Tag Archives: mezzo-soprano
Giulietta Simionato
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 17th August 2024Giulietta Simionato (1910-2010) was one of the greatest singers of the middle of the last century. Born in Forlì, Romagna, she studied in Rovigo, and then in Padua. Though she made her stage debut in 1927 while still a teenager she gradually progressed up the ladder of Italian theaters until she made it to the…
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Anita Rachvelishvili
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 15th January 2019Exceptional talent by definition arises infrequently. The young (34) Georgian mezzo-soprano, the subject of this piece, fits into this tight niche. Though she has sung 53 performances at the Met since her debut there in 2011, her recognition as an operatic super nova has come this season the result of appearances as Amneris and the…
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The 10 Best Mezzo-Sopranos of the 20th Century
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 21st July 2017It was really hard to pick 10 mezzos. There were so many great singers of this range in the 20th century that I’m sure that if I picked just 10 a week from now, the list would be different. So this ranking not only reflects personal taste and opinion, but it also is conditional. Feel…
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O Don Fatale
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 15th November 2015A supremely gifted mezzo-soprano can make a career out of singing the the great Verdi mezzo roles – Azucena in Il Trovatore, Eboli in Don Carlo, and Amneris in Aida. Eboli presents a an especially challenging role for the singer who portrays the spurned princess – the second of these three great mezzo parts. Eboli has…
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Marilyn Horne’s Birthday
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 16th January 2013The great American mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne was born this day in 1934. To mark the occasion here are five photos of this outstanding artist taken by Robert Cahen.
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