Opera Is Dying

Stories

19 Stories

July 2008
- 'The Fly' Morphs Into Opera
  
  Bloomberg | Jul 3, 08 1:35 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - David Cronenberg’s horror classic The Fly has metamorphosed into something new: an opera. This new, unholy horror-opera hybrid was unleashed on Paris last night, garnering at least somewhat enthusiastic applause, Bloomberg reports. Intact were all the things that made the movie memorable: its tragic love plot, hideous monster and, of course, lots of gore. More »
June 2008
- No-Longer-Fat Lady Sings Part She Was Denied
  
  New York Times | Jun 11, 08 8:34 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - In 2004 Deborah Voigt, one of the world's most gifted sopranos, was dismissed from a London production of Ariadne auf Naxos for being too fat to fit in the little black dress that the director insisted was integral to the production. On Monday Voigt, who has gone from a size 30 to a 14 after weight-reduction surgery, has what the New York Times is calling a "second date" with that black dress: starring in the same production of Ariadne. More »
- Brokeback Headed to Opera Stage
  
  Reuters | Jun 9, 08 9:45 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Brokeback Mountain, the groundbreaking gay love story of two Wyoming ranch hands which went on to claim 3 Oscars, will be transformed into an opera, Reuters reports. The New York City Opera has commissioned a composer to write the work. More »
May 2008
- Vivaldi Opera Revived 278 Years Later
  
  BBC | May 4, 08 5:57 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A long-lost opera by Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi has resurfaced nearly 280 years after its Prague premiere, BBC reports. Argippo , a tale of love and deception set in an Indian maharaja’s court, was first performed in 1730 but vanished soon after, leaving only a libretto. But that was enough for a Czech musician to start hunting around Europe for the rest. More »
April 2008
- Pavarotti Lipsynched Last Performance
  
  Guardian (UK) | Apr 7, 08 9:02 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Lipsynching isn't just for neophytes like Nikki Hilton—none other than tenor Luciano Pavarotti faked his way through his final public performance at the opening of the Turin Winter Olympics, the Guardian reports. In a new book, Pavarotti's conductor and pianist claims that he recorded the cancer-stricken tenor and the orchestra, and used video trickery to pull the ruse off before millions of TV viewers. More »
- Anna Nicole Opera Bound for London
  
  Reuters | Apr 4, 08 5:46 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Playboy playmate, reality TV wreck, tragic heroine? London's famed Covent Garden has commissioned an opera based on the tumultuous life of Anna Nicole Smith, Reuters reports. The librettist best known for creating the hit musical Jerry Springer: The Opera is penning what he called an "incredible story" and planning a 2010 premiere. More »
March 2008
- Famed Tenor di Stefano Dead
  
  Los Angeles Times | Mar 4, 08 9:53 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - Giuseppe di Stefano, the tenor whose short but brilliant career made him an operatic legend, died yesterday at his home near Milan. He was 86. His widow told reporters his death resulted from head injuries dating to 2004, when robbers in Kenya left him temporarily comatose. Di Stefano's superb voice earned comparisons to Enrico Caruso, but his temperament and personal conduct cut short his career, the LA Times reports. More »
December 2007
- Composer Stockhausen Dead at 79
  
  Guardian (UK) | Dec 7, 07 9:11 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Karlheinz Stockhausen, the controversial composer who wrote the world's longest opera—29 hours, to be played over 7 days—has died at the age of 79, the Guardian reports. Though he inspired the Beatles and won high critical acclaim, Stockhausen also snubbed modern music trends and received little mainstream acceptance during a prolific career. More »
November 2007
- Pavarotti Widow Sues 2 Friends
  
  Associated Press | Nov 26, 07 5:00 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Luciano Pavarotti's widow is suing two of her late husband's close friends for $44 million over what she terms defamatory remarks about her marriage and character. Nicoletta Mantovani claims they began "feeding the media with rumors" after the maestro died of cancer in September. The duo publicly claimed Pavarotti complained of his wife's obsession with money and her tendency to isolate him. More »
September 2007
- Thousands Mourn Pavarotti
  
