September 1, 2014, 6:57 am
In case you missed the first round of opera folks taking the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, click here. Enjoy the new editions of Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Ildar Abdrazakov, Deborah Sasson, and Katherine Jenkins, below by clicking on each photo to watch the video:
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September 1, 2014, 3:28 pm
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Stage director Kenneth Cazan, librettist and filmmaker
Kimberly Reed, and performers Sasha Cooke and Kelly
Markgraf in rehearsal for As One.
(Photo: Stefano Giovannini/Brooklyn Daily) |
"Opening minds is a two-person job. As One, a new chamber opera premiering at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on Sept. 4, is pushing boundaries in more ways than one. Not only does it tell the story of a transgender character transitioning from male to female, but the role will be shared simultaneously by a male and a female singer. 'Occasionally an actor or singer shares a role with another across several performances, but I’ve never witnessed one where a male and female are asked to inhabit the same character,' said baritone Kelly Mackgraf, who will play one side of the lead role. The opera follows the character of Hannah from childhood to college through adulthood and hormone therapy. Hannah is concurrently portrayed by two parts — 'Hannah before' and 'Hannah after.' Through their songs and duets, the show explores Hannah’s inner life, as well as issues of transphobia and self-acceptance. 'The story is a simple treatment of the transgender story,' said Mackgraf, who plays 'Hannah before.''It looks at Hannah’s story through the most human lens — a being in search of their true self and the courage it takes to be that person.''Hannah after' will be played by Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke — who also happens to be Mackgraf’s wife. The pair said their close bond makes it easier for them to successfully embody the same character. 'Because we trust and know each other so well, I think the piece will benefit from our shared relationship and energy,' Cooke said. 'In a sense, two married people are two halves of one entity.'" [Source]
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September 1, 2014, 4:35 pm
"Opera singer Placido Domingo has joined Kasabian and Kylie Minogue in the line-up for this year's iTunes Festival. The Spanish tenor is perhaps a surprising choice for the event, which tends to feature pop and rock acts. Domingo, 73, will perform at the Roundhouse in London on September 30 and will be the last act in a month of concerts. Deadmau5 kicks off the concerts on Monday night, followed by headline sets from pop names like Pharrell Williams, Calvin Harris, The Script and Ed Sheeran. Kylie Minogue, Kasabian, Mary J Blige, Blondie, Maroon 5 and Robert Plant are also playing the festival. The organisers quoted Domingo as saying he was thrilled to appear and for 'the recognition that this brings to the unique and magnificent world of opera and of classical music.' Tickets are for competition winners, but gigs can be streamed live in more than 100 countries or watched on-demand."[Source]
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September 2, 2014, 7:30 am
"A shy student trying to reach his family in Ohio, and a gun-toting tough guy trying to find the Last Twinkie and a pair of sisters trying to get to an amusement park join forces to travel across a zombie-filled America." The 2009 cult classic film Zombieland, from director Ruben Fleischer, features a scene where actors Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson, Abigail Breslin, tear up a souvenir shop while the overture from Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro serves as the soundtrack to the scene. As the destruction is complete, the phrase "Rule #32: Enjoy the little things" pops above the screen. Watch the clip from the movie, as well as the complete overture, after the jump. [Source]
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September 2, 2014, 3:04 pm
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"With this new record, soprano Patricia Petibon makes a welcome return to French repertoire on disc, exploring the fascinating world of French art song in this extraordinary new album, titled La Belle Excentrique. The record features all-time favourites by Satie, Fauré, Poulenc, Reynaldo Hahn, Manuel Rosenthal, but also popular hits by Léo Ferré. This selection takes the listener on an exciting journey of discovery: from the decadence of the cabarets of turn-of-the-century Paris to the melancholy of the 60s, from the eccentricity of the fin-de-siècle to modern-day spleen. This original program is a collection of often humorous and eccentric songs with a deeper subtext. Petibon is joined on this occasion by her accompanist and partner of many years,![]() |
Purchase your copy of the new disc, set to be
released September 26, by clicking here. |
the superb pianist Susan Manoff, and a number of high-profile guests stemming from diverse musical backgrounds and influences, including star violinist Nemanja Radulovic and actor Olivier Py. This is a wonderful new release from one of DG’s key vocalists. Featuring music of exceptional variety and contrast, it showcases Petibon’s versatility and multi-faceted artistry in an intimate setting as never before, while paying homage to the great tradition of French mélodie and chanson." [Source] Watch the EPK video for the album, as well as a complete track list, after the jump. (Photos: Inge Prader/DG)![]()
Léo Ferré (1916 - 1993)2. Jolie môme 3:21Patricia Petibon, Olivier Py, Susan Manoff, David Venitucci, François Verly
Erik Satie (1866 - 1925)La Belle Excentrique (fantasie sérieuse)Version for four-handed piano3. Grand ritournelle 1:48Susan Manoff, David Levi
