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Daniel Rubin

@danieloperalover

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So lucky to have seen @asmikgrigoriansoprano at #GrafeneggFestival perform Casta Diva and the final scene from Salome. Even in a concert performance, she lived the character, exuding all of the emotions and captivating the audience with the plight of the young Salome torn between rage and yearning. She was overpowering as always and received a standing ovation. What an incredible talent, not the diva, but the truest of artists. And she had just come off a run of Carmen at @salzburgerfestspiele, and in two days will sing the Open Air Concert at @wienerstaatsoper Luckily many of her performances are recorded for posterity. Brava! 👏👏👏 by @danieloperalover

Sensation at the Salzburg Festival!! The show, "A Diva is Born" on Sunday 8/24/25, with #asmikgrigorian and @hyungki_joo was spectacular. The more than 2000 seat Großes Festspielhaus was oversold, and additional seats were added on stage left and right to meet the needs. The Salzburg audience was initially puzzled, buy very quickly became utterly captivated by the Asmik's vocal mastery, humor, and self-irony, supported by the extraordinary comedic talent and perfectly nuanced pianistic accompaniment of Hyung-Ki Joo. It was remarkable to hear the reserved and attentive Salzburg audience transformed to become engaged and communally euphoric, snapping their fingers to the beat of Sting, and clapping along with Lady Gaga tunes. The most remarkable thing, however, was Asmik's ability to sing opera, jazz and pop with pure authenticity, without an "opera voice." All of her singing was expressive, elegant, and phrased beautifully. Some lyrics were slightly modified, which made the songs deeply moving.

These two consummate artists presented an entertaining and at the same time sophisticated program that was very memorable. If repeated, I strongly recommend everyone go to see this modern anti-diva, who is one of the most versatile and thrilling singers today.
@salzburgerfestspiele @nycopera @carnegiehall @sfopera #opera #classicalmusic #livejazz #concert #theatre #operapop by @danieloperalover

Opera Alert! The brilliant production of #puccini 's Manon Lescaut by director @alex__olle with the electrifying pairing of @asmikgrigorianofficial and @iamjoshuaguerrero will be reprised in Barcelona at @liceu_opera_barcelona in March! Tickets just opened up today, and IMHO based on what I saw and heard in the run of this production with the same cast at @oper_frankfurt in 2017, this will be among the best of this coming opera season. The production by Mr. Ollé is thought-provoking and particularly relevant to our current times. Ms. Griorian with a thrilling and genuine emotional portrayal was hailed as a "revelation," with a stage presence and role embodiment that fully realized the updated concept (since 2017 of course, she has been consistent in that regard, or course). And Joshua Guerrero stunned with virile tenor that "pours out vocal gold." The two created a physically and emotionally charged partnership that critics lauded for its "thrilling heights." And so you have been advised... Toi, Toi, Toi tutti! #OperaLovers #OperaSinger #Puccini #AsmikGrigorian #JoshuaGuerrero #asmikgrigorian #OperaLife #ClassicalMusic #OperaHouse #OperaPerformance #OperaFans
@operawire @operaverace @opera_iscool @metopera @opera_singers_world by @danieloperalover

Asmik Grigorian takes Paris Opera by storm at her Opera debut in Il Trittico!! Everyone who saw Ms. Grigorian in her final performance (the tenth in this run!) of the triptych witnessed an electrifying combination of vocal prowess and theatrical intensity which, after her final scene in Suor Angelica, brought audiences to their feet with cheers and feet stamping.

I am a die-hard fan, so instead of my gushing about her supreme vocal and theatrical artistry in this triptych, I quote Nigel Wilkinson from Parterre Box regarding her Suor Angelica, "From the unwelcome guest’s arrival to the end of the opera, we witnessed one of those rare and blessed instances that make up for all the expense, frustrations, and disappointments of persistent operagoing...I can’t find the words (yes, this is a cop-out) to describe the range of colors, dynamics and expression she deploys"

It is well-known that Ms. Grigorian is loved by audiences. But perhaps not everyone is aware how beloved she is with her musician and singer colleagues. This was elegantly shown after this final performance with a white rose presented to Ms. Grigorian by Maestro Rizzi and the entire orchestra immediately showering her with red roses. In 30+ years of opera-going, I have never seen this happen.

