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Meryl Streep Will Portray Maria Callas In "Master Class" For HBO

June 17, 2014, 11:39 pm
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Goddesses Of Their Crafts: Maria Callas (left) and Meryl Streep (right)
Callas at Juilliard
"Meryl Streep — the Oscar winner who’s transformed herself into Margaret Thatcher, Anna Wintour and Julia Child — will play opera legend Maria Callas in a film version of Terrence McNally’s play Master Class for HBO, Page Six can exclusively reveal. Mike Nichols will direct the adaptation of the Tony-winning play about iconic diva Callas teaching students at Juilliard in 1971. Hollywood sources say filming will begin in January after Streep tackles another juicy musical project — director Jonathan Demme and screenwriter Diablo Cody’s Ricky and the Flash, in which Streep plays a fading rock star who tries
mc²: Maria Callas + Master Class
to reconnect with her estranged kids. 'Meryl is learning the tricks of the guitar trade from none other than legendary Neil Young' for that movie, a source tells us. Master Class debuted on Broadway in 1995 starring Australian actress Zoe Caldwell as Callas and co-starring Audra McDonald. Others who’ve tackled the role include Patti LuPone and Tyne Daly. In the play, Callas reminisces about her storied career and personal life, which included being dumped by Aristotle Onassis for Jacqueline Kennedy." [Source] Listen to the complete master classes of Maria Callas at Juilliard by clicking here.
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OPERA America Conference Breaking Records For Attendance

June 18, 2014, 8:20 am
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"OPERA America, the national nonprofit service organization for opera, is pleased to announce details of Opera Conference 2014: Audiences Reimagined, to be held in San Francisco, CA from June 20-23. Hosted by San Francisco Opera, in association with Opera Volunteers International, this largest annual gathering of opera professionals in North America will convene at venues in Union Square and the Civic Center. It marks the first time the Conference will be held in San Francisco in 25 years. With registration still open, Opera Conference 2014 has already broken OPERA America's all-time attendance record, previously held by the 2010 conference in Los Angeles. OPERA America's annual conference presents a unique opportunity for industry leaders to examine issues affecting
Marc A. Scorca
the opera community from a variety of perspectives. With the theme Audiences Reimagined, conference attendees will explore how opera companies and artists can benefit from an increasingly broad, diverse and engaged audience through innovative technologies and exciting alternative performance offerings. Topics planned for opera conference attendees cover all facets of the art form and address the concerns of creators, administrators, trustees and supporters." [Source] For the full schedule of events, click here.
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Tenor Noah Stewart Lets Opera Pave His Path To Reach Others

June 18, 2014, 2:30 pm
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"When you think of the opera singers, the image of a Black man from Harlem rarely comes to mind. But baritone-turned-tenor singer Noah Stewart has changed that. Fresh off a European tour, the world renowned jazz singer touched down at Minton's, a jazz house in Harlem for a Hennessy-hosted welcome-home party on Monday (June 16). The iconic venue, home of some of the first Harlem Renaissance jam sessions, where bebop was born and where Duke Ellington sharpened his pianist chops, was fitting for the new face of Harlem’s jazz scene. 'I have been on the road a lot but now that I am back in Harlem I plan to bring the energy of the Harlem Renaissance back,' Stewart told BET.com, who grew up in the historic Sugar Hill. 'I love opera and there is nothing like being back here to share my experiences.' Stewart performed his first opera as a student at the famed Fiorello LaGuardia High School. He then went on to further harness his craft at the Juilliard School. From there he gained recognition singing backup for Coolio and other big names before breaking into the classical music community, which inevitably thrust him onto the international main stage. But his road to opera singing sensation was often lonely. 'I decided I wanted to pursue opera because no one looked like me,' Stewart said in between boisterous sets.
'When I was growing up everyone wanted to be a rap artist or the next pop star.' A story that is synonymous with other aspiring artists, Stewart faced adversity during his journey. He poked fun at his naysayers as he performed Barbara Streisand's 'Everybody Says Don't,' entertaining the crowd with his angelic voice and cunning lyrics all at once. But after his international success, becoming the first Black man to have a No. 1 album on the U.K. classic charts in 2012, Stewart is still doing him and creating his legacy. 'Growing up in NYC, it's [important] to sit back and reflect on everything you did because the city moves so fast,' Stewart said. 'Now I can sit back and look at what I have done and my goals and say, 'I did that.'' His moment of reflection at home will be brief. In the fall, Noah debuts La Boheme with the Nashville Opera, then returns to Michigan Opera Theater in Puccini's Madame Butterfly." [Source] Click here for more about Noah Stewart. Watch a video from the Michigan Opera Theatre performances of The Pearl Fishers, after the jump.
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Sondra Radvanovsky Not Afraid To Throw Herself Into Tosca Role