Francis Poulenc (1899 - 1963)Chansons villageoises4. 2. Les gars qui vont à la fête 1:53Banalités5. 4. Voyage à Paris 1:24Trois poèmes de Louise Lalanne6. 3. Hier 1:52Patricia Petibon, Susan Manoff
Manuel Rosenthal (1904 - )Trois Poémes de Marie Roustan7. 1. Rêverie 2:54Trois Poémes de Marie Roustan8. 2. Pêcheur de Lune 2:40Patricia Petibon, Susan Manoff, François Verly
Erik Satie (1866 - 1925)3 Mélodies (1916)9. 2. La statue de bronze 2:01
Francis Poulenc (1899 - 1963)Quatre chansons pour enfants10. 1. La tragique histoire du petit René 1:21Patricia Petibon, Susan Manoff
Erik Satie (1866 - 1925)Sports et Divertissements11. Le Picnic 0:25Susan Manoff12. Allons-y, chochotte! 4:06Patricia Petibon, Olivier Py, Susan Manoff13. Je te veux 4:18Patricia Petibon, Susan Manoff, Christian-Pierre La MarcaLa Belle Excentrique (fantasie sérieuse)Version for four-handed piano14. 3. Cancan grand-mondain 2:04Susan Manoff, David Levi
Léo Ferré (1916 - 1993)15. On s'aimera 4:18Patricia Petibon, Susan Manoff, Nemanja Radulovic
Erik Satie (1866 - 1925)Six Pièces de la période 1906-191316. 1. Désespoir agréable 1:11Susan Manoff
Gabriel Fauré (1845 - 1924)4 Mélodies, Op.5117. 3. Spleen 2:02
Reynaldo Hahn (1874 - 1947)10 Études latines18. 8. Pholoé 1:4320 Mélodies, 2e recueil19. 14. À Chloris 3:13
Gabriel Fauré (1845 - 1924)Cinq Melodies 'de Venise', Op.58 (1891)I: Mandoline20. II: En sourdine 3:08
Francis Poulenc (1899 - 1963)La Courte Paille21. 4. Ba, Be, Bi, Bo, Bu 0:40Patricia Petibon, Susan Manoff
Manuel Rosenthal (1904 - )Chansons du monsieur Bleu22. 2. L'Éléphant du Jardin des Plantes 1:43Chansons du monsieur Bleu23. 3. Fido, fido 1:12Chansons du monsieur Bleu24. 10. Le vieux chameau du Zoo 2:56Patricia Petibon, Susan Manoff, François Verly
Francis Poulenc (1899 - 1963)Banalités25. 1. Chanson d'Orkenise 1:36Trois poèmes de Louise de Vilmorin26. 3. Aux officiers de la garde blanche 3:05Banalités27. 2. Hôtel 1:45Francine Cockenpot28. Colchique dans les prés 3:02Gabriel Fauré (1845 - 1924)Three Melodies for Voice and Piano, Op.2329. 1. Les berceaux 2:49Patricia Petibon, Susan Manoff
Total Playing Time 1:04:52
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September 3, 2014, 8:40 am
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| Cast members (left to righ): Katie Kitani, Ashley Ruth Jones, Benai Alicia Boyd, Cindy Sciacca and Michael Starr. (Photo: Barry Weiss) |
"For Western culture, the story of Psyche and Eros exists as a kind of mytho-religio-literary singularity, a foundational narrative of heroic romantic and erotic love whose DNA is shot through our folklore (Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Rumpelstiltskin, Beauty and the Beast) as well as our psychoanalytic theory. But if its poetic resonances run deep, its epic jumble of capricious gods, fantastic labors, virtuous heroine and her iniquitous sisters, along with a host of anthropomorphized supporting players, proves a cumbersome and tedious tale to represent in toto even on the musical stage, at least if this premiere of composer-librettist Cindy Shapiro’s Psyche: A Modern Rock Opera is any measure. Michael Starr as Eros looks sexy enough in E.B. Brooks’ steampunk-accented costume design, and Ashley Ruth Jones as Psyche sounds pretty enough, belting her way through Shapiro’s double-album’s worth of somewhat monotonous power ballads and ethereal, hymnlike rockers (under Jack Wall’s expert musical direction). But not even director Michael Matthews’ sumptuously animated, Baroque staging (on Stephen Gifford’s architectural capriccio set, with Tim Swiss’ chiaroscuro-sculpted lights) can finally forgive Shapiro’s seemingly endless 34-song score and her over-ambitious but under-adapted book." [Source]
If you're looking for a more traditional approach, you might try the Baroque opera Psyché: "Psyché is an opera (tragédie lyrique) in a prologue and five acts composed by Jean-Baptiste Lully to a libretto by Thomas Corneille adapted from Molière's original play for which Lully had composed the intermèdes. Based on the love story of Cupid and Psyche, Psyché was premiered on April 19, 1678 by the Académie Royale de Musique at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal in Paris." [Source]
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September 3, 2014, 8:58 am
"Fabio Luisi has been appointed Principal Conductor of the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, succeeding Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, who died earlier this year. Luisi is currently Principal Conductor of the Metropolitan Opera in New York and General Music Director of Zurich Opera. Luisi has signed a three-year contract running from 2017-20 and said, 'I have loved the Danish National Symphony Orchestra from the first moment we worked together in 2010.'" [Source]
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September 3, 2014, 9:15 am
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| The new box set from Decca featuring some rare discs. |
"Phase 4 Stereo was a branch of Decca and its American label London Records created in 1961. Phase 4 Stereo supposedly created better sound by being recorded on a 10-channel, and later 20-channel, recording console. Approximately two hundred albums were released under the label, including popular music, "gimmick" records engineered to make the sound travel from speaker to speaker, records featuring percussion effects, and historical sound effect records. In 1964, a light classical Phase 4 'Concert series' was produced. The concept of Phase 4 Stereo has nothing to do with four channel stereo. But because there often are sounds out of phase the records give good results when played on Hafler circuits or other simulated four channel systems. In 1996 a CD The Phase 4 Experience was released with recordings from 1966 to 1979 (London 444 788-2 LPX/PY 871)." [Source] A complete list of Phase 4 recordings can be found here.
