Movies: Mario Ferrara

Opera is an inherently theatrical medium that does not lend itself readily to the realism of film treatment. The shining exception is Puccini's Tosca, an action-packed melodrama that unfolds in three taut and gripping acts like the meatiest of Hollyw...

Desdemona in Verdi's Otello was a career role for soprano Renata Tebaldi, from her first operatic performance outside of Italy to her final appearance on the opera stage. Between those landmarks she performed the role nearly 100 times all over the wo...

A police commissioner witnesses the murder of his pregnant partner by a group of criminals during a robbery. After meticulous investigations, he discovers that behind the robbery and other acts of violence and crime there is a well-organized group wh...

Experience the landmark 1983 production of Puccini's Madama Butterfly, presented in the beautiful open-air setting of the Arena di Verona and starring Raina Kabaivanska, Lorenzo Saccomani, and Nazzareno Antinori under the direction of Giulio Chazalet...

Raina Kabaivanska, though hardly passible as a teenager, shines in the title role. Her voice and acting are stunning. Nazzareno Antinori is also a solid Pinkerton with a pleasing voice, and Eleonora Jacovic is a wonderful Suzuki. To top things off th...