+." The video trailer advertising the series makes use of music from Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia with music from Figaro's aria "Largo al factotum della città." Watch the trailer for the new series and a video of Dmitri Hvorostovsky singing the whole aria after the jump. Be sure to check out this feature that documents opera singers that appeared on the original series The Muppet Show by clicking here.

Get more information on Muppets Now by clicking here.

  

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Dmitri Hvorostovsky Shown Love From Metropolitan Opera Orchestra

"Three months after announcing he had a brain tumor, and still in the midst of treatment, the cherished Russian baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky returned to the Metropolitan Opera on Friday evening as the Count di Luna in Verdi’s Il Trovatore. An ovation greeted his first entrance, loud and long enough that he broke character to smile and pat his heart in appreciation. Three hours later, the curtain calls ended with the orchestra pelting Mr. Hvorostovsky with white roses, as his co-star, the Russian soprano Anna Netrebko, appeared visibly moved." [Source] Watch a video of the curtain call, after the jump.

Ildar Abdrazakov Named Artistic Director Of Obraztsova Music School

"Dima, You Will Win!": Ildar Abdrazakov, Anna Netrebko, Ekaterina Gubanova, and Aleksandrs Antonenko
wear t-shirts that support colleague Dmitri Hvorostovsky at the Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow for a
concert in memory of the late Elena Obraztsova.

"An international music school dedicated to legendary Russian opera star Yelena Obraztsova is to open its doors to pupils this summer in St. Petersburg. The inauguration of the Academy of Music will take place at the city’s Bolshoi Gostiny Dvor on August 8. The evening will see a gala concert featuring opera stars and some of the closest friends of the legendary opera singer, who died in January. The Mariinsky Theater's leading soloist Ildar Abdrazakov is to serve as the Academy's artistic director. 'Students from abroad will also be coming to the Academy. I am very often asked, both in Russia and abroad, about where I teach, where you can take a master class. Naturally, I will invite everybody to the Yelena Obraztsova Academy, where classes will be taught by professionals with a capital P,' Abdrazakov said at a press conference in St. Petersburg. 'Thomas Hampson and Deborah Voigt have already agreed to my proposal. And Anna Netrebko will also come,' said Abdrazakov. In addition, the creators of the academy have promised that the country’s best teachers will teach there on a regular basis, and the school itself will become international – talented young singers from different countries will come to the institute to exchange their experiences. Yelena Makarova, Obraztsova’s daughter and the

Abdrazakov and Netrebko in France last week. The two sang
on a July 4th gala concert at Château de Versailles.

director of the academy, said that to open such an educational institution had been her mother’s dream. 'It's a dream that my mother nurtured for many years. A dream that helped her fight her illness,' she said. According to her, the Obraztsova Academy will provide training for both adults and children. The purpose of opening the academy is to create a unique educational institution, taking into account the peculiarities and individuality of each student. Ildar Abdrazakov will give the first master class between November 1 and 12. Training at the academy will be provided on a fee-paying basis, but there will be 10 free places in the adult department and another 10 available for children. In addition, individual grants from Makarova and Abdrazakov are being planned. The gala concert to celebrate the opening of the Obraztsova Academy will feature Abdrazakov, Olga Makarina, Vasily Ladyuk, Yusif Eyvazov and Yelena Makarova, as well as an orchestra led by the Mikhailovsky Theater's principal conductor Mikhail Tatarnikov." [Source] More photos after the jump.