  Associated Press | Sep 8, 07 9:24 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Modena's main piazza was filled with throngs of Luciano Pavarotti fans today as invited mourners gathered at the cathedral for the tenor's funeral. The service, which was shown on huge screens in the piazza and broadcast live, was attended by an ecclectic group of dignitaries and artists with whom the opera star had collaborated, including former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and U2 lead singer Bono. More »
- Thousands Pay Respects to Pavarotti
  
  Reuters | Sep 7, 07 5:53 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Thousands lined up today to pay respects to opera superstar Luciano Pavarotti at the cathedral in his hometown of Modena, Italy. Though the tenor's family wants a private funeral tomorrow, an international array of celebrities and fans–among them Bono, Andrea Bocelli, and Kofi Annan–are planning to attend, Reuters reports. The tenor died of cancer yesterday at age 71. More »
- Opera World Mourns 'King of the High Cs'
  
  New York Times | Sep 6, 07 8:05 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Placido Domingo is the better musician, but no other voice could match the late Luciano Pavarotti's, Anthony Tommasini writes in today's Times . The music critic looks at a career dotted with highs as lofty as the high Cs Pavarotti "tossed off" with "ease, pinging tone and utter glee" and concludes his take on Pavarotti's "Nessun dorma" with an unapologetic "Wow!" More »
- Tenor Luciano Pavarotti Dies
  
  New York Times | Sep 6, 07 1:00 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Opera star Luciano Pavarotti, one of the greatest tenors of the last century, died early this morning of pancreatic cancer, surrounded by his wife, sister and four daughters, in his hometown villa in Modena, Italy. He was 71. "The Maestro fought a long, tough battle," said his manager. "Fitting with the approach that characterized his life and work, he remained positive until finally succumbing to the last stages of his illness." More »
August 2007
- Pavarotti Extends Stay in Hospital
  
  Associated Press | Aug 14, 07 11:22 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Tenor Luciano Pavarotti has decided to extend his stay in the hospital a few more days, his wife said, saying the star feels “more tranquil” there and denying rumors that he had pneumonia. The opera luminary, who had surgery for pancreatic cancer in 2006, was hospitalized last week when a checkup revealed he had a fever. Doctors cleared him to go home yesterday. More »
July 2007
- That's Hot: Paris to Star in Futuristic Opera
  
  Variety | Jul 31, 07 12:26 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Paris Hilton will sing in a big-screen rock opera, playing an evil mogul’s daughter in a futuristic drama about organ transplants. She beat out "at least 30 actresses" who auditioned for the role in Repo! The Genetic Opera , the director tells Variety. “Paris came in and owned it," says Darren Lynn Bousman. "She is this role.” More »
- Tenor Jerry Hadley Dies at 55
  
  New York Times | Jul 19, 07 4:44 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Lyric tenor Jerry Hadley, 55, died yesterday, eight days after shooting himself in the head in his home near Poughkeepsie, NY. Hadley, who suffered from depression, was known for his bright, warm voice, brash energy on stage and adventurous choice of repertory, the New York Times reports. More »
- Famed Tenor On Life Support
  
  New York Times | Jul 11, 07 4:30 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - American tenor Jerry Hadley suffered severe brain damage after shooting himself in the head with an air rifle outside his upstate New York home, the New York Times reports. The Grammy Award-winning opera star, 55, is on life support, and police are treating the case as an attempted suicide. Hadley's career was in decline. More »
- Pavarotti's New Album Could Be Finale
  
  Associated Press | Jul 5, 07 6:09 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Opera singer Luciano Pavarotti is recording songs for what could be his last album as the 71-year-old tenor battles pancreatic cancer. His elder daughter reportedly told a magazine that he "knows he will die soon," but later insisted her words had been twisted. Doctors discovered the cancer last summer during a break in the singer's farewell tour. More »
- Opera Star Beverly Sills Dead at 78
  
  New York Times | Jul 3, 07 4:44 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Soprano Beverly Sills, whose ebullient personality and brilliant singing voice not only made her a star but helped demystify opera in America, died Monday night in her Manhattan home from inoperable lung cancer, the New York Times reports. She was 78. Sills spent much of her singing career with the New York City Opera, and later chaired Lincoln Center and the Metropolitan Opera. More »