Follow the Lieder: weird & wonderful & a must-watch

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Follow the Lieder is a series of short films by Alisdair Kitchen, produced by Rye Arts Festival in association with the Royal College Of Music and National Opera Studio. As the name suggests, each video is set to German art song, among them Schubert's Versunken, Der Atlas, and Die Forelle.

Opera is Alive & Kicking & here are the videos to prove it

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In Fishenfeld's own enthusiastic words: "American Opera is approachable, relevant, relatable, IN ENGLISH, and made for YOU, the American people!"

Watch with headphones: Rumspringawakening

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This time, it's Rumspringawakening: L'opera ragazzo Amish, and it's definitely a must-see. No spoilers, but you should know that it's by no means safe for work.

The introvert's dream: going solo at the opera

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It's a silly thing, but even the most hardcore of introverts struggle with the idea that while they sit happily alone at a table or in a movie theatre, the people around them will notice and think they're a weird loner.

The future of opera? Holograms & dream casts

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Or! Don Carlo, with Plácido Domingo's hologram in the title role, and the real-life Plácido Domingo as Rodrigo? Add a little Jamie Barton as Eboli, and Nicolai Ghiaurov as Philip II? Delicious.

Hilarity: Someone Like Me (L'opera di Facebook)

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The folks behind Something Blue: The Bachelor Opera and Connection Lost: The Tinder Opera are back! This time, it's Someone Like Me (L'opera di Facebook), a harrowing tale of likes, validation, and rye toast. Adam Taylor writes and directs, with music by Nathan Fletcher. Baritone Jonathan Hare and soprano Amelia Berry star in the fab, sassy cast of this must-see:

The Met's 2018/19 seas...zzzzzzzzz

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But, compared with the offerings at places like Opera Philadelphia, Minnesota Opera, The Atlanta Opera, and a fast-growing proportion of other regional opera houses in the United States and Canada, the Metropolitan Opera is proving its status as an honest-to-God opera museum.

An encore to remember: high notes & marriage proposals

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Tenor Clay Hilley knows how to pair business with pleasure: in his recital for the Wagner Society of New York on January 6, the tenor took an encore - and an opportunity to publicly propose to his girlfriend, Sara (of the very fab Shoperatic, in fact!).

4 things you're probably thankful for if you're an opera fan

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For our Canadian readers, we head into Thanksgiving weekend (it's true, Americans!), and the deal is we have to say out loud the things for which we're thankful. We're a bunch of thankful opera lovers over here, so here's our list of gratitude, tailor-made for our fellow fans of big, loud singing.

Robert Picardo, giving Cassini the farewell it deserves

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Cassini's research is catalogued by NASA with some pretty stunning images. Giving a different kind of tribute - one that's a bit more operatic - is the one and only Robert Picard, whom you may know The Doctor on Star Trek: Voyager. It's not his first time straddling the worlds of space exploration and opera; we recounted a few gems a few years back.