Thomas Hampson To Replace Hvorostovsky At "Summit of the Stars"

In light of yesterday's tragic news of Dmitri Hvorostovsky falling ill, Thomas Hampson will replace him on the June 27 "Gipfeltreffen der Stars" concert in Munich with Jonas Kaufmann and Anna Netrebko. "Es nennt sich 'Gipfeltreffen der Stars,' und die Veranstalter haben wohl auch recht: Mit Anna Netrebko (43) und Jonas Kaufmann (45) treten am 27. Juni zwei der größten Stars der Klassik-Szene bei einem Open-Air-Konzert auf dem Münchner Königsplatz auf. Ohne Probe funktioniert das aber auch bei den beiden Mega-Stars nicht. 'Kein Konzert ohne Probe! Selbst wenn man auf einer Tournee an zehn Abenden hintereinander dasselbe Programm singt, muss man vor jedem Konzert proben, schon weil jeder Raum eine andere Akustik hat,' sagte Kaufmann im Interview der Deutschen Presse-Agentur. 'Und bei einem technisch aufwendigen Freiluft-Konzert vor rund 15 000 Zuschauern wäre es schierer Wahnsinn, ohne Probe auf die Bühne zu gehen.' Mit Netrebko und Kaufmann zusammen tritt der Bariton Thomas Hampson auf, der den erkrankten Dmitri Chworostowski kurzfristig ersetzt." The concert will include opera highlights by Verdi, Puccini, and Rossini. Special guests include Elena Zhidkova and Ildar Abdrazakov. Click here for more information on how to watch the concert. [Source, Source]

Dmitri Hvorostovsky To Begin Immediate Treatment On Brain Tumor

UPDATE 06/30/2015: "Celebrated Russian baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky, who was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor, will undergo medical treatment at one of London's cancer hospitals, a source close to the singer's family told Interfax on June 25. 'Dmitri will have a course of treatment at London's cancer hospital Royal Marsden,' the source said. It was announced on Thursday that internationally acclaimed baritone Hvorostovsky had been diagnosed with brain tumor." [Source]

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Watch a video of the 27-year old Dmitri Hvorostovsky at the beginning of his career singing 

"Eri tu" from Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera, after the jump.

Uncovering Elena Obraztsova Treasures As 75 Years Is Celebrated

Operatic Tsaritsa: The legendary
 Elena Obraztsova

For over 50 years, Elena Obraztsova has been a fixture on the operatic scene. Her debut was at the Bolshoi Theater in a production of Boris Godunov in 1963 and as of last week the performer was still singing with plenty of full voice during a gala celebrating her 75th birthday with stars like Anna Netrebko, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Maria Guleghina, José Cura, Julia Lezhneva, Hibla Gerzmava and Olga Peretyatko. In her native Mother Russia, Ms. Obraztsova recorded a trove of music for the label Melodiya over the years. The label was later acquired by EMI and many of the recordings never made it to the CD format barring the arias disc with Giuseppe Patanè that first appeared in Japan and eventually on Russian import. Thanks to the scrupulous work of Melodiya digitizing much of the mezzo-soprano's back catalog, these albums are now available in MP3 format and reveal a surprising depth for the song repertoire by this monumental artist. The majority of her recorded legacy features the works of Soviet neo-romantic composer Georgy Sviridov. Music recorded between 1977-1983, with the composer at the piano, shows how the opera singer placed her esteem of his work alongside Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff whose works she also laid down for posterity. Whether arias,

One of the prized solo recordings to 
make a commercial release worldwide.

romances, or folk songs, it is clear that Ms. Obraztsova was first and foremost a nationalist. The most surprising treat in the discography is a disc of Schumann lieder featuring the complete Frauenliebe und leben alongside excerpts from Liederkreis, 12 Gedichte, Myrthen, and 6 Gedichte von N. Lenau und Requiem. Her rendition of "Mondnacht" rivals that of German baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. Next to the contributions of fellow Russian stars Irina Arkhipova and Galina Vishnevskaya, the collection of music put forth by Elena Obraztsova is admirable. There are still albums of hers not available to the public, including a disc of Bach & Händel arias, Pergolesi's Stabat Mater, Vivaldi's Gloria, Cavalleria Rusticana with tenor Zurab Sotkilava, Wagner's Wesendonck Lieder, Brahm's Rhapsody for Alto, and a collection of Viennese operetta with conductor Algis Ziuraitis, but there are others still in print on various labels including Deutsche Grammophon (Un Ballo in Maschera, Aida, Alexander Nevsky, Werther, Samson et Dalila, Rigoletto), Sony (Adriana Lecouvreur), Decca (Cavalleria Rusticana, Andrea Chénier), EMI (Nabucco), as well as a slew of recordings on private labels and live performance documents. After the jump: Learn more about Elena Obraztsova, see all of the recordings currently available digitally, and watch the 75th birthday concert in its entirety.