What's missing from the box set are such intriguing albums like:
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September 6, 2014, 11:43 am
You can purchase a t-shirt (available in royal, black or raspberry) by clicking here.
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September 6, 2014, 1:17 pm
"Many television commercials for Cheerios have targeted children featuring animated characters (such as an animated Honeybee). Bullwinkle was featured in early 1960s commercials; being his usual likably klutzy self; the tag line at the end of the ad being 'Go with Cheerios!' followed by Bullwinkle, usually worse for wear due to his Cheerios-inspired bravery somewhat backfiring, saying '...but watch where you're going!' Also, Hoppity Hooper was featured in ads in the mid-1960s, as General Mills was the primary sponsor of his animated program. Beginning in the mid-1950s and continuing through the early 1960s, 'The Cheerios Kid' was a mainstay in Cheerios commercials. The Kid, after eating Cheerios, quickly dealt with whatever problem presented in the commercial, using oat-produced 'Big-G, little-o''Go-power.' The character was revived briefly in the late 1980s in similar commercials. In 2012, The Cheerios Kid and sidekick Sue were revived in an online internet video that showed how Cheerios 'can lower cholesterol.' [Source] The new commercial from General Mills features the Guglielmo Tell (or William Tell) overture as the soundtrack, probably because the music was used for the American television show The Lone Ranger (note the correlation of the cowboy at the beginning of the ad). Watch Riccardo Muti conduct the full Guglielmo Tell overture after the jump.
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September 8, 2014, 7:51 pm
With couture by Lela Rose, Tom Ford, Pierre Cardin, Carolina Herrera, Nina Ricci, Badgley Mischka, Marchesa, Herve Leger, and Oscar de la Renta, dominating the scene at the 2014 San Francisco Opera Gala, it's likely the real star was photographer Jason Henry who captured much of the festivities for the Chronicle. The San Francisco Opera opened its 92nd season with a cocktail reception, dinner, a performance of Bellini's Norma and an after party. An important element to major events is to document the evening with images that show who attended and which designer they chose to wear for the occasion. However, it takes true talent to give the viewer a real sense of being taken on a journey and truly feel the atmosphere of a room through a camera lens. Jason Henry does exactly this through his impeccable photos that feel whimsical, artistic, and focused, all at the same time. Below is a sampling from the evening [click images to enlarge]. Unfortunately the gallery lacks photos of the singers Jamie Barton (Adalgisa), Marco Berti (Pollione), and Sondra Radvanovsky (Norma) who performed in the opera and surely attended the post-performance festivities in their own regal garments. Go here to see the full gallery of 115 photos of attendees. More about photographer Jason Henry after the jump.![]()
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Editorial and commercial photographer Jason Henry was born and raised in South Florida to military brat parents. He got his start in photography by taking pictures of friends as they skateboarded. He attended Indian River Community College from 2003-2005 where he received an Associate of Arts degree in sociology. For the next five months, he took Spanish classes in Valencia and Barcelona. From 2006-2009, he furthered his studies in photojournalism at the University of Florida (Gainesville). His first professional jobs as a freelance photographer were for the Gainesville Sun, Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers, The Miami Herald, and SLAP Skateboard Magazine. After studying the physical and cultural transformations of the same area his family has lived since 1979, he decided to shake up his views by moving to San Francisco. If he were hiring freelancers, he would look for photographers that "...convey a strong sense of style, aesthetic, vision, voice..." Mr. Henry enjoys to wander around and photograph without being encumbered with trying to create beautiful moments. His current client roster includes The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Wired Magazine, The North Face, San Francisco Chronicle and NPR. Currently the owner of Jason Henry Photography, you can see his work on his official website, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr. [Source, Source, Source]
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September 9, 2014, 2:38 pm
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More menacing than Vincent Price: Jonathan Hyde
as Stoneheart Group CEO Eldritch Palmer. But
where did this character get his name? |
"The Strain is an American vampire horror–drama television series that premiered on FX on July 13, 2014. It was created by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan, based on their novel trilogy of the same name. Del Toro and Hogan wrote the pilot episode, 'Night Zero,' which del Toro directed. A thirteen-episode first season was ordered on November 19, 2013. The pilot episode premiered at the ATX Television Festival in Austin, Texas, in early June 2014....On August 6, 2014, FX renewed The Strain for a 13-episode second season, with production set to begin in November 2014." [Source] The only way to make a television series about vampires and the holocaust more dramatic, is to score it with hints of opera and classical music. The show has thrown brief sound clips into scenes specific to two characters: Eldritch Palmer and Thomas Eichorst.![]() |
One German-composer-loving Nazi vampire:
Richard Sammel as Thomas Eichorst |
The composers approved by the Nazi regime during WWII (a theme used heavily in the show) were Ludwig van Beethoven, Richard Wagner, and Anton Bruckner. So far, we've gotten some Beethoven and Viennese composer Mozart in the first nine episodes. It will come as no surprise if the other Germanic composers make an appearance later in the series. Beyond the music clips, there are many other real-life opera connections to the lead actor in the show and his character's name as well. Read all about the opera connections surrounding the series, and listen to music presented in the show, after the jump. The Strain airs Sunday nights at 10:00 PM ET/PT, only on FX. Watch the full episodes of The Strain by clicking here. [Source, Source]![]() |
Opera Connection: The actor appeared as
Bartolo in a 1977 production of the
Beaumarchais play The Marriage of
Figaro at Glasgow Citizens' Theatre. |
"Jonathan Hyde stars as Eldritch Palmer - a wealthy, esteemed businessman and the owner of the Stoneheart Group. He has struggled with his poor health all his life, but Eldritch Palmer is, quite simply, not planning on dying. Hyde is an Australian-born actor who moved to Britain in 1969. He graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1972, and was the recipient of the Bancroft Gold Medal. Jonathan’s first love was, and is, the theatre. He has worked extensively at the National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Prospect Theatre Company, Almeida, Menier Chocolate Factory and the great Citizen’s Theatre Company of Glasgow, among others. His work at Glasgow earned him an Olivier Award Nomination. Jonathan has also worked extensively in London’s West End, most recently as Lionel Logue in The King’s Speech in 2012. The 1980s saw an advance into television, culminating in his role as Sir Edward Marshall Hall in the legal series Shadow of the Noose. The 1990s were the Hollywood Years: Richie Rich, Jumanji, Anaconda, Titanic and The Mummy. Since the millennium, Jonathan has worked in all three media, including a world tour of King Lear and The Seagull for the RSC, and most recently in Travels With My Aunt in 2013 at the Menier Chocolate Factory. Jonathan is principally a character actor who has played a wide range of high-definition roles from Lady Bracknell to the Marquis de Sade, Diaghilev to Captain Hook, and Valmont to Brutus. Jonathan is also an enthusiastic swimmer, painter and traveller. He lives in Bath, England with his wife, the soprano Isobel Buchanan." [Source]![]() |
Mrs. Jonathan Hyde: The soprano wife
of the lead actor may play a part
in the use of opera sound bites. |
"Isobel Buchanan (born 15 March 1954) is a Scottish operatic soprano. Isobel Buchanan was born in Glasgow, Scotland. In 1971, she received a scholarship to the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, where in 1974, she was awarded with Student of the Year prize. She also won the Governor's Recital Prize that same year. She signed a three year contract with The Australian Opera in 1975 to pursue her career in singing and in 1976 made her professional opera debut as Pamina in the company's production of The Magic Flute. She was the youngest Principal Artist in the company's history. She made her British debut in 1978 at Glyndebourne Festival Opera, again as Pamina in a new production by John Cox. (She returned to Glyndebourne in 1981 as Countess Almaviva in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro and reprised the role at the 1984 has grown lot Festival.) In 1978, she sang Micaela in Carmen at the Vienna State Opera, conducted by Carlos Kleiber with Plácido Domingo as Don José and Elena Obraztsova as Carmen, in a production by Franco Zeffirelli. She continued adding to her repertoire with Sophie in Massenet's Werther and a Flower Maiden in Wagner's Parsifal at the Royal Opera House in 1979. Since then, she has appeared at many other major opera houses and companies including the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Scottish Opera, the Metropolitan Opera, Bavarian State Opera, Opéra National de Paris, Hamburg State Opera, Opéra de Monte-Carlo, and the Cologne Opera. She has collaborated with many renowned conductors, including Georg Solti, Bernard Haitink, Andrew Davis, Colin Davis, Sergiu Celibidache, John Pritchard, Neville Marriner, Carlos Kleiber and Yehudi Menuhin. The BBC made a documentary of her career in 1981. She also appeared in TV programmes such as Face the Music and Parkinson. She is married to the Australian-born English stage actor Jonathan Hyde. They have two daughters; one of them is a British actress, Georgia King. [Source]![]() |
Science Dick: Author of such hits as
The Blade Runner, admits he often wrote
under the influence of amphetamines. |
"The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch is a 1965 dystopian novel by US science fiction writer Philip K. Dick. It was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1965. The novel takes place some time in the 21st century. Under United Nations authority, humankind has colonized every habitable planet and moon in the solar system. Like many of Dick's novels, it utilizes an array of science fiction concepts, features several layers of reality and unreality and philosophical ideas. It is one of Dick's first works to explore religious themes. The titular 'three stigmata', incidentally, are a mechanical arm, slotted eyes and metallic teeth. According to an explanation provided by the author within the book itself these three appliances or afflictions represent alienation, blurred reality, and despair." [Source] "Philip Kindred Dick (December 16, 1928 – March 2, 1982) was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist and philosopher whose published work is almost entirely accepted as being in the science fiction genre. Dick explored sociological, political and metaphysical themes in novels dominated by monopolistic corporations, authoritarian governments, and altered states. In his later works Dick's thematic focus strongly reflected his personal interest in metaphysics and theology. He often drew upon his own life experiences in addressing the nature of drug abuse, paranoia, schizophrenia, and transcendental experiences in novels such as A Scanner Darkly and VALIS....VALIS (1980) is perhaps Dick's most postmodern and autobiographical novel, examining his own unexplained experiences. It may also be his most academically studied work, and was adapted as an opera by Tod Machover....Four of Dick's works have been adapted for the stage. One was the opera VALIS, composed and with libretto by Tod Machover, which premiered at the Pompidou Center in Paris on December 1, 1987, with a French libretto. It was subsequently revised and readapted into English, and was recorded and released on CD (Bridge Records BCD9007) in 1988." [Source]OPERA USED IN THE STRAIN
The Strain Season 1: Episode 3 - "Gone Smooth"Thomas Eichorst is seen in the opening sequence transforming himself from the horrific mutated vampire he has become into the elegant suited gentleman he presents to the world. The music under the scene is an excerpt from Beethoven's Choral Fantasy in C Minor Op. 80. Watch a complete performance below:The Strain Season 1: Episode 5 - "The Runaways"Eldritch Palmer is recovering from his latest surgery. As he speaks with Mr. Fitzwilliams, played by Roger R. Cross, a soprano can be heard singing barely audible in the background.The Strain Season 1: Episode 9 - "The Disappeared" Eichorst is seen in a flashback trying to escape his leadership role at a Nazi concentration camp by finding the "Master" in a special bunker formed like an underground burial chamber. Here he becomes infected for the first time. The music is Sarastro's aria "O Isis und Osiris" from Mozart's Die Zauberflöte. Listen to the aria below:
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September 10, 2014, 1:17 pm
The latin term trado has been translated into a multitude of definitions: to hand over, give up, deliver, transmit, surrender, impart, entrust, confide, leave behind, bequeath, propound, propose, teach, to hand down, narrate, recount. It served as the basis for the word we now know in the English language to be tradition. With the recent passing of Magda Olivero (age 104) and Licia Albanese (age 105), the opera world loses yet another link to the composers of the past. These were the last remaining sopranos that originated the 20th-century's verismo period and served as an essential connection to the past for future opera audiences. Once upon a time, singers worked directly with composers to tweak the characterization and often had music written specifically for their vocal capabilities. There was something almost sacred that was being passed down for safekeeping to the following generation. Looking back over the history of slightly more than 200 years reveals a great deal about the relationship with the soprano and composer.Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart had soprano Caterina Cavalieri. A singing student of rival composer Antonio Salieri, Mozart wrote the role of Konstanze in his Singspiel Die Entführung aus dem Serail for the soprano which she premiered on July 16, 1782. On May 7, 1788, Cavalieri sang the role of Donna Elvira in the Vienna premiere of Mozart's Don Giovanni. Other works by Mozart written for her are Davide penitente (1785) and the role of Mademoiselle Silberklang in Der Schauspieldirektor (1786). Gioachino Rossini had Isabella Colbran. Born in Madrid, she studied under Girolamo Crescenti in Paris. The dramatic coloratura soprano first met Rossini in Naples where he composed the title role of Elisabetta, regina d'Inghilterra especially for her in 1815. She went on to sing the lead roles in his operas Otello, Armida, Mosè in Egitto, Ricciardo e Zoraided, Ermione, La donna del lago, Maometto II, and Zelmira. He eventually married the soprano in 1822 when they moved to Bologna and she sang the last role composed specifically for her, the title role in Semiramide, before the couple split in 1837. After her death, Rossini continued to credit her as being the greatest interpreter of his music. Gaetano Donizetti had Giuditta Pasta. Italian by birth, Pasta studied in Milan with Giuseppe Scappa, Davide Banderali, Girolamo Crescentini, and Ferdinando Paer, among others. She sang