ARTIST

  Roles: Count Almaviva - Baritone Countess Rosina - Count Almaviva's wife - Soprano Figaro - The Count's servant - Baritone Susanna - Figaro's fiance and Countess Rosina's maid - Soprano Cherubino - A page boy - Mezzo Soprano Doctor Bartolo - Doctor - Bass Marcellina  - Doctor Bartolo's housekeeper - Mezzo Soprano Don Basilio  - Music Teacher - Tenor Antonio  - Gardener - Bass Barbarina  - The Gardener's daughter - Soprano Don Curzio  - Lawyer - Tenor Villagers, peasants, servants, wedding guests - Chorus ACT 1 In Seville, Figaro and Sussana are getting ready for their wedding and  Susanna admits to Figaro that the Count tried to seduce her. Figaro wants to take revenge.  In the meantime, Dr. Bartolo and Marcellina run into Susanna.  Marcellina and Susanna are rude to each other since they both know that  Marcellina wants to marry Figaro. She keeps on reminding Figaro of their contract, by which he is obliged to return the money he had borrowed from her or othe

What does Le Nozze di Figaro  mean? Le Nozze di Figaro  is translated as "The Marriage of Figaro". Who composed the opera  Le Nozze di Figaro ? The opera was composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and set to the libretto (words/text) by Lorenzo Da Ponte. The opera is based on the play "Le Marriage of  Figaro" written by Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais in 1784. When was the opera first performed? The opera was first performed at the Burgtheater in Vienna on the 1st of May 1786. Who were the lead singers of the first production? The lead singers of the first production of Le Nozze di Figaro were very young. Susanna was performed by 21 year old Nancy Storace, Cherubino was sung by a 23 years old, Basilio was performed by a 24 years old and the Countess was performed by a singer in her 20's. Barbarina, was performed by a 12 year old singer, who later performed as Pamina in Mozart's  Die  Zauberflöte.  Figaro and the other basses were performed by 40 year old&

  Kostios, A., 2007, From "Greek Melodrama" to the Greek National Opera, in Anna Karapanou (ed.) Maria Callas: 30 Years after (Athens: The Hellenic Parliament Foundation for Parliamentarism and Democracy) Maria Callas work ethic was very strong. She was very serious about practicing and getting prepared for her roles. She did not only memorize her roles but the whole opera, including her colleagues' roles and the orchestral part. Her voice was unique. She could use her voice as a Dramatic Soprano Lyric Soprano Coloratura Soprano accordingly with the needs of the roles. In addition, she was an amazing actress. She knew how to move on stage, use her hands and communicate to the audience her character's emotions.  Her dramatic presence on stage along with her voice, were able to change the strict perspective of the times, where opera singers could not move on stage. She was studying every musical note, every word, every move and was able to combine them in order to be a

  Kostios, A., 2007, From "Greek Melodrama" to the Greek National Opera, in  Anna Karapanou (ed.)   Maria Callas: 30 Years after    ( Athens:   The Hellenic Parliament Foundation for Parliamentarism and Democracy ) Maria Callas was a phenomenal artist. What made her voice so special though? Young Maria Callas started off as a mezzo soprano. Under the guidance of her first vocal teacher Maria Trivella, she developed to a dramatic soprano. Her vocal teacher Elvira de Hidalgo was the one however, that was able to work on a not so special voice and turn it into a unique instrument. She was able to turn around her weaknesses into strengths. Under the guidance of Elvira de Hidalgo, Callas was able to develop her higher register and the coloratura by elevating and lightening her voice. develop her middle register and make it stronger. have a 3 octave vocal register to work on the Bel Canto technique combine her registers smooth her passaggio start using her vocal timbre according to

Kostios, A., 2007, From "Greek Melodrama" to the Greek National Opera, in  Anna Karapanou (ed.)   Maria Callas: 30 Years after    ( Athens:   The Hellenic Parliament Foundation for Parliamentarism and Democracy ), pp.126 1923 - Sophia Cecilia Anna Maria Kalogeropoulou is born in New York 8 Years old - She starts taking music and solfeggio lessons 11 years old - She wins the 1st prize in the WOR Competition 12 years old - First recording of the young soprano signing Puccini's Un Bel Di Vedremo 14 years old - She participated in her school performance of HMS Pinafore by William Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan. After her parents divorce, she returns to Athens with her mother. She started having singing lessons with Maria Trivella at the National Conservatorium in Athens. 16 years old - She performs Santuzza from Cavalleria Rusticana, during a school show. She also starts her singing lessons with Elvira De Hidalgo and she sings arias from Bellini's Norma and La Sonnambula as

  Was Beethoven Born Deaf? Beethoven was not born deaf but he gradually started losing his hearing. At what age did Beethoven start loosing his hearing? At the age of 26, Beethoven started expressing discomfort by stating that he was hearing ringing and buzzing in his ears. ( source ) When did Beethoven become completely deaf? At the age of 44 Beethoven was almost completely deaf. ( source ) How did his hearing loss affect his career? As a musician, Beethoven knew that his health issue would affect his career or even destroy it. As a result he kept these news hidden from the people around him for as long as he could.  ( source ) .  Beethoven also gave up performing in public and any other public appearances ( source ).  How did his hearing loss affect his life? Beethoven's mental health was also affected by his hearing loss. He isolated from almost everyone and research suggests that this could be a possible sign of depression ( source ). He was gradually becoming even more private