In a Laboratory, Turning Traditional Notions of Opera Upside Down
Updated: 2010-05-31 18:39:53
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/08/arts/music/08vox.html?src=mv
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/08/arts/music/08vox.html?src=mv
The story of Gioachino Rossini’ Il barbiere di Siviglia (The
Barber of Seville) is based on Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais’1775 play, Le barbier de Séville.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/24/arts/music/24gilbert.html
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/b796fed4-6682-11df-aeb1-00144feab49a.html
Tristan has been a fairly frequent visitor in Genoa over the past sixty years (post WW II). Tullio Serafin conducted the Isolde of Maria Callas there in 1948.
Richard Eyre’s production of La traviata is so beautiful that it can be watched repeatedly, yet still yield pleasure. But appearances, however splendid, aren’t quite enough to make a completely satisfying evening.
http://jam.canoe.ca/Theatre/Reviews/M/Marriage_Of_Figarro/2010/04/26/pf-13727171.html
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/music/review-23828539-smut-and-loathing-in-powder-her-face.do
Listeners who have appreciated Gerald Finley’ stylish and moving
singing of baritone roles in operas by Mozart and other composers will be
pleased with the recent CD release of Great Operatic Arias in English.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/may/23/ottone-in-villa-review
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB127438870285494471.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Expectations were running high for the opening night of Elaine Kidd’
revival of Laurent Pelly’ production of Donizetti’ mad-cap romp,
La Fille du regiment — almost as high as Tonio’ infamous
top Cs.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/86102e3a-68da-11df-910b-00144feab49a.html
Back in 1989 Ken Russell opened his Genovese Mefistofele with heavenly choirs contemplating the divinity of a praying mantis.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/4d838b82-6729-11df-bf08-00144feab49a,s01=1.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/25/AR2010052504888.html
It’ glorious and it’ gripping; it’ grand — and
it’ good! Indeed, Jake Heggie’ Moby Dick,
premiered by Dallas Opera in its handsome new Winspear Opera House on April 30,
is a work that restores meaning to basic vocabulary made banal by overuse
through the decades.
Star born through stutter? It’ immediately obvious that Jacques Imbrailo’
Billy Budd at Glyndebourne is an extraordinary portrayal. His stammer is more expressive than speech.
At the Wigmore Hall, performers can chose daring repertoire, because audiences there are unusually receptive. Florian Boesch and Malcolm Martineau presented Schubert and Hugo Wolf with Zemlinsky and Ernst Krenek.
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/may/23/entertainment/la-ca-conlon-20100523
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/lifestyle/Washington-National-Opera_s-_Hamlet_-done-in-Cold-War-style-94607579.html
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/even-the-walls-wept-as-dietrichs-spiritual-heir-sang-auf-wiedersehen-20100520-vnwi.html
Recorded live at the Palau de les Arts “Reina Sofia”,
Valencia, this new video of Richard Wagner’ Das Rheingold
is based on the staging of La Fura dels Baus, with Carlus Padrissa, stage
director, and featuring an international cast conducted by Zubin Mehta.
http://www.cleveland.com/musicdance/index.ssf/2010/05/lucia_review.html
http://www.praguepost.com/night-and-day/stage/4493-arrivals-and-departures.html
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/ee20f1dc-5c44-11df-93f6-00144feab49a.html
Pick the word: soupçon? snippet? tidbit? quark? to describe the infinitesimal bite of Wagner bestowed upon us by the Met this year — and we had to wait till the end of April, to boot!
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/magazine/20100511__La_Traviata__revival_expressive__impressive.html
http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/leisure/8176159.Garsington_Opera_preview/
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011825569_vietopera10m.html?prmid=head_more
London’ Wigmore Hall is one of the world’ great centres for art song. This recital, by Susan Bickley and Iain Burnside, specialists in the genre, showed that English language art song is alive and thriving.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/79659804-5c51-11df-93f6-00144feab49a.html
Thomas Adès’ Powder Her Face is back at the Linbury Studio Theatre at the Royal Opera House. It's a classic. Once again, Joan Rodgers sings the Duchess, supported by Alan Ewing, Iain Paton and the incomparable Rebecca Bottone, all in multiple roles.
http://thestar.blogs.com/soundmind/2010/05/opera-news-columnist-takes-music-critics-myself-included-to-task-over-leonard-slatkin-fiasco-at-the-.html
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704852004575258543852137052.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_TOPRightCarousel
Armida is fabulous. That is to say, the story is a fable. Rinaldo,
the very type of Christian warrior, is torn between his duty to lead the First
Crusade and the sensual ecstasies offered by the beautiful sorceress Armida.
“If you could take any one memory with you to eternity, which one would you choose?” In Michel van der Aa’s After Life several people meet in a waiting room.
A Midsummer Night’ Dream, a comedy in five acts with incidental music.
It’ time Verdi got attention in Aida, not elephants.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/09/AR2010050902954.html
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/features/Interview-Sir-Andrew-Davies-.6302682.jp
Opera Idaho and the Egyptian Theatre have teamed up to bring you online ticket sales. Which means you can order single tickets for all of Opera Idaho’s productions and concerts wherever you have access to a computer and the internet: at home, at work, on your Blackberry or IPhone. The convenience of online ticket sales also includes the ability [...]