regularly in London, Paris, Milan and Naples between 1824 and 1837. Donizetti wrote two roles specifically for the soprano: the title roles in Anna Bolena and Amina in Bellini's La sonnambula (Vincenzo Bellini even wrote Norma for the soprano). She later taught singing with such notable students as Emma Albertazzi, Marianna Barbieri-Nini, and Adelaide Kemble. Pasta retired at her Lake Como villa and in Milan, where she devoted herself to advanced vocal instructions until her death in 1865. Giuseppe Verdi had several leading ladies to premiere his works, including Marcella Lotti della Santa (Aroldo), Teresa Stolz (La Forza del Destino, Aida), Marie Sasse (Don Carlos), Fanny Salvini-Donatelli* (La Traviata), Antonietta Marini-Rainieri (Oberto, Un giorno di regno), Teresa Ruggeri (I Lombardi), Marianna Barbieri-Nini (I due Foscari, Macbeth, Il corsaro) and Sophie Cruvelli (Les vêpres siciliennes). Many of these women were either his mistresses or, in the case of Giuseppina Strepponi (Nabucco), his wife. Richard Wagner had Wilhelmine Schröder-Devrient. The German soprano combined a rare quality of tone with dramatic intensity of expression, which was as remarkable on the concert platform as in opera. She created several roles for Wagner Adriano (Rienzi), Senta (Der Fliegende Holländer), and Venus (Tannhäuser). She was to have also done a premiere turn as Elsa (Lohengrin) in 1849, but politics intervened. After her death, a two-volume work entitled Memoiren einer Sängerin was released that were reportedly her erotic memoirs.Then came the verismo composers: Giordano, Alfano, Mascagni and Cilèa. Magda Olivero often had roles created for her by these composers. Thirty-one of the forty-four composers whose operas Olivero sang during her career were still alive when she began to study. Licia Albanese sang the role of Cio-Cio San in Puccini's Madama Butterfly in over 300 performances. One of her early teachers, Giuseppina Baldassare-Tedeschi, was a contemporary of the composer. "In opera, verismo (meaning 'realism', from Italian vero, meaning 'true') was a post-Romantic operatic tradition associated with Italian composers. They sought to bring the naturalism of influential late 19th-century writers such as Émile Zola and Henrik Ibsen into opera. The style began in 1890 with the first performance of Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana, peaked in the early 1900s, and lingered into the 1920s. The style is distinguished by realistic – sometimes sordid or violent – depictions of everyday life, especially the life of the contemporary lower classes. It by and large rejects the historical or mythical subjects associated with Romanticism. The Italian verismo composers comprised a musicological group known in its day as the giovane scuola ('young school'). The most famous composers who created works in the verismo style were Giacomo Puccini, Pietro Mascagni, Ruggero Leoncavallo, Umberto Giordano and Francesco Cilea. There were, however, many other veristi: Franco Alfano, Alfredo Catalani, Gustave Charpentier (Louise), Eugen d'Albert (Tiefland), Ignatz Waghalter (Der Teufelsweg and Jugend), Alberto Franchetti, Franco Leoni, Jules Massenet (La Navarraise), Licinio Refice, Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari (I gioielli della Madonna), and Riccardo Zandonai."Today we have a singer like Dawn Upshaw who has championed the composers of the late 20th-century and nurtured the type of relationship with them that harkens back centuries. Many of the composers include Osvaldo Golijov, John Harbison, Esa-Pekka Salonen, John Adams, and Kaija Saariaho, Henryk Górecki, and David Bruce. Some have even written works specifically for her throughout the last decade. But what of the Mozart, Puccini, Donizetti, Rossini, and Bizet, works that remain the most performed in United States opera companies today? Who is left among the living, that is the closest connection to these composers, that can pass on the tradition to future opera singers? On December 2, the great Maria Callas would have turned 91. As the younger generation seeks out advice from living sources that either worked with composers or had teachers that were living at the time 19th and 20th century music was written, it's easy to see the list is quite extensive. Imagine Patricia Racette working characterization on Carlisle Floyd's Susannah with the originator of the role Phyllis Curtin; Christine Goerke coaching the title role of Strauss's Elektra with Inge Borkh; Anna Netrebko seeking advice from Leontyne Price who sang the role of Leonora in Il Trovatore around the world; Pumeza Matshikiza having a working session with Mattiwilda Dobbs about her early studies with Pierre Bernac and his work with Reinhold von Warlich; or Kathleen Kim asking about the over 60 roles that coloratura Renée Doria performed during her career. Check out the formidable soprano legends that new singers should be clamoring to work with on music, after the jump. [Source, Source, Source, Source, Source, Source, Source, Source, Source]
*also sang the following Verdi roles during her career: Mina (Aroldo), Gulnara (Il corsaro), Lucrezia (I due Foscari), Elvira (Ernani), Giovanna (Giovanna d'Arco), Giselda (I Lombardi), Lady Macbeth (Macbeth), Amalia (I masnadieri), Desdemona (Otello), Gilda (Rigoletto), Violetta (La traviata), and Leonora (Il trovatore).
