AtG's Messiah: a preview

Interview

Against the Grain Theatre is revisiting its innovative, "smash-success" production of Handel's Messiah, this time at the Harbourfront Centre Theatre, in partnership with the Roy Thomson Hall and Massey Hall. We caught a few moments of rehearsal, and chatted with the soloists and a few keen chorus members about adding movement and new meaning to Handel's masterpiece.

Nerding out: