Plácido Domingo Surrounded By Yoncheva, Peretyatko, Yende At MET

Tenor Plácido Domingo backstage at the Metropolitan Opera following a performance of Verdi's Otello, a role he has sung over 225 times, with sopranos (left to right) Sonya Yoncheva, Olga Peretyatko and Pretty Yende.

Olga Peretyatko Joins Forces With Alberto Zedda For Sony Rossini Disc

The young soprano is channeling Graziella Sciutti and Sophia Loren on the cover of Rossini!

For her third album on the label Sony Classical, Olga Peretyatko returns to her first love: Rossini. Her collaborator on the disc is conductor Alberto Zedda with whom she began a working relationship at Pesaro in 2006. The new CD will feature arias from Il viaggio a Reims, Matilde di Shabran, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Tancredi, Il turco in Italia, and Semiramide. More details of the forthcoming disc can be found after the jump. [Source]

Rolando Villazón "Traviata" Is Circus Clowns And A Willy Decker Clock

Time Stands Still For No One: La Traviata in Baden-Baden 
 (Photo: Andrea Kremper)

The new production of Verdi's La Traviata directed by Roland Villazón had its premiere on May 21, 2015, and the critics are giving their opinions on the opera that features soprano Olga Peretyatko and tenor Atalla Ayan. The first production Mr. Villazón directed for the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden was Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore in 2012. Watch a video featuring interviews and backstage rehearsals for La Traviata, after the jump.

Doritos Capitalizes On The Popularity Of Duet By Delibes

Doritos, promoting their "Go For Bold" campaign, created a commercial for the Super Bowl that uses a duet from the opera Lakmé by Delibes. The piece, "Viens, Mallika, les lianes en fleurs....Dôme épais, le jasmin," comes from Act I of the opera and is commonly known as the "Flower Duet." Read more about the opera by clicking here. See several interpretations featuring sopranos Anna Netrebko, Sumi Jo, Joan Sutherland, Renée Fleming, Diana Damrau, Montserrat Caballé, and more, after the jump.

What Is Missing From The 57th Annual GRAMMY Nominee List?

Nominations for the 57th Annual Grammy Awards came out today and there were some albums, artists, and labels, conspicuously missing from the classical opera, choral, and vocal, recital lists. Eligibility rules state that for the 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards albums must be released between October 1, 2013 and September 30, 2014. For whatever reason, here is a sampling of those not making the list: Elīna Garanča - Meditation (DG); Verdi: Giovanna d Arco- Anna Netrebko, Plácido Domingo (DG); Juan Diego Flórez - L'Amour (Decca); Jonas Kaufmann - You Mean the World to Me (Sony); Jonas Kaufmann - Die Winterreise (Sony); Max Emanuel Cencic - Rokoko: Hasse Opera Arias (Decca); Ildar Abrazakov - Power Players: Russian Arias for Bass (Delos); Rolando Villazón - Mozart Concert Arias (DG); Sabine Devieilhe - Rameau: Le Grand Theatre de l'amour (Erato); Marina Rebeka - Mozart Arias (Warner Classics); Iestyn Davies - Arise, My Muse (Wigmore Hall Live); Javier Camarena - Tenor Recitales (Urtext); Karina Gauvin - Mozart: Concert & Opera Arias (ATMA Classique); Anna Prohaska - Behind the Lines (DG); Thomas Hampson - Notturno: The Strauss Recital (DG); Madgalena Kozená - Prayer: Voice & Organ (DG); Poulenc: Stabat Mater, Gloria, Litanies à la Vierge noire - Patricia Petibon (DG); Verdi: Simon Boccanegra - Hampson, Opolais, Calleja, Pisaroni; Zanetti (Decca); Joseph Calleja - Amore (Decca); Muhly: Two Boys - Coote, Appleby, K. Miller; Robertson (Nonesuch); Vittorio Grigòlo - Ave Maria (Sony Classical); Sacred Verdi - Maria Agresta; Nagano (Warner Classics); Olga Peretyatko - Arabesque (Sony). Ever wonder how your favorite recordings get nominated each year? Find the answer out after the jump, which is where the complete list for year's best opera, choral and solo vocal recordings can be found as well.

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.

Olga Peretyatko Sparkles At Silvestergala In Baden-Baden

"Olga Peretyatko, in der Branche mit ihren Schubladen längst als Netrebko-Nachfolgerin gehandelt, lässt in der Rosenarie der Susanna ihr russisch-dunkles Stimmtimbre aufblühen, das auch schon andeutet, auf welche Reise diese Stimme gehen könnte. Im Augenblick sind’s noch die Koloraturen, mit denen sie reüssiert. Bei den beiden Mozart-Konzertarien gleichwohl überzeugt nicht alles. In 'Ah se in ciel', in der Mozart schon seine Königin der Nacht andeutet, kämpft sie mit den Höhen, und mitunter bekommt auch die Intonation leichte Blessuren. Die großen Koloraturarien der französischen Romantik dagegen sind für diese Stimme wie geschaffen. Sei es die Schwalbenarie aus Gounods Mireille oder die mit hinreißender Koketterie in Szene gesetzte Gavotte von Massenets Manon: Hier brilliert sie als Rossignol – als Nachtigall, silbern, kokett und handwerklich sauber in den Spitzentönen. Auch Roth und das animiert spielende Orchester stürzen sich mit Begeisterung ins Abenteuer Opéra comique: Ambroise Thomas’ herrliche Mignon - Ouvertüre gerät zu einem musikalischen Rausch der Klangfarben. Was ebenso für Gershwins transparent aufgeblätterte Kubanische Ouvertüre gilt. Bei dessen 'Rhapsody in Blue' zeigt Gabriela Montero noch einmal ihr hohes Maß an Eigenwilligkeit, wobei ihrem Anschlag hier oft eine Prise Nonchalance und Glanz fehlt, den sie dann in ihren Dialog mit Olga Peretyatko und dem Orchester bei Puccinis Operettennummer 'Chi il bel sogno' aus La rondine legt. Eine von drei Zugaben: Arditis Kuss-Walzer 'Il bacio', Paradestück für charmant-virtuose Sopranistinnen und eine Improvisation aus Bernsteins West Side Story gehören auch dazu. Das Thema gibt Konzertmeister Christian Ostertag vor, die Pianistin entführt es dann in den romantischen Salon und die Welt der Habanera. Ein klein wenig Jam-Session zum Jahresausklang und ein träumerisches Thema: 'There’s a place for us' – vielleicht ein Hoffnungsschimmer für das SWR-Sinfonieorchester?" [Source]

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?

At 65, José Carreras Thrives in Fundraiser for Foundation

"'Over the past week I had concerts in Prague, Lugano, a gala on German TV to raise funds for my leukemia foundation, and on Sunday I had a Christmas concert in Milan. Then I have the most important 'project' of the year which is a few days of holiday with my family for Christmas,' Jose Carreras said speaking at a media conference in Moscow. The singer has visited Russia many times both with solo shows and together with other stars of opera. 'I’m very happy to be back in Moscow. It’s a treat for every artist to come to your country because of its incredible artistic and musical tradition. I have wonderful memories from my previous visits to Moscow. I performed in different venues from the Bolshoi Theatre to the Kremlin, to the House of Music. Here I’ve always been treated with affection and respect from the public. And this is a privilege for any artist,' he explained. This time the tenor performed together with Russian soprano Olga Peretyatko and maestro David Gimenez, Carreras’ nephew. The first half of the program featured classical operatic works, and the second half was dedicated to Christmas. 'It is a challenge for us as we have to go through many different styles,' says David Gimenez. During his previous visit in July Carreras had a chance to visit a hospital for children with Leukemia. His foundation was established following his own recovery from the disease in 1988. 'It is one of my goals, to be involved and to try to help fight leukemia.'" [Source] It is reported that the concerts in Germany raised $8.3 million. For more information and to make a donation, click here.

Olga Peretyatko Debut CD on Sony Set For Summer Release

"Russian soprano Olga Peretyatko comes from St. Petersburg, where she began her musical career at the age of 15 in the children's choir of the Mariinsky Theatre. She completed a course of training as a choirmaster before enrolling to study voice at the Hanns Eisler-Hochschule für Musik in Berlin. Olga Peretyatko has already been among the prizewinners in several competitions, e.g. the international Operalia competition in Paris, where she was awarded second prize. From 2005-2007 she was a member of the opera studio at the Hamburg State Opera. There followed engagements at the Deutschen Oper Berlin, the Berlin and Munich state operas, the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, La Fenice in Venice and at the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro and the Festival La Folle journée de Nantes. Ms Peretyatko attracted international attention as Rossignol in the acclaimed production of the opera of the same name that was put on at the Aix-en-Provence Festival in 2010. She will be making guest appearances with this part in the forthcoming season in Amsterdam, New York and Canada. Future commitments will take her to Vienna, Palermo and Paris. Olga Peretyatko has worked with such conductors as Daniel Barenboim, Lorin Maazel, Zubin Mehta, Renato Palumbo, Marc Minkovsky and Alberto Zedda. She has an exclusive recording contract with Sony Classical." [Source]

See complete contents of the new disc and upcoming engagements for the soprano after the jump.