June 18, 2014, 10:27 pm
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The calm before the storm: La Radvanovsky as Puccini's heroine Tosca. (Photo: Catherine Ashmore)
"In the title role, the American soprano Sondra Radvanovsky was quite stunning. Her voice has astounding power with thrilling high notes. Her acting ranged from coquettish and suspicious with Cavaradossi to tragic when submitting to Scarpia, but was convincing throughout....Finally, there is Tosca's leap to her death. All too often, this is a tentative little step across the parapet, giving the impression that the soprano is a bit worried that he might sprain her ankle or chip a fingernail as she plummets to her doom. Claire Rutter showed us how it should be done at ENO a year or two ago, and Radvanovsky followed her lead with a wondrously graceful slow fall backwards. This was not just a good leap, it was a great leap, well worth an extra star on its own." [Source] For more information about the production, please click here. Also, after the jump, a wonderful marketing photo for the production that depicts the jump.
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Soprano Claire Rutter Does House Chores And Likes Country Music

June 18, 2014, 10:53 pm
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Western Girl: Rutter will sing the role of Minnie in
La Fanciulla del West with the Minnesota Opera
next month. Details here.
"For one of the world’s most in-demand opera stars, the image conjured up for me was, well, less than glamorous. The truth is, admitted Winchester’s Claire Rutter, I really enjoy finding the time to do the ironing while listening to country rock music. I pointed out this was hardly the diva-ish image fans might expect of the star who is currently wowing audiences as Violetta in La Traviata being staged at Hampshire’s Park Grange Opera. 'Having children certainly helps to keep you grounded. If we start singing around the house they tell us to shut up quite quickly,' confessed Claire, as we spoke prior to her appearance in a special concert this weekend to help raise funds for St John the Baptist Church in Alresford. And how does she relax when not doing the ironing? What music does an international opera star listen to when off duty? 'Certainly not opera. It’s like any job really. When you sing opera all the time it’s the last thing you want to listen to. In fact, the only time I will listen to opera is when I’m learning a piece or someone has sent me something for an opinion. Otherwise I enjoy country rock and jazz.' At that our telephone interview came to an end. The builders had arrived and a delivery of gravel was threatening to block the family’s drive. A diva’s life indeed." [Source]
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Ticket Frenzy May Occur For "The Sound Of Music" In New Zealand

June 18, 2014, 11:29 pm
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"Climb Every Mountain, Ford Every Stream"
Lesley Garrett will take over as head of the Abbey in
The Sound of Music. (Photo: Simon Fowler)
"The world’s most popular musical is coming to New Zealand! Lunchbox Theatrical Productions and David Atkins Enterprises present Andrew Lloyd Webber, David Ian and the Really Useful Group’s London Palladium Production of The Sound of Music. The lavish and much-anticipated London production of The Sound of Music comes to New Zealand in September. Tickets to the Auckland season go on sale tomorrow – exclusively to those who have registered on waitlists. The Auckland season will run from 3 October at The Civic theatre for a strictly limited time, following on from a season at Wellington's St James Theatre from 12 September. This acclaimed production of the legendary Rodgers and Hammerstein musical premiered at the home of West End musical theatre – the London Palladium – where it celebrated a record-breaking 954 performances and was seen by well over 2 million people, before going on to enjoy sell-out performances internationally. Fans are urged to act swiftly to avoid disappointmentas waitlists for these tickets have exceeded any other waitlists for a major musical in Auckland during the past three years....Reprising her West End role especially for the New Zealand tour is international opera star Lesley Garrett as the Mother Abbess. Britain’s most popular soprano, Lesley Garrett CBE has found fame on the stage, on TV and as a recording artist, winning both critical acclaim and the affection of many fans and music lovers. Lesley’s operatic career includes lead roles with the Royal Opera at Covent Garden in London, English National Opera at the London Coliseum, the internationally renowned Glyndebourne Festival Opera, the Welsh National Opera as well as Opera North. Internationally she has performed in operas or in concert throughout Europe, the USA, Australia, Russia, Brazil, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan and South Korea. Her major television appearances include Lesley Garrett…Tonight, The Lesley Garrett Show, The Singer, Sacred Songs and Lesley Garrett – Desert Dreams for the BBC. Lesley has 14 solo CDs to her credit." [Source] A photo of Ms. Garrett as Mother Abbess, after the jump.
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Astoria Music Festival Presents "Ariadne" For Strauss 150th

