World's Best Tenors Captured On Film By Johannes Ifkovits

High C: The cover and back inlay for the book World's Best Tenors captures the artists 
singing the infamous note. (Photo: Johannes Ifkovit)

Opera Rifko Verlag, the publisher that designed the book Die Oper Kocht featuring opera singers in the kitchen cooking, releases a new book dedicated to the greatest kings of the high-C's living today: Die weltbesten Tenöre (World's Best Tenors). The duo team of photographer Johannes Ifkovits and stylist Evelyn Rillé created an essay that highlights 44 opera tenors from around the globe that had time or willingness to participate in the project. The Festival Castell de Peralada featured an exhibition of the book with large images surrounding the grounds of Palau Robert in Barcelona, Spain. Inside the book, portraits of legendary tenors like Plácido Domingo, Vladimir Atlantov, René Kollo stand alongside their hot young counterparts like Pavol Breslik, Giuseppe Filianoti, and Michael Fabiano. The book will soon be available for pre-order here. More photos after the jump. 

(Click to enlarge image)

Strumming His Guitar: Juan Diego Flórez captured by photographer Johannes Ifkovits

Rubber Ducky You're The One: Funny guy Rolando Villazón relaxes in the tub for his portrait by Johannes Ifkovits

Opera-Loving Catholic Cardinal Edward Egan Of NYC Dies At Age 82

Cardinal Edward Egan listens to opera tenor Bryan Hymel
at the Waldorf-Astoria in October 2014

"Cardinal Edward M. Egan, a stern defender of Roman Catholic orthodoxy who presided over the New York Archdiocese for nine years in an era of troubled finances and changing demographics, died on Thursday in Manhattan. He was 82. Joseph Zwilling, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of New York, said Cardinal Egan died of cardiac arrest at NYU Langone Medical Center. As archbishop of New York from 2000 to 2009 — the spiritual head of a realm of 2.5 million parishioners, an archipelago of 400 churches and a majestic seat at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan — the cardinal was one of America’s most visible Catholic leaders, invoking prayers for justice when terrorists struck on Sept. 11, 2001, and escorting Pope Benedict XVI on his historic visit to the city in April 2008. In February of 2009, the pope announced that Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of Milwaukee had been selected to replace Cardinal Egan in New York on April 15, concluding a reign that had not been popular with many Catholics but had come to grips with hard decisions on church finances and had walked the line of Catholic doctrine against winds of change. But a month before retiring, Cardinal Egan seemed to soften his stance on the centuries-old requirement of priestly celibacy by suggesting the church would someday have to consider allowing priests to marry. 'I think that it’s going to be discussed; it’s a perfectly legitimate discussion,' he said on the Albany radio station Talk 1300. He added: 'I think it has to be looked at. And I am not so sure it wouldn’t be a good idea to decide on the basis of geography and culture not to make an across-the-board determination.'" New York residents know that Cardinal Edward Egan was known for his strong Catholic faith, but few had the knowledge that it was his love of opera that carried on a tradition of bringing operatic talent of the highest level to St. Patrick's Cathedral. Annually at services for Christmas Eve Midnight Mass visitors can hear the likes of Susan Graham, Renée Fleming, Hei-Kyung Hong, James Valenti, Danielle de Niese, Carl Tanner, Joyce DiDonato, Stephen Costello, Ramón Vargas, Maureen O'Flynn, Marcello Giordani, and Michael Fabiano. In 2007/2008, the Archdiocese of New York celebrated its Bicentennial with many celebratory Masses and events. Edward Cardinal Egan hosted a much-heralded concert featuring various choirs and stars from the Metropolitan Opera. [Source, Source, Source] Read more biographical information about Cardinal Egan here.

Renata Scotto Chats About Being One Of Opera's Chosen

Madame Scotto explains to the audience the major differences between opera 50 years ago and today.

Last night, WQXR hosted a live webcast featuring performances and interviews centering around tenor Michael Fabiano: "Tonight at 7 pm, join us for a live webcast of Italian opera excerpts and songs in The Greene Space, headlined by American tenor Michael Fabiano. Fabiano, the recipient of the 2014 Richard Tucker Award and the 2014 Beverly Sills Artist Award, has performed at opera houses around the world, and is noted for his vocal style, physical dash and star power. Operavore blogger Fred Plotkin recently named him one of his '40 under 40' opera singers. The evening also features performances by Richard Tucker Grant winners Jennifer Johnson Cano, mezzo-soprano, and Brandon Cedel, bass-baritone. Legendary soprano Renata Scotto makes a guest appearance in conversation with WQXR’s Naomi Lewin, discussing her collaborations with Richard Tucker and her role as a master teacher imparting the traditions of Italian opera to a new generation of American opera singers." The highlight was when Renata Scotto took the chair to be interviewed about her career and thoughts about opera now. Some of her responses included the difference in how today's singers study and prepare roles; are they singing for themselves or for the audience?; with many singers in the world, only

