A lavish banquet of operatic delights by Giuseppe Verdi – musical genius and master of the human heart. A fantastic fusion of orchestral and vocal sound when the Toledo Opera Chorus, University of Toledo Concert Chorale, Toledo Community Chorus, Toledo Symphony Orchestra and dynamic soloists perform selections from La traviata, Macbeth, Otello, Falstaff and more. What a romantic way to spend Valentine’s Day!

Welcome to our Opera Gala: Viva Verdi!  The wealth of fantastic music by Giuseppe Verdi requires voices that today are extremely rare. Verdi combined the great Italian operatic tradition of “bel canto” (“beautiful singing”) with a powerful sense of drama. The music in operas like Aida, Otello and Un ballo in maschera make extreme demands on the human voice.

Until about twenty years ago, we had famous sopranos and tenors like Maria Callas, Montserrat Caballe, Leontyne Price, Mario del Monaco, Richard Tucker, Luciano Pavarotti, to mention just a few, who could handle the challenges of this music. Today, however, voices like these are rare, and many singers who undertake these roles find themselves somewhat compromised by the demands of the music. These operas require powerful, rich, and emotive voices that soar over the orchestra and can sing long, melting, beautiful melodies.

There are many opinions regarding why these voices are now so rare. Some believe that the pressure on young singers at the beginning of their careers doesn’t allow their voices to develop slowly and naturally. Additionally, does the emphasis on being svelte tend to rule out people with larger voices which often come in bigger frames? The answer is probably a combination of these factors. How fortunate we are to have two extraordinary singers at this Opera Gala whose voices are up to the demands of performing Giuseppe Verdi’s demanding music.