Living sopranos (ages current as of September 2014):
Hilde Zadek 97Phyllis Curtin 93Denise Duval 93Inge Borkh 93Renée Doria 93Brenda Lewis 93Lucine Amara 90Adele Addison 90Mildred Miller 90Claudia Pinza 90Bethany Beardslee 89Mattiwilda Dobbs 89Patricia Munsel 89Irene Dalis 89Wilma Lipp 89Virginia Zeani 88Leontyne Price 87Gigliola Frazzoni 87April Cantelo 86Christa Ludwig 86June Preston 86Anny Schlemm 85Rosalind Elias 85Antonietta Stella 85Gabriella Tucci 85Teresa Żylis-Gara 84Roberta Peters 84Mary Costa 84Rosanna Carteri 84Dorothy Dorow 84Heather Harper 84Joan Carlyle 83Anita Cerquetti 83Mady Mesplé 83Reri Grist 82Christiane Eda-Pierre 82Adele Stolte 82Elinor Ross 82Montserrat Caballé 81Elly Ameling 81Renata Scotto 80Tamara Milashkina 80Andrée Esposito 80Fiorenza Cossotto 79Raina Kabaivanska 79Margherita Rinaldi 79Margarita Roberti 79Maria Chiara 79Mirella Freni 79Colette Boky 79Anne Pashley 79Jeanette Scovotti 78Zdzisława Donat 78Ingeborg Hallstein 78Rita Shane 78Gwyneth Jones 78Felicia Weathers 77Martina Arroyo 77Grace Bumbry 77Gundula Janowitz 77Johanna Meier 76Wilma Driessen 76Rachel Yakar 76Teresa Stratas 76Edda Moser 76Edith Mathis 76Ileana Cotrubaș 75Helga Dernesch 75Helen Donath 74Gilda Cruz-Romo 74Josephine Barstow 74Julia Varady 73Janet Price 73Anna Tomowa-Sintow 72Sheila Armstrong 72Makvala Kasrashvili 72Éva Marton 71Maria Pellegrini 71Barbara Schlick 71Malvina Major 71Norma Burrowes 70Kiri Te Kanawa 70Felicity Lott 70Karin Ott 69Diana Soviero 68Jessye Norman 68Edita Gruberová 68Magdaléna Hajóssyová 68Carol Neblett 68Luciana Serra 68Stefka Evstatieva 67Felicity Lott 67Gabriela Beňačková 67Kathleen Battle 66Mariella Devia 66Jeannine Altmeyer 66Nancy Shade 65Rosalind Plowright 65Gabriele Schnaut 63Sylvia Sass 63Carol Vaness 62
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September 11, 2014, 11:27 pm
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| The late tenor seen here in 1996 leaving Hampshire House |
"A spacious two-bedroom co-op at the Hampshire House that captivated the Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti some 30 years ago with its treehouse vistas of the entirety of Central Park is poised to enter the market at $13.7 million. The monthly maintenance fees for the 2,000-square-foot apartment, No. 2301, at 150 Central Park South between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, are $4,785. Considering that the white-brick, white-glove Hampshire House, which opened in 1937 with eye-popping interiors by the iconic Dorothy Draper, has scores of staff members looking after the needs of its residents, the monthly charge seems comparatively equitable. The 37-story apartment building, with its distinctive copper roof and twin chimneys, converted to a co-op in 1949; although its board does not frown on international buyers in search of choice pieds-à-terre, it does insist on a cash-only policy.....Mr. Pavarotti, who died at age 71 in 2007 at his main residence near Modena in northern Italy, considered the Hampshire House the favorite![]() |
| A Room with a View: Pavarotti's singing spot when learning a role in NYC. |
of his several pieds-à-terre, according to Ms. Mantovani, who lives in Italy, where she established a foundation after his death. The Luciano Pavarotti Foundation supports aspiring singers and musicians; the Modena residence has already been donated to the foundation, as will a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the New York apartment. (Two smaller units at the Hampshire House that Mr. Pavarotti had used to house his staff and his bodyguard have already been sold.) In an email, Ms.![]() |
| Palatial Panoramic: A Central Park view fit for the king of the high C's |
Mantovani, who married the singer in 2003, said he told her he had first been drawn to the apartment by its views, roomy layout and the fact that it was within walking distance — and eyesight — of the Met. “His favorite room was the living room with its big piano where he could rehearse and get inspired by the magnificent views of Manhattan,” she said. “He adored New York City, which he thought of as a beautiful woman.” [Source] To contact the real estate agent for purchase, click here. Serious inquiries only. More photos and the apartment floor plan are after the jump.![]()
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September 12, 2014, 6:58 pm
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| Diva Love: Tebaldi (left) and Callas in 1968 |
sentiment for hearing Verdi's La Forza del Destino at the time was: If you want to hear Leonora sung beautifully listen to Tebaldi, if you want to know the fate of Leonora listen to Callas. Whatever the real story, the true details are taken to the beyond since both have long since passed on. During their careers, the media scandals did serve to bring the two singers much more attention in the public eye. That legacy lives on. As previously announced, Warner Classics will release the complete discography of Maria Callas with a new remastering of the original tapes. Decca Classics will match that by offering a limited edition 66-disc box set of the complete Renata Tebaldi recordings for the label. The international release date is October 31, 2014. Order your copy now by clicking here. See a few more pictures of La Tebaldi after the jump.![]()