June 19, 2014, 12:00 am
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Marie Plette will sing the title role of Ariadne.
2014 marks the 150th birthday of Richard Strauss. Festivals and opera houses around the world have celebrated this special anniversary. Now the Northwest brings one of his most famous operas to life for the Astoria Music Festival. "Not heard in Oregon for nearly fifty years, Strauss’s operatic mash-up juxtaposes high-minded opera with ribald comedy. The richest man in Vienna has invited you to a party, for which he’s commissioned a new opera – a tragedy of the jilted Ariadne – and a comic farce, The Fickle Zerbinetta and her Four Lovers, but dinner’s running late, so we’ll save time and present them simultaneously, resulting in some of history’s most glorious music, brilliant coloratura, arching melodies, and a kaleidoscope of lush orchestral color." The cast for Ariadne auf Naxos includes Marie Plette (Ariadne), Maria Aleida (Zerbinetta), Angela Niederloh (Composer), Matthew Hayward (Harlequin), and Allan Glassman (Bacchus). [Source] Other opera stars that have already appeared at this year's Astoria Music Festival are Angela Meade, Richard Zeller, Amber Wagner, and Amy Hansen. The festival will conclude with a performance of Mozart's Cosí fan tutte. Get more information here.
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Nuccia Focile To Sing Evening Concert At Llandeilo Fawr Festival

June 19, 2014, 12:22 am
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Sicilian Soprano: Nuccia Focile
"The vocal highlight of this year's Llandeilo Fawr festival will be a visit from one of the world's leading operatic sopranos. Opera lovers in Wales will know Nuccia Focile from her acclaimed portrayal of the tragic heroine, Violetta, in Welsh National Opera's sell-out production of Verdi's La Traviata, a few years back. Llandeilo Fawr has gained a justifiable reputation for the star quality of its vocal artists and Nuccia Focile will be the latest in a long line of world-class singers to have visited the festival. The list of leading roles which she has played is awesome and she has appeared at most of the world's leading opera houses, including the Royal Opera, Covent Garden, Metropolitan Opera in New York, Paris Opera, La Scala, Milan,and the Deutsche Oper in Berlin. Her many opera recordings have enjoyed immense critical acclaim and she has worked with some of the most admired conductors, including Sir Chatles Mackerras, Sir Colin Davies, Seji Osawa, James Levine and Antonio Pappano.
Piano Man: Gary Matthewman
She will be accompanied by a pianist who has received plaudits wherever he has performed. Garry [sic] Matthewman ranks among the finest of British piano accompanists, having appeared at Wigmore Hall in London, Carnegie Hall in New York and the Musikverein in Vienna as well as in Paris, Prague, Toronto and Sydney. He has also accompanied at the prestigious BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition and enjoys the distinction of having his disc of Schubert's Winterreise, with baritone Matthew Rose, feature as 'Recording of the Month' in Gramophone Magazine. Nuccia Focile will be at St. Teilo's Church, on Friday, July 18, at 7pm." [Source] The festival describes itself as "Beautiful Music Performed By Great Artists In An Idyllic Hill-Top Setting." For more information about the Llandeilo Fawr Festival, click here.
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Tim McGraw Claims Not To Be A Legendary Italian Opera Singer

June 19, 2014, 3:45 pm
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CrossFit McGraw: Tim also does not have
the stature of the late opera tenor.
In the most recent issue of Men's Health magazine, country singer Tim McGraw discuss his multi-million dollar vocal cords: “It’s not like polishin’ silver. I’m not Pavarotti. My voice training comes with two hours of shows every night. I mean, I can warm up all I want–I don’t–and it’s not gonna make a hill’a beans’ difference. I’m a storyteller, not a singer.” The Louisiana-native has a net worth of $65 million. He and Luciano Pavarotti performed on the same stage in Washington, D.C. on October 11, 2004. The duo were among the honorees at the National Italian American Foundation's 29th Anniversary Award Gala. Samuel Timothy 'Tim' McGraw (born May 1, 1967) is an American country music singer, songwriter and actor. Many of his albums and singles have topped the country music charts with total album sales in excess of 40 million units in the US, making him the eighth best-selling artist, and the third best-selling country singer, in the Soundscan era. He is married to country singer Faith Hill and is the son of the late baseball player Tug McGraw. Photos from the Men's Health magazine spread can be seen by clicking here. Check out Tim McGraw singing on stage, after the jump. [Source, Source, Source, Source]
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Opera Australia Will Fulfill Tamar Iveri Contract For "Otello"

June 21, 2014, 12:16 pm
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Tamar Iveri is already seeing
cancellations of engagements.
"Opera Australia has just published a statement regarding allegedly homophobic soprano Tamar Iveri, stating that the singer has apologised and rehearsals and performances will go on as planned. Iveri (pictured) who is from the central Asian country of Georgia and is currently in Sydney rehearsing for Otello and will perform in Melbourne later this year, has been plagued by controversy following allegations she penned a homophobic diatribe on her Facebook page in which IDAHOT supporters in the capital city of Tblisi were branded 'fecal masses.' Georgian LGBTI rights group Identoba published a translation of the post which Iveri was said to have subsequently taken down. 'I was quite proud of the fact how Georgian society spat at the parade,' said the translation. The message goes onto to implore Georgian’s President to 'stop vigorous attempts to bring West’s 'fecal masses' in the mentality of the people by means of propaganda. Even today, US ambassador said that the people who raided the rally yesterday were against NATO. No, Mr Ambassador: those, who yesterday raided the rally, are Georgian youth of pure blood, still unspoilt by you,' the translation continues. Identoba directed the comments to the National Opera of Paris who have reportedly now withdrawn an invitation for the singer to perform. With a social media campaign calling on Opera Australia to sack Iveri continuing to grow, and a Change.org petition circulating as well, Opera Australia published a statement regarding the allegations on its Facebook page at 12noon today. 'Opera Australia has become aware in the past 24 hours, of the media and social media coverage of comments reported to have been made by soprano Tamar Iveri,' the statement read. 'The company has made the singer aware of the response from the Australian media and people via social media. Tamar Iveri has sought to clarify her views on this important issue, and has issued an apology and explanation on her own Facebook page. This can be seen here: https://www.facebook.com/tamariverisoprano. Rehearsals and performances at Opera Australia are continuing as planned.' Iveri reportedly blamed her husband for rewriting her original letter, which she said she deleted as soon as she saw his homophobic remarks and how it was under her name. The Georgian soprano is currently in Sydney rehearsing for her role as Desdemona in Otello at the Sydney Opera House, before heading to Melbourne in November to perform in Tosca." [Source]
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Leontyne Price Part Of Historical Campaign Honoring African Americans

June 21, 2014, 3:25 pm
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"On October 28, 2008, just days before the election of Barack Obama, the first African American President of the United States, my first son Chase was born. On July 9, 2012, a few months before President Obama's historic re-election, my second son Amari was born. Six months later, a few days before February 2013, I began to reflect on my sons and their promising future – specifically the opportunities they could pursue as a result of the progress and achievements made by individuals past and present. I also thought about the responsibility and at times the fear, I carry as a mother raising Black boys. I thought about how just one-year prior, Trayvon Martin was murdered. The murder and circumstances surrounding Trayvon's death awakened my consciousness and moved me to create the 'I Am Trayvon Martin' photo campaign. It was through this painful time for the Martin family and America that I came to realize that my lens could truly serve as a microphone that could amplify the feelings, fears, dreams and even the pain of a community. The Because of Them, We Can campaign was birthed out of my desire to share our rich history and promising future through images that would refute stereotypes and build the esteem of our children. While I originally intended to publish the campaign photos, via social media, during Black History Month, I quickly realized how necessary it was to go further. With so many achievers to highlight, and thousands of children to engage and inspire, 28 days wasn't enough. On the last day of February, with just 28 photographs in my collection, I decided to resign from my job in order to continue the campaign. On March 1, 2013, after most national and local conversations about Black History and Achievement ended, I released a photo of a mini-inspired Phyllis Wheatley and began the journey to continue the project for a full year. A year later I have come to the conclusion that even 365 days aren't enough. What began as a mother's passion project quickly evolved into a movement. Today we are committed as ever before to encourage and empower people of all ages and hues to dream out loud and reimagine themselves as greater than they are, simply by connecting the dots between the past, the present and the future." [Source] Watch a video for the campaign and see the original Leontyne Price photo that inspired the above poster image, after the jump.

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Top Performers: Carmen, Jenson Button, And Mobil Synthetic Motor Oil

June 22, 2014, 3:38 pm
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As unsuspecting drivers pull in for a car wash, they are soon met with a pit crew cleaning their cars and a surprise visit from British Formula One race car champion Jenson Button. The overture from Bizet's opera Carmen plays under the action during the commercial.
"To prove the outstanding, all-around performance of Mobil 1™ synthetic motor oil, we authenticate our lab results in some of the toughest, most extreme, real-life conditions anywhere in the world. That’s why:
- More than half of all NASCAR teams choose it
- Many automakers choose it for factory fill
- It has received more automaker and industry approvals
And that’s why Mobil 1 is the world’s leading synthetic motor oil brand. Time after time Mobil 1 delivers. [Source]

Watch the video and read more about Jenson Button after the jump.

