Archive for the 'Opera Legends Revealed' Category

Did Richard Wilbur Write the Lyrics to “Glitter and Be Gay”?

Here is the latest in a series of examinations into urban legends related to opera and operettas and whether they are true or false. OPERA URBAN LEGEND: Richard Wilbur, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner for Poetry and the second United States Poet Laureate, actually wrote the lyrics to a number of songs from Candide, including “Glitter […]

Did a Famous Opera Singer Convince a Group of Reporters That a Long Dead Composer Had Just Complimented Him?

Here is the latest in a series of examinations into urban legends related to opera and operettas and whether they are true or false. OPERA URBAN LEGEND: The great opera singer Leo Slezak once convinced an audience of reporters that he had just received a compliment from Christoph Willibald Gluck. Leo Slezak is one of […]

Were the “Pirates” of the Pirates of Penzance Named After Copyright Piracy?

Here is the latest in a series of examinations into urban legends related to opera and operettas and whether they are true or false. OPERA URBAN LEGEND: The Pirates of Penzance was named as such after copyright piracy. Librettist W. S. Gilbert and composer Arthur Sullivan formed one of the most famous musical partnerships this […]