Ms. Grigorian is the most "un-Diva" of Divas; she doesn't bask in the limelight, and instead gracefully shows her appreciation for the audience's love through her gestures of gratitude, kisses blown to them, and shaping a heart with her hands. She shows her deep appreciation to the musicians for their love by taking up as many of their roses as she can. The audience then acknowledges this most most humble and generous of artists by synchronizing their applause. Ms. Grigorian is a class act and a treasure to Opera.
#IlTrittico #OperaParis #OperaLovers #OperaSinger #Puccini #AsmikGrigorian #asmikgrigorian #OperaLife #ClassicalMusic #OperaHouse #OperaPerformance #OperaFans @operawire @operaverace @opera_iscool @metopera @parterrebox @opera_singers_world by @danieloperalover

My wife and I were so fortunate to see the final performance of the great production of Il Trittico by @_christofle_ at the @operadeparis. It was perfect in every way, as noted by cheers and Bravi from the audience. Truly a performance for the record books--hopefully on DVD soon! @asmikgrigorianofficial was beyond stupendous across all three operas in the triptych, and I'll discuss her incredible and unique artistry in a separate post. @kiriamisha had tremendous voice and stage presence as Gianni Schicchi (would love to see him in Falstaff!); @iamjoshuaguerrero with an incredibly passionate tenor as Luigi and looked like he was ready to "eat" Asmik, while the terrific @romanburdenko leveraged his tormented baritone to great effect that made his Michele more sympathetic than evil; and @karita_mattila was a perfect Principessa, so convincing in her struts, imperious looks and cold voice. This performance was as good as opera ever gets! Bravi Tutti!! 🎉🎉🎉
#IlTrittico #OperaParis #OperaLovers #OperaSinger #Puccini #AsmikGrigorian #KaritaMattila #JoshuaGuerrero #MishaKiria #asmikgrigorian #RomanBurdenko #EnkelejdaShkoza #OperaLife #ClassicalMusic #OperaHouse #OperaPerformance #OperaFans
@operawire @operaverace @opera_iscool @metopera @opera_singers_world by @danieloperalover

Incredible quartet at #marriageoffigaro on Saturday this week at the @metopera! @realadamplachetka was terrific as the Count (a Tony Soprano type!) with big beautiful voice. The thee female leads really stood out for me, packing a big punch! (With due respect to performances I haven't seen that were surely terrific,) I don't think I have seen a more energetic and vocally outstanding trio of artists in this opers. Starting with the incredibly vocal and theatrically talented @thee.dangelo who largely stole the show with her magnetic and athletic personification of Cherubino, the amazing @rosa_feola whose gorgeous lyric soprano, warm middle register, and sparkling top notes carried the show with her wonderful Susanna, and the splendid discovery (for me) of the radiantly expressive and theatrically genuine @jacquelynstucker whose soprano was agile and luminous. And this was her Met debut and role debut! Her "Più docile io sono, e dico di sì" at the end of the opera, which was sung with profound sadness and on the verge of tears, was the most genuinely emotional performance of this that I have seen. Bravi tutti!! 👏👏👏
@operaverace #OperaLovers #Soprano #OperaSinger #ClassicalMusic #VocalExcellence #Bravo #OperaGram #LivePerformance #Aria @classicalmusic @operawire @bachtrack #soprano by @danieloperalover