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September 18, 2014, 4:20 pm
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Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg marries Michael Kaiser, former
president of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing
Arts, and his partner John Roberts in August 2013. |
"People seeking clues about how soon the Supreme Court might weigh in on states' gay marriage bans should pay close attention to the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg told a Minnesota audience Tuesday. Ginsburg said cases pending before the circuit covering Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee would probably play a role in the high court's timing. She said 'there will be some urgency' if that appeals court allows same-sex marriage bans to stand. Such a decision would run contrary to a legal trend favoring gay marriage and force the Supreme Court to step in sooner, she predicted. She said if the appeals panel falls in line with other rulings there is 'no need for us to rush.'....Ginsburg spent 90 minutes before an audience of hundreds discussing her two decades on the Supreme Court as well as her days as an American Civil Liberties Union lawyer. In a question-and-answer period, she predicted that cases dealing with the environment and technology would make for watershed decisions in years to come. Privacy of information carried on smartphones in the context of criminal searches could be particularly big, Ginsburg said. 'You can have on that cellphone more than you can pack in a file cabinet,' she said. The liberal justice said the court is the most collegial place she has worked as she fondly described her close relationship with conservative Justice Antonin Scalia. She made sure to plug a comic opera about the two of them — Scalia/Ginsburg — that will debut next year in Virginia. And the 81-year-old Ginsburg elicited plenty of laughter by highlighting a Tumblr account about her called the 'Notorious R.B.G.' and a never-realized dream job. 'If I had any talent God could give me, I would be a great diva,' she said." [Source] See pictures of Justice Ginsburg with the many opera divas (and a few divos) she has befriended over the years, including Renée Fleming, Leontyne Price, Plácido Domingo, and Marilyn Horne, after the jump.![]()
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September 19, 2014, 6:50 am
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September 19, 2014, 6:59 am
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| Abdrazakov in St. Petersburg (Photo: Jason Bell) |
"It could almost be the plot of an opera: a dark, dashing descendant of both Genghis Khan and Tamerlane appears and sweeps all before him. But in the case of Russian-born bass Ildar Abdrazakov— 'I’m one-fourth Tatar and three-fourths Bashkirian,' he says with a smile—it happens to be true. A native of Ufa, the capital of the Russian republic of Bashkortostan (also known as Bashkiria), Abdrazakov, 37, has emerged in the past few years as one of the most sought-after young basses in the operatic world. He was pitch-perfect as the brooding prince in the Metropolitan Opera’s production last season of Borodin’s Prince Igor. But what Abdrazakov actually likes best is Italian opera: 'I only started singing the Russian roles when I came west,' he says. His supple, burnished bass shines in the lyrical Rossini-to-Verdi canon, along with his comedic flair." [Source] Read the full feature by clicking here.
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September 19, 2014, 7:13 am
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September 19, 2014, 8:22 am
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Musical Scandal: Harrison (Columbus Short), Olivia
(Kerry Washington),and Huck (Guillermo Díaz),
decode the operatic message. |
Season 2 - Episode 6: "A man rushes down the sidewalk to hand over a package to his neighborhood postal carrier. The mail truck turns the corner leaving the man standing on a peaceful suburban street. BANG! The man shoots himself in the head. The package he was so anxious to send off before committing suicide is addressed to Olivia Pope. There’s sheet music inside. Huck quickly determines this is actually a coded message asking for protection for a group of covert operatives. He knows the people on the list are spies because his name is amongst them." [Source] The sheet music that's inside the envelope is the tenor aria "Il mio tesoro" sung by the character Don Ottavio from Mozart's Don Giovanni. Listen to the full aria and see a full translation after the jump.
Il mio tesoro intantoandate a consolar,E del bel ciglio il piantocercate di asciugar.Ditele che i suoi tortia vendicar io vado;Che sol di stragi e mortinunzio vogl'io tornar.
Meantime go andconsole my dearest one,and seek to dry the tearsfrom her lovely eyes.Tell her that I have goneto avenge her wrongs,and will return only as the messengerof punishment and death.
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