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Opera's sexual assault secret
Leonard Bernstein & NYFOS: "I think he'd be pretty proud of it."
Talking with singers: Jamie Barton
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Putting a big gift to great use: Tapestry Opera's Disaster Relief Benefit concert
The first of the two concerts starts at 7pm, featuring operatic and musical theatre offerings from the likes of Simone Osborne, Erica Iris Huang, Asitha Tennekoon, Keith Klassen, and Alexander Hajek. Tickets are $30. At 10pm the Bösendorfer gets a workout, with performances by jazz pianist Robi Botos and concert virtuoso Younggun Kim. Tickets are also $30.
Read More"It's his life, it's him." Soundstreams presents Musik für das Ende
With the daunting score has come an "unbelievable" level of focus from the performers. "That's maybe even more powerful than this music, these people working either in pairs or quartets or quintets," he says of the "fierce" level of listening between the singers. "They're totally wrapped up with this other person."
Read MoreThe TSO pays homage to Maureen Forrester
Forrester became known for her interpretations of Mahler and for her professional relationship with the composer's protegé Bruno Walter, so it's no surprise to find the composer on the program. After the intermission, German-Canadian tenor Michael Schade joined Ms. Platts for Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde (The Song of the Earth), one of the composer's best loved works.
Read MoreFor kids & grown-ups alike: The Scorpion's Sting
It must be a difficult task, to write a work specifically for young people that does not come off as overly moralistic or saccharine. Happily, the gist of The Scorpions' Sting - the power of forgiveness and the importance of teamwork - avoids sentimentality by being genuinely funny, (alternating effectively between sarcasm and overt goofiness).
Read MoreAn isolated tenor in an operatic masterwork: Les contes d'Hoffmann
This production's prologue opened with a sequence of generic opera tropes that undermined the opera's quality. One cliché followed another: a bad silent-movie love-pantomime, uninspired park and bark narration, a silly "Oliver Twist" money pouch, muggy chorus acting, and way too many people standing on tables. This brand of stale opera is what convinces people the form is dying.
Read MoreBreathe: the latest recordings from James Rolfe
"I'm both flattered and sad that I'll be part of their final season. I will miss TMT greatly, as these pieces have marked some of my most artistically satisfying experiences. But I'll also miss the wonderful people who made these collaborations so enjoyable."
Read MoreCleaned-up Callas: the remastered live recordings
What does an opera lover in the 21st century do with something like Warner Classics' recently released Maria Callas Live Remastered Recordings (1949-1964)? The first thing would be to squeal with glee: the box set includes live recordings of 20 full operas, 5 filmed recitals, and a book detailing each of the iconic roles sung by Callas.
Read MoreLuxury at arm's length: Arabella
A woman with a spine is somewhat of a rare find in opera, and so it's hard to admit that Arabella is a woman who warrants very little empathy - even from this female reviewer. Arabella's insistence on waiting for the "right man" among her train of suitors is something that's admirable and surprisingly contemporary even for this 1932 opera.
Read MoreR.B. Schlather, Susan B. Anthony, & connecting opera with community
Not only is Schlather's latest project site-specific, but one which is in response to a performance space's unique history. "That's exciting for me, and it's the continuation of explorations that I've been doing for the past couple years," he says. These explorations, he explains, haven't always been clear in direction, but they have always ben led by the question, "what does it mean to do this opera in this location?"
Read MoreTalking with conductors: Riccardo Frizza
"I believe that there is always a mutual learning process between performers and conductors. If a conductor is well trained he can pass a great deal of his wisdom to the performers, and in the same way a conductor can learn all about breathing from a singer."
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