"Jenson Alexander Lyons Button, MBE (born 19 January 1980) is a British Formula One driver from England currently signed to McLaren. He was the 2009 Formula One World Champion, driving for Brawn GP. Button began karting at the age of eight and achieved early success, before progressing to car racing in the British Formula Ford Championship and the British Formula Three Championship. He first drove in Formula One with Williams F1 for the 2000 season. The following year he switched to Benetton, which in 2002 became Renault, and then for the 2003 season he moved to BAR. In 2004 he finished 3rd in the World Drivers' Championship, with only the two Ferraris ahead of him. BAR were subsequently renamed Honda for the 2006 season, during which Button won his first Grand Prix in Hungary, after 113 races. Following the withdrawal of Honda from the sport in December 2008, he was left without a drive for the 2009 season, until Ross Brawn led a management buyout of the team in February 2009, and Button suddenly found himself in a highly competitive, Mercedes
-engined car. He went on to win a record-equalling six of the first seven races of the 2009 season, securing the World Drivers' Championship at the Brazilian Grand Prix, having led on points all season; his success also helped Brawn GP to secure the World Constructors' Championship. For 2010, he moved to McLaren, partnering fellow British racer and former World Champion Lewis Hamilton. After finishing fifth for the team in 2010, Button finished the 2011 season as runner-up. In 2012 took his 1st pole for McLaren in Belgium. Out of 255 races that Button has started he has won 15 with a total of 50 podium finishes. Button was named one of the 'Men of the Year' in both 2009 and 2011 by Top Gear. He is set to spend a 5th season with the McLaren team in 2014, his 15th in Formula 1 so far." [Source]
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Maria Callas Artwork Appears In Architect Abeijón-Fernández Work

June 23, 2014, 8:12 am
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All eyes on the room: Maria Callas watches over all at Cuatro Caminos
"El estudio Abeijón-Fernández Sociedad de Arquitectura y Urbanismo, se fundó en el año 1996 con el objeto de desarrollar, desde el ejercicio libre de la profesión, algunos de los conceptos iniciados durante el aprendizaje académico. Desde este inicio, trabajamos en la elaboración de proyectos enmarcados en varios ámbitos de la Arquitectura. Elaboramos proyectos para obras de carácter público encargadas por administraciones y por entidades privadas. También desarrollamos una amplia labor en el ámbito de la vivienda; llevando a cabo obras de vivienda colectiva, tanto vivienda libre como vivienda protegida, y obras de vivienda unifamiliar. En particular, en la Arquitectura Residencial, entendemos como fundamental la profunda reflexión para la consecución de arquitecturas que permitan la mayor claridad funcional, buscando siempre las máximas prestaciones para el usuario final, sin descuidar la innegable importancia formal de los objetos construidos. Asimismo realizamos proyectos de Arquitectura interior, para espacios comerciales, administrativos y vivienda. En toda nuestra trayectoria trabajamos para conseguir un compromiso entre el creador y el observador, tratando de generar una complicidad visual y formal entre la obra, el lugar y las personas. Por último, cabe destacar el reconocimiento obtenido por parte de la sociedad, reflejado en la cantidad de publicaciones que han recogido nuestras obras, tanto en prensa diaria como en publicaciones internacionales." [Source] See the original use for the image that inspired the artwork, after the jump.

The photograph of Maria Callas in pearls was originally used for the cover of her Lucia di Lammermoor recording with Tullio Serafin on EMI. See the pressings from various countries below:

Japan

United States [stereo]

United Kingdom

South Africa

United States [mono]


Japan (compact disc re-issue)
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Looking Back At The Old Metropolitan Opera House

June 24, 2014, 11:02 pm
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"Most would find it surprising that The Metropolitan Opera Management sued to have their own opera house razed but that is exactly what happened in the mid-1960s. The Metropolitan Opera Association already had plans to relocate to Lincoln Center and they feared the competition that might arise if a new opera company took over the existing Metropolitan Opera House. Part of the reason the association wanted to relocate was because of the opera house’s plain, and what some called ugly, exterior. The opera house, done in the Italian Renaissance style, was even dubbed a 'third-rate warehouse.' What the exterior did not hint of was the building’s lavish interior. The group of wealthy New Yorkers designed the inside to be more extravagant than the competition, the Academy of Music." [Source] Read the whole story and view more pictures here.
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The Dallas Opera Appoints Ian Derrer As Artistic Administrator

June 25, 2014, 9:20 pm
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"In the wake of Jonathan Pell’s decision to step down after thirty years of distinguished service to The Dallas Opera, General Director & CEO Keith Cerny is delighted to announce the appointment of a new Artistic Administrator, Ian Derrer....Mr. Derrer grew up in North Carolina and, in 1996, completed a Bachelor of Music degree in Voice Performance from the Meadows School of the Arts at SMU. He then worked as a freelance Assistant Director and Stage Manager for Santa Fe Opera, The Atlanta Opera, Opera Carolina, Opera Pacific, and Washington Opera. From 1999-2005 he completed Masters Degrees in Opera Production, Voice, and Performing Arts Management from Northwestern University and Brooklyn College. During the summers of 2001-2003 he was also the Scheduling Coordinator for the International Institute of Vocal Arts in Chiari, Italy. Afterwards, he served as Rehearsal & Music Coordinator for the New York City Opera (2004-2006). Mr. Derrer also has invaluable experience in the field of orchestra and artist management. Immediately prior to joining the Dallas Opera, Ian held multiple positions at the Lyric Opera of Chicago (2006-2014), including Head of the Rehearsal Department, Rehearsal Administrator, and Director of Production, while, also, making time to serve as Rehearsal Director for Santa Fe Opera during the summer of 2012." [Source]
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Johanna Meier Opera Theater Institute To Close Doors After 17 Years

June 25, 2014, 11:38 pm
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An early portrait of Johanna Meier who made her Metropolitan Opera
company debut in 1972 as Donna Anna  (Don Giovanni) and her house
debut in 1976 as Ariadne (Ariadne auf Naxos). She went on to sing over
75 performances with the MET, until her last as the Empress in 1989
(Die Frau ohne Schatten).
"A Black Hills State University opera company is closing out a 17-year run with a pair of final performances this weekend. The Johanna Meier Opera Theater Institute began in 1998, and Meier told the Black Hills Pioneer (http://bit.ly/1iusYVe) that she's grateful for having been able to share the beauty and gift of music through the years. 'Music has given substance and joy to our efforts and brings something new and special to each of us,' she said. 'It has been a good run.' The retired internationally acclaimed opera singer and Spearfish resident said she been involved in theater and music since she was an infant, and she would like a few years to relax and do other things. Meier said the nonprofit institute, where she has acted as artistic director, involves an extensive amount of work year-round — 'getting out information about the program to students across the country and engaging faculty, ultimately listening to the audition tapes we receive and selecting the students who will come and on the basis of that decision, what the repertoire will be and who will sing what.' This year, 22 students are performing. Meier said several former students have since had successful singing careers, including one South Dakotan who recently made a debut at the Metropolitan Opera. 'Every year, something particularly memorable happens — either a very fine young singer taking their first big steps or a production which we feel has really reached the audience,' Meier said." [Source] To learn more about the Black Hills University performances, click here. Read more about Johanna Meier, and watch a clip of her singing the "Liebestod" from Tristan und Isolde at the Bayreuth Festival, after the jump.
"Johanna Meier (born 1938) is an American operatic soprano. She has been described as 'one of the foremost Wagnerian sopranos of her era.' She had an international career, including fourteen years at the Metropolitan Opera and three summers singing the role of Isolde in Wagner's Tristan und Isolde for the Bayreuth Festival—the Festival's first American Isolde. Born in Chicago, Meier was raised in Spearfish, South Dakota and continues to contribute to the State, having founded the School of Opera
Performing in Jean-Pierre Ponnelle's production of
Tristan und Isolde at the Bayreuth Festival.
and Vocal Arts as part of the Black Hills State University Summer Institute of the Arts, for which she also serves as Artistic Director. As her family was touring with the Lünen Passion Play when she was born, she had her stage debut at five weeks and grew up playing various parts; she continued the family's tradition through 2008, staging the play with her husband each summer in Spearfish, with Meier playing the role of Mary. Meier trained at the University of Miami's Frost School of Music and received the school's first Distinguished Alumnus Award. She also studied under John Brownlee at the Manhattan School of Music before beginning her professional career in 1969 at the New York City Opera, where she sang Mozart roles, slowly adding in roles from Richard Strauss's operas before finally taking on the Wagnerian roles for which she is best known. The City Opera recognized that she was talented both as a
Johanna Meier (right) receiving the
2014 National Opera Association
Lifetime Achievement Award.
singer and as an actress and cast her in several leads. Meier's debut at the Metropolitan Opera came earlier than planned: she had been scheduled to debut in December 1976, playing Marguerite in Faust, but was sent onstage in April as a last-minute replacement for Montserrat Caballé as Ariadne in Ariadne auf Naxos. During her fourteen years at the Met, she played fifteen roles, including Chrysothemis, Senta, Leonore, the Empress, the Marschallin, Elisabeth, Ellen Orford, Donna Anna, Tosca, Sieglinde, Brünnhilde and Isolde. Meier was seen in the title role of Vanessa (with Christopher Keene conducting), when it was televised from the Spoleto Festival USA, in 1978. She began her stint at Bayreuth in 1981 in the widely praised production by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle (q.v.); this production was eventually recorded on video. Her final professional performance, in 1994, was as Elektra. In 2003, she received an honorary doctorate from Black Hills State University. She has been married to Guido Della Vecchia since 1960." [Source]




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Legendary New York Conductor Julius Rudel Is Dead At 93

June 26, 2014, 8:35 am
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The maestro (left) with Beverly Sills (center)
"Julius Rudel, the Austrian-born conductor who raised the New York City Opera to a venturous golden age with highbrow music for the masses and a repertory that, like him, bridged the Old and New Worlds, died on Thursday at his home in Manhattan. He was 93. His death, announced by his son, Anthony, came eight months after his beloved and financially struggling City Opera filed for bankruptcy and closed its doors. 'I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I would outlive the company,' he told The New York Times shortly afterward. Mr. Rudel was the maestro and the impresario, the principal conductor and the director of City Opera for 22 years (1957-79), working in the orchestra pit while running the company on shoestring budgets, signing contracts, casting productions and nurturing young singers like José Carreras, Plácido Domingo, Sherrill Milnes and Beverly Sills." [Source] Watch a video of the National Endowment for the Arts paying tribute to Julius Rudel in 2010, and see more pictures of the conductor with opera singers, after the jump.
With Mary Curtis-Verna

With Sherrill Milnes

With Renée Fleming

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"Penny Dreadful" Makes Dorian Gray A Sex-Craved Opera Lover

July 1, 2014, 10:35 pm
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Nothing comes between a man of eternal youth and his needle: Reeve Carney as Dorian Gray.
"Some of literature's most terrifying characters, including Dr. Frankenstein, Dorian Gray, and iconic figures from the novel Dracula are lurking in the darkest corners of Victorian London. Penny Dreadful is a frightening psychological thriller that weaves together these classic horror origin stories into a new adult drama." [Source] Showtime's latest original series, Penny Dreadful, features some of the best writing, acting, and scenography, in recent television. Creators, John Logan and Sam Mendes, have truly designed a turn-of-the-century atmosphere that encapsulates the British mentality moving away from rationalism into mysticism. One unique trait of the Dorian Gray character is his love of all things sensual, including opera. The audience is treated to several risqué scenes at his mansion where there is generally In flagrante delicto with opera playing for ambience. In one scene, it actually acts as a catalyst for a tête-à-tête with fellow actor Josh Hartnett. Listen to sound clips of the music sampled in the show, read more about the television series, and see some (NSFW) pictures of Dorian Gray's escapades, after the jump.


"Penny Dreadful is a horror TV series created for Showtime by John Logan and executive produced by Logan and Sam Mendes. The show was originally pitched to several US and UK channels, and eventually landed with Showtime, with Sky Atlantic as co-producer. It premiered at the South by Southwest film festival on March 9 and began airing on television on April 28, 2014 on Showtime OnDemand. The show premiered on the Showtime channel on May 11, 2014. The first two episodes of the series were both available on demand before the respective episodes were broadcast over the air. The title refers to the penny dreadfuls, a type of 19th-century cheap British fiction publication with lurid and sensational subject matter. The series draws upon many public domain characters from 19th-century Irish and British fiction, including Dorian Gray from Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, Mina Harker from Bram Stoker's Dracula, and Victor Frankenstein and his monster from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. On June 4, 2014, Showtime renewed Penny Dreadful for a ten-episode second season to air in 2015." [Source]


Coinciding with the Belle Époque period in Europe at the time, it is not surprising to find Camille Saint-Saëns injected into the drama in the form of the aria "Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix" from the composer's opera Samson et Dalila. "In performance, Saint-Saëns is said to have been 'unequalled on the organ,' and rivaled by only a few on the piano. However, Saint-Saëns's concert style was restrained, subtle, and cool; he sat unmoving at the piano. His playing was marked by extraordinarily even scales and passagework, great speed, and aristocratic refinement. The recordings he left at the end of his life give glimpses of these traits. He was, incidentally, the earliest-born pianist ever to make recordings. But he was not the earliest-born pianist to leave a record in any form of their piano playing, as Carl Reinecke, who was born in 1824 (eleven years before Saint-Saëns, and while Beethoven was still alive), made a Welte-Mignon roll in 1904, when he was 80. Nor was he the first pianist to make recordings; an arrangement of the Liebestod from Wagner's Tristan und Isolde was made by Landon Ronald in 1900 on a seven-inch Berliner disc." [Source]