Elena Obraztsova stands center stage as international opera stars pay hommage last week.

More Opera Singers Take The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

In case you missed the first round of opera folks taking the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, click here. Enjoy the new editions of Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Ildar Abdrazakov, Deborah Sasson, and Katherine Jenkins, below by clicking on each photo to watch the video:

Dmitri Hvorostovsky Interviewed For Closing Of Istanbul Opera Festival

The Russian baritone is a rock star in the world of opera.

Daily Sabah: How were you first introduced to and became involved with opera?
Dmitri Hvorostovsky: I grew up in a family that always appreciated classic music. My father is a chemical engineer who has studied piano since he was a child and has continued to play piano till now. When he was in his 20s he began taking singing lessons. My mother has a very beautiful natural high soprano. I've listen to classical and opera music literally since I was born. After studying at music school as a pianist, I moved on and rebelled as a rock singer in my teens, but always had a special love and appreciation for opera. Soon I realized that my voice is way too rich and bright for rock and pop, and my father suggested I should go and study at choral music college, where I went and quickly developed an enormous passion for opera singing. At college I studied piano, conducting, choral singing and took singing lessons three to four times a week with Galina Astanina. After three years I auditioned for Ekaterina Yoffel's class at the Krasnoyarsk Academy of Arts. After studying for five years I graduated as an opera and chamber music singer. In the second year, I became the youngest soloist at the Krasnoyarsk State Opera Theater.

Read the full interview here.

Renée Fleming and Dmitri Hvorostovsky Take Selfie In L.A.

Ms. Fleming is in Los Angeles for Streetcar Named Desire and Mr. Hvorostovsky for a recital. (Photo: Facebook)

Highly Fashionable Opera Divas On The Cover Of A Magazine

Kathleen Battle (Japan, 1992)	Barbara Hendricks (Paris, 1987)
Anna Netrebko (Russia, 2012)	Renée Fleming (USA, 2005)

It's pretty typical to find opera sopranos gracing the covers of industry magazines in glamorous gowns and jewels, but it is a rare sight to see these divas go mainstream with coverage the likes of Tatler, Vogue, Esquire, and Town & Country. Here we have some wonderful samples of ladies who truly reached the zenith of popularity and gave good face for these leading publications. We didn't forget the men. Be sure to check out a special cover (not for the faint of heart...) after the jump. 

Anna Netrebko Does Late Night And Arias From Red Square

Anna Netrebko appeared on Ivan Urgant's Late Night Show in Russia to discuss compromising positions in which opera singers get themselves, her favorite popular music, friends and family, as well as what she does in airports without social media to pass the time.
Watch the soprano sing "La mamma morta" from Andrea Chénier and "Io son l'umile ncella" from Adriana Lecouvreur from the concert in Red Square. The complete concert with Dmitri Hvorostovsky can be seen here. More photos after the jump.

The Russians (Netrebko And Hvorostovsky) Are Coming To Red Square

Click the above photo to watch a video from the press conference in Russia for this evening's concert in Moscow's Red Square featuring Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Anna Netrebko with conductor Constantine Orbelian. Global listings for live streaming of the concert can be found after the jump.

(Photo: Victor Vasenin/WP)

Opera Stars Reveal Secrets Backstage at Richard Tucker Gala

First Glimpse of Anna Netrebko at MET "Manon" After-Party

More gorgeous photos of Ms. Netrebko by photographer Julie Skarratt can be found here. See more pictures of guests (including Paulo Szot, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Barbara Walters and Peter Gelb) click here.

Saint Petersburg, Russia, Tries To Take "Gay" Out of the City

Will Russian opera singers like Anna Netrebko, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Ildar Abdrazakov, Olga Borodina, Valery Gergiev, Olga Peretyatko, Julia Lezhneva and others, take a stand against this horrendous measure?

