Published on Friday, June 29, 2018 by Kathy McCabe The upcoming season of opera at Teatro Alla Scala  in Milan will include Gianni Schicci, a comedic opera by Puccini, staged and directed by Woody Allen. Set in the 1930s in New York’s Little Italy, Allen’s version of Gianni Schicci was successful in a 2015 Los Angeles run. The opera is based on a portion of Dante’s Divine Comedy in which Schicci is sent to He...

Published on Wednesday, July 31, 2013 by Kathy McCabe 2013 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi, one of the world's greatest opera composers. Many know, of course, that the composer was Italian (or born in what is now considered Italy) but may know anything about his early life. According to Wikipedia, "Verdi was born the son of Carlo Giuseppe Verdi and Luigia Uttini in Le Ron...

Published on Thursday, June 6, 2013 by Kathy McCabe What's more harmonious than pairing music with wine? That's the premise behind Melodia del Vino - a series of five classical music concerts combined with wine tastings, hosted at some of Tuscany's finest vineyards between June 27 and July 6, 2013. The wineries taking part in the music series include Cantina Antinori nel Classico in Bargina, Cantna Petra near Livorn...