Happy Birthday #asmikgrigorian !! You are a treasure to opera audiences with your incredible vocal and theatrical artistry, which makes every one of your performances so emotionally genuine, moving and unforgettable. Plus you are a most humble Diva who is very thoughtful about the music as it relates to a complete performance both vocally and theatrically, as illustrated in this video where you discuss your approach to your roles in @il__trittico at @operadeparis--a true opera artist.
Wishing you the very best for what will be an amazing year ahead!!
#HappyBirthdayAsmik #ópera @operalovers #operasingers
#operahouse #soprano #OperaStar
#SopranoQueen #LithuanianSoprano
#DivaOnStage

#OperaLife by @danieloperalover

Last night my wife and I were very fortunate to attend Il Trittico at @operadeparis. The cast (and it was huge!) was uniformly outstanding, particularly the phenomenal @kiriamisha who brought his role alive in Gianni Schicchi, and the intense and vocally stunning @iamjoshuaguerrero Joshua Guerrero in Il Tabarro, who had amazing chemistry with #asmikgrigorian. The terrific production by @_halloychen_ Christoph Loy was "verace" (true to the composer's intent and the story). The performers created one of those very rare times where you don't see the singers as singers, but instead as the actual characters in a great play or movie, moving through the story in real time. It was magical. And as for #asmikgrigorian, there are insufficient superlatives to describe her performance in each of the operas in the triptych. Asmik is often described as a great actor, but she really doesn't "act;" instead she has the magical ability to slip into each role and inhabit each character (FYI, which she does after careful study of the music, so that each movement, facial expression, and body language will be aligned with each musical phrase as she lives the role). Asmik has the rare ability to transmit the emotions she feels to the audience as strongly as the sun, both vocally and physically (completely appropriate to the music). In the reordering of the operas by Mr. Loy, the emotions steadily rise, and in the second half of Suor Angelica, Asmik projects a supernova of emotion consistent with Puccini's score and the libretto, bringing forth tears that clouded my glasses. This most certainly was a legendary performance. But don't take my word for it; listen to the audience reaction when the curtain rises for Asmik to take her solo bow. It doesn't get any better than this. by @danieloperalover

I was so lucky to be at the premiere of Norma at Theater an der Wien in which #asmikgrigorian and @aigul_akhmetshina_mezzo both premiered in this opera. Brava, Brava, Brava to both! Most incredible singing by Aigul, and as for Asmik, to say that this was a triumph is an understatement. Her name is not the first to come to mind when you think of Norma, but she made it her own. Her energy, passion, and emotions were genuine and truly electrifying, proved by the ovation and cheers from the often restrained Viennese audience. In my many years going to opera, Asmik stands apart in embodying (not acting) her roles, projecting genuine emotions that are very moving. She clearly wokred extremely hard in preparing for this role, aiming to honor her mother's acclaimed Normas. Asmik not only succeeded, she exceeded in this, and made a mark on Norma not soon to be forgotten. ❤️ by @danieloperalover

@kristina_mkhitaryan_ was so incredible in her debut role of Mimi at the #metopera last night. Such emotion and powerful singing especially in Acts 3-4! And at the curtain, and immediate standing ovation! Bravissimo! 👏👏👏 by @danieloperalover

My wife and I had the great pleasure to see the final performance of Die Zauberflöte at the @wienerstaatsoper in a very cute and moving production directed by @barbora_horakova_joly. The very talented @almaneuhaus made her role debut as the Second Lady, performing with her fellow Damen @jennihietalasoprano and @stephaniemaitland as well as the thrilling @serena_saenz as the Queen. Alma is a terrific performer, with a captivating stage presence and a very lovely voice. She has only recently joined the company, and I expect she will be going on to do great things. So keep an eye on her! If you will be in Vienna in April, she will be in another run of Die Zauberflöte as well as Page in Salome.

#opera #oper #operasinger #operasingersofinstagram #diezauberflöte #mezzo #soprano #mezzosoprano #mezzosopranolife #mozart #mozartopera #operapremiere #wienerstaatsoper #viennastateopera #roledebut #almaneuhaus by @danieloperalover

by @danieloperalover