Dmitri Hvorostovsky Joined by Marcello Giordani in Russia

"Dmitri has given solo recitals and concerts across Russia – including his hometown, Krasnoyarsk. Tenor Marcello Giordani joins the Siberian baritone for two of Dmitri’s signature 'Dmitri & Friends' concerts. Together they will sing at the Kremlin Palace in Moscow this Saturday December 3 and then at the Oktjabrskaya Concert Hall in St. Petersburg on December 6. Dmitri gave a master class to the winners of Russia's I'm a Talent competition in Moscow on November 30. On December 5, Marcello will join Dmitri in St. Petersburg for a joint master class with the young singers. Wrapping up his fall engagements, Dmitri sings in Kazan on December 10 and in Kiev on December 16." [Source]

Bolshoi Theatre Reopening Gala Concert - The Opera Edition

"President Dmitry Medvedev and prime minister Vladimir Putin hosted the event billed as the 'rebirth' of one of Russia’s cultural treasures, featuring opera stars Placido Domingo, Angela Gheorghiu and Natalie Dessay and ballet dancers Natalia Osipova, Svetlana Zakharova and Ivan Vasiliev. The renovation is intended to transform the 1820s theater in central Moscow from a crumbling, acoustically inadequate beauty into a state-of-the-art facility. It is believed to be the most expensive theater renovation project ever, according to Russia's RT network. Invitations for the event were sent out by the Kremlin administration and not by the theater itself and reports have surfaced that that ticket tickets have been up for grabs on the Internet for as much as $65,000. The Bolshoi administration denies any involvement in the matter. 'Could you imagine what the reaction would be if London's Royal Opera House gave up the entire theater to the presidential administration?' Russian music critic Marina Gaikovich told the Interfax news agency. The restoration has been mired in controversy from the start, overshooting the original budget over four times and missing its original reopening date of 2008 as the condition of the building was found to be far worse than first believed. Symbolically, restorers removed the Soviet hammer and sickle from the curtain, while the Soviet coat of arms has been pulled from the facade, replaced with the double-headed eagle, the Tsarist symbol readopted by Russia." [Source]

OPERA SELECTIONS FROM THE PROGRAM

Violeta Urmana: "Prastite Vy, Xalmy"
from The Maid of Orleans (Tchaikovsky)

Dmitri Hvorostovsky: "Ya vas lyublyu"
from Pique Dame (Tchaikovsky)

Natalie Dessay: "Ne poi, krasavitsa, pri mne”
lyrics by Alexander Pushkin and music by Rachmaninoff

Yelena Zelenskaya, Anna Aglatova, Yekaterina Scherbachenko, Svetlana Shilova
sing “Nature and Love” by Tchaikovsky

Irina Dolzhenko, Lolitta Semenina, Andrey Grigoriev, Maxim Paster, Boris Rudak:
"Final Scene" from Betrothal in a Monastery (Prokofiev)

Angela Gheorghiu: "Ach, istomilas ja gorem"
from Pique Dame (Tchaikovsky)

Happy Birthday: Dmitri Hvorostovsky

Opera Fresh admittedly has a bias toward sopranos, but it can certainly appreciate a great baritone that celebrates his 49th birthday today!


Read his full biography here and check out his website, that is loaded with pictures, by clicking here.

Sumi Jo, Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Lara Fabian Close Festival

The trio rocking out "La Melodia" 

Baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky was joined by soprano Sumi Jo and Belgian pop star Lara Fabian for the final concert of New Wave 2011, which is an international competition for young singers. The concert, celebrating its 10th anniversary, was recorded live for television on July 31, 2011, at the "Dzintari" concert hall in Jūrmala, Latvia. Conductor Constantine Orbelian led the Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Choir. There are plans for a new concert program that will begin at the Kremlin in Moscow beginning in October 2012 with Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Russian producer/composer Igor Krutoy. For more information about New Wave 2011, click here.

BONUS: Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Lara Fabian in rehearsal for the big closing show of New Wave 2011: