What the eff is a Zarzuela, anyway?

Op-ed

A sparrow hawk is known in the wild for stealing the chicks of other birds from their nests. This Zarzuela tells the story of Juan, a man who left his poor fishing village in search of adventure and fortune in Peru. He returns twenty years later a millionaire - and that's when things get sticky. He agrees to marry Rosaura, a young maiden in the village who happens to be in love with Gustavo (the only guy in the village who's paid off his debts), and takes her from the young man's arms. See the metaphor?

In review: Tannhäuser at ROH

Review

The dancers moved in a constant, fluid canon, the men tirelessly chasing the teasing women, hurling themselves across a long spinning banquet table, trading clothes and bending their bodies like elastic rag dolls. Visually, it was the high point of the production, relaxing into what became a static tale. It's not inappropriate, to place the audience in the shoes of Tannhäuser himself, who goes from the heights of pleasure and excitement, and returns to the mortal world; indeed, no human stimulation would quite meet of Venusberg.

The TFCO: a young people's opera blitz

News

"For me, the most exciting thing about the Toronto Festival of Children’s Opera is that it shines a bright light on both the incredible work that is being done in Toronto and the incredible people who are doing it," says Burry. "A lot of people think that works for children aren’t as valid or important as 'adult' opera. This couldn’t be further from the truth, and great children’s opera really has something to offer everyone."

Great nights: The Dream of Gerontius

Review

Coote and Clayton shared perfect moments of acknowledgement from their places on opposite sides of the conductor's podium. She was stunning to watch; she had such specificity on her face, from her almost-shy greeting of Gerontius, to her wise, tour-guide qualities as she takes him through his first moments in the afterlife.

Opera lovers & their unpopular opinions

Humour

There's something to be said about voicing unpopular opinions; it's an important thing, to criticize, and it's even more important when that criticism seems to come up against opinions so widely held that they're instead deemed as facts. Just like French Baroque music is delightful and violas are less interesting than violins, Mozart is perfect, and the Earth is round, right?*

Don't miss: Against Nature

News

Next month sees the world premiere of Against Nature (À Rebours), presented by Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie. It's the second in a series of salon pieces by James Kudelka, director and choreographer, following up on From the House of Mirth in 2012 and 2013. Against Nature features music by Canadian composer James Rolfe (Beatrice Chancy, Elijah's Kite, Crush) and a libretto by award-winning playwright Alex Poch-Goldin (Cringeworthy, From the House of Mirth, The Shadow).

Talking with singers: Corinne Winters

Interview

We had the chance to speak with Winters about the "intense and subtle" Mélisande, her offstage creative outlets, and how she stays happy and healthy on the road. Frankly, we'll take wellness tips from any soprano who can run a half-marathon.

Party arias: the traits of lesser operas?

Editorial

When it's harder to pull a section away from an entire scene, to find the real beginnings and ends of an aria, does that mean the opera is a purer melding of theatre and music? When a singer fights the urge to sing a bit from Bluebeard's Castle, and opts instead for "Quando m'en vo", are her urges founded in some quantifiable difference in quality?

Dean Burry on "The Highwayman"

Interview

On May 3 and 4 at Toronto's Trinity-St. Paul's Centre, the Talisker Players present Cross'd by the Stars, a concert filled with music about "soulmates who are fated to be torn apart." Mezzo-soprano Krisztina Szabó, baritone Aaron Durand, and reader Stewart Arnott join the Talisker Players for works by Purcell, Gluck, Bernstein, Mahler, and the premiere of Dean Burry's The Highwayman, based on the poem by Alfred Noyes.

3 TV opera references with great meaning (maybe)

Humour

Is McGill reflected in those poor ladies, tricked by Albuquerque Alfonso into what seemed like a lucrative case? Or is it a more general reminder that Jimmy McGill is about as trustworthy as Alfonso himself? Like Puccini, Mozart places deception in a package that's pretty on the outside; sweet-talking, truth-bending McGill certainly makes a career doing the same thing.