Opera starts to perform at Vienna Opera Ball

By Laman Ismayilova

Opera stars Yusif Eyvazov and Anna Netrebko will open the traditional Vienna Opera Ball on February 28.

As expected, Anna Netrebko will first perform "Il bacio" by Luigi Arditi, and then sing a duet with Eyvazov "O soave fanciulla" from the opera "Bohemia" by Giacomo Puccini. This is Netrebko’s third appearance at the Opera Ball.

People's Artist of Azerbaijan Yusif Eyvazov will perform at the Opera Ball for the first time.

In addition, a large light installation will be installed on the facade of the Vienna State Opera.

The Vienna Opera Ball is an annual Austrian society event which takes place in the building of the Vienna State Opera in Vienna, Austria on Thursday preceding Ash Wednesday.

Together with the New Year Concert, the ball is one of the highlights of the Viennese carnival season.

The tradition of the ball goes back to 1814 during the time when the crowned heads of Europe and the aristocracy searched for entertainment after the Napoleonic wars. 

Yusif Eyvazov is a Grand Prix winner of international competitions, whose name is included in the book "The Best Tenors of the World".

He made a series of important debuts. He starred as Canio in LA Opera's production of Pagliacci conducted by Plácido Domingo, made his first appearances at the Metropolitan Opera and the Vienna State Opera singing Calaf in Turandot, and debuted at both the Paris Opera and the Staatsoper Berlin as Manrico in Il Trovatore.

Yusif Eyvazov performed at the Mariinsky Theater for the first time, in the title role of Otello with Valery Gergiev. His Salzburg Festival debut took place as Des Grieux in Manon Lescaut. On the concert stage he appeared in Parma under the baton of Marco Boemi with a program featuring works by Verdi and Puccini, in concert with Riccardo Muti.

In 2017, he undertook a major concert tour throughout Asia alongside Anna Netrebko.

At the beginning of 2018 Eyvazov performed on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater: in January- Renato de Grieux in "Manon Lescaut" with Anna Netrebko, in February he sang for the first time the part of Herman in the new production of "The Queen of Spades", P.I. Tchaikovsky, and Don Carlo, D. Verdi, in March.

On December 7, Yusif successfully opened the season at La Scala by performing the part of André Chénier in the opera of Umberto Giordano. As a result of the close cooperation with the musical director of the production, Riccardo Chailly, Yusif debut on the Milan stage was named one of his best performances in the last few years by the critics.

Anna Netrebko  has been identified by the journal Musical America as "a genuine superstar for the 21st century" and was named 'Musician of the Year' in 2008.

The Russian operatic soprano Anna Netrebko was awarded the State Prize of the Russian Federation. Time magazine placed her on its Time 100 list in 2007.

Netrebko was named the best singer in 2017 at the International Opera Awards in London. In July 2017, Russian opera singer Anna Netrebko took the lead in the list of Russian top-earning musicians, according to Forbes Magazine.

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Laman Ismayilova  is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

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