Hard Worker: Michael Fabiano prides himself
 on having the American work ethic. 

a few are "elected" or "chosen" to become successful; discussing performing for television cameras in La Bohème and that sparked her to lose weight; singers today shouldn't worry about looking good for the HD cameras, that is the job of the costumer, make-up artists, director, and television staff; listening for the first time to an excerpt from Rigoletto with Richard Tucker at the Teatro Cologne in 1967; talking about her American debut in 1960 with Richard Tucker in La Bohème while on her honeymoon; getting cookies on the doorstep of her Park Avenue apartment from Richard Tucker's wife; what responsibility she feels to opera being an Italian; why she thinks Felice Romani is the greatest librettist to ever live; and finally whether she prefers sfogliatelle or cannoli*. Watch the video of the evening, after the jump.
[Source]

*Spoiler: Michael Fabiano claims "you can stuff cannoli down my throat all day."

Tenor Michael Fabiano Praises Renée Fleming And Aprile Millo

Tenor Michael Fabiano, with his mother Carole, at the opening night reception for the
MET's new production of Die Fledermaus (Photo: Facebook)

"'Renee Fleming has been very good to me. During the Paris [run of Otello] she took a big leap of faith with me,' he stated. 'And there were moments when we would have time to talk and I would be able to listen to her and learn. Even small moments, three minutes or six listening to an expert is magnificent. It is something that you don't get with others. To talk

Singing Lucrezia Borgia
with Renée Fleming at the
San Francisco Opera in 2011

with someone so special like Ms. Fleming and understand what is running in her mind about the business and how she sings and the pressures of it. Those kinds of moments are priceless.' Another major influence on his life has been soprano Aprile Millo; the tenor noted that he met Millo during a master class at age 21 and has kept in touch with her since. 'She is a wonderful soprano who has been a dear friend and given me very wonderful advice throughout the last several years,' he stated. 'I look up to her for the old tradition of singing. The grand opera tradition. Because she was part of that I think more of that is needed today.'" [Source]

Details Magazine Heralds New Rock Star Opera Tenors

Click image to enlarge

"Lucrezia Borgia" with Renée Fleming at SFO Gets Reviewed

"Ask Miss Manners and I'm sure she'll agree: When a company like the San Francisco Opera adds a work to its repertoire specifically as a vehicle for your return, it's only right to pitch in and give a fiercely committed performance, one that will justify the decision. Yet here was Donizetti's implausible tragedy Lucrezia Borgia, taking the stage of the War Memorial Opera House on Friday night for the first time. And here was soprano Renée Fleming, returning to the company for her first opera in a decade, and turning in a lazy, theatrically vacuous performance in

the title role. Seriously? Is that how the game is played in the big leagues? Permit me to doubt it. Fortunately, there was enough strong vocalism on display from the rest of the cast to make Friday's opener seem like more than just a misguided vanity vehicle. And in the pit, a brisk, responsive company debut by conductor Riccardo Frizza helped give the evening a sense of streamlined momentum that was otherwise absent. But Fleming - swanning about distractedly as if reprising her role of Blanche Dubois in A Streetcar Named Desire - added little to the mix, and director-designer John Pascoe's nonsensical and unsightly production, imported from the Washington National Opera, only made the evening more dispiriting." [Source]

"A few strange things happened to Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia on the way to its first performance Friday at the San Francisco Opera, a mere 178 years after its La Scala premiere. First is that Renée Fleming in the title role of this star vehicle picked up a dozen hitchhikers, who sang gloriously. Costumed sensationally, La Fleming looked gorgeous and sang in a range from fine to diva-great. Yet she had lots of company

in that department. Second, that the star and passengers - the whole thing - sank. John Pascoe’s clueless direction drained whatever life the work - three hours of generic Donizetti and melodrama in the class of The Drunkard - might have offered. The sets were impressively professional, if needlessly moving, and the costumes opulent. Yet the stage direction recalled the “Amateur Hour,” with goose-stepping "troops" of four or five, fascist salutes, Roman salutes, Etruscan salutes, lighting striking every time something of significance happened, and plentiful awkward or ridiculous mechanical movements." [Source]

[Above images feature Renée Fleming in the title role of Lucrezia and tenor Michael Fabiano as Gennaro. Photos: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera]

Renée Fleming Illumine la Scène de l’Opéra Bastille

Some stunning photos from the Andrei Serban production of Verdi's Otello taking place at l'Opéra National de Paris - Opéra Bastille. Head over to www.paperblog.fr for more high-resolution images. Conducted by Marco Armiliato, singers featured include Renée Fleming (Desdemona), Aleksandrs Antonenko (Otello), Lucio Gallo (Iago), Michael Fabiano (Cassio), Francisco Almanza (Roderigo) and Nona Javakhidze (Emilia).