Rufus Wainwright Debuts His Classical Opera “Prima Donna”

Rufus Wainwright

Words can’t even begin to describe how I feel about Rufus Wainwright and his music- its simply transcendent! Wainwright, who is a virtuoso in every sense of the word had previously discussed his fascination with opera. Well, Rufus Wainwright has certainly put his money where his mouth is with Prima Donna - his debut classical opera which is influenced by maestros such as  “Puccini and Ravel” and  arias, duets, and romantic melodies.

According to an interview with  Billboard, Wainwright had this to say about his latest foray

Opera is my religion. As a fourteen-year-old, he became enchanted by opera. “That’s all I could listen to, and that’s all that I could comprehend. It gave me all that I needed at that time, and still does in many ways,” he said. “Writing this opera was as if I were writing a mass or a prayer to my gods. It was a very spiritual experience for me.”

“The whole [opera] arrived in one fell swoop. It was a complete vision,” he said. “I knew that it would be written, and I knew that it would be successful, and I knew that somehow, mysteriously, it would rise.”

Prima Donna will debut at the New York City Opera’s opening night on November 5. I’ll certainly be there. Brava!!!

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