After an evening at the theater in which Ethan Chandler (Josh Hartnett) has an argument with his consumption-ridden, Violetta-esque prostitute girlfriend Brona Croft (Billie Piper), Dorian Gray (Reeve Carney) steps in to take his male pal to a grotesque underground gambling den where bets are placed on how many rats a cute little doggie can kill. Unnerved by the action, Mr. Chandler and Mr. Gray retreat to the confines of the portrait-filled mansion to sip absinthe. Suddenly, Dorian reaches for his favorite cylinder of Wagner's "Liebestod" from Tristan und Isolde. The passion in the room is too heavy to be ignored and Ethan grabs Dorian to plant a firm kiss directly on his supple lips. A later episode reveals in detail what happened after the camera cuts to another scene that evening.


Lest you think that Dorian keeps his lust confined to orgies and man-on-man action, we next see him seduce Vanessa Ives (Eva Green) in another episode after much strolling through greenhouses looking at rare orchids. As the two make their way back to the Gray lair, he once again winds up his Edison wax cylinder phonograph to pump out beautiful duets. The first music we hear is "Viens, Mallika, les lianes en fleurs....Dôme épais, le jasmin" taken from the opera Lakmé by Léo Delibes. Once thoroughly worked up with the idea of white jasmine, Vanessa requests music for dancing. Dorian obliges by putting on the duet "Au fond du temple saint" from Georges Bizet's "Les pêcheurs de perles." We can only assume the dancing Ms. Ives meant was the horizontal tango, because soon after the two find their way into the boudoir for some animalistic fornication.



The show even manages to loosely slip a Phantom of the Opera plot line into the mix with the Frankenstein character working in the dark lower levels of a theater while all the while admiring the beauty of the lead stage actress Maud Gunneson (Hannah Tointon). That does not end well. While audiences await Season 2 of this terrific drama, take some time to enjoy more photos of Dorian Gray's trysts in the confines of his mansion walls. More opera to come, no doubt.












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Latonia Moore Set To Return To Ozarks For Opera Gala

July 2, 2014, 8:32 pm
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The soprano costumed by Peter J. Hall for Aida
at the Dallas Opera in 2012 (Photo: Daylon Walton)
"Opera in the Ozarks, a nationally acclaimed training ground for emerging opera professionals, proudly presents its summer Gala Concert featuring star alumni of the program and the exceptional operatic voices of tomorrow. The special concert is a tribute to Jim Swiggart, Opera in the Ozarks’ longtime General Director who is now General Director Emeritus. Metropolitan Opera artist Latonia Moore is headlining the show along with American tenor Joel Burcham. Both are Opera in the Ozarks alumni. The Gala Concert will be held on Sunday, July 13, at 4 p.m. at Bentonville’s Arend Arts Center (1901 S.E. J Street). There is a silent auction scheduled for 3 p.m. with a reception following the concert. Tickets are $27, on sale now at opera.org. The Gala Concert features Moore and Burcham in scenes and arias from Bizet’s Carmen, Ponchielli’s La Gioconda, Massenet’s Hérodiade and Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin accompanied by the Opera in the Ozarks Orchestra. The entire Opera in the Ozarks’ company comes together as the chorus for extended excerpts from Mascagni’s passionate Cavalleria rusticana. And, the majestic final scene from Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg has been adapted as a tribute to Swiggart." [Source]
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Leandra Ramm Reveals Dangerous Obsessive Stalker On TV

July 3, 2014, 5:00 am
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The real Leandra Ramm (pictured above)
suffered intense mental anguish.
"A man masquerading as a musical sponsor turns opera singer Leandra Ramm's life into a nightmare." [Source] Originally airing in October 2013, the Investigation Discovery channel featured the intense stalking situation of up-and-coming soprano Leandra Ramm (played by Alison Arnopp in the re-enactment). After a promotional stint on Anderson Cooper, Ms. Ramm started receiving telephone calls from an Asian man named "Carl" who promised a contract for performing at the Singapore Opera Festival. It didn't take long for the 20-year old starlet to realize that he was a fraud and was not going to help her at all. That is where her personal nightmare began. Soon thereafter he started stalking her by phone and email, to the point of destroying her personal and professional relationships. After approaching the police and the FBI, she was left on her own to watch the destruction of her career.  See more about her imprisoned stalker here. Music featured in the episode and a video of the real-life Leandra Ramm performing, after the jump.














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