Monday, March 14, 2011

Quotidian Dope; Vol. 1, Issue 5

"Opera singer" Hayley Westenra will perform the national anthem for Prince William at a benefit concert for earthquake victims in her hometown of Christchurch, New Zealand. [Contact Music]

Simon Keenlyside helps Cleveland Orchestra complete their Mozart cycle with Don Giovanni performances on March 19, 22 and 24. [Cleveland Live]

March 15 marks the 116th anniversary of Enrico Caruso's debut at Teatro Nuovo in Naples, Italy. Not only a great career, but read about details of his recorded legacy. [Deutsche Welle]

San Francisco Opera assistant general director, Matthew Shilvock, buys home in Novato, California, for $585,000. [Block Shopper]

Laurence Olivier Award-winners for Best New Opera include OperaUpClose and Soho Theatre's La Bohème. [Independent]

Verdi beats out Mozart for most operas performed worldwide 2,259 to 2,124. However, breaking down the figures by single opera, there were 451 performances of Die Zauberflöte and 447 of La Traviata. Guess that means everyone is a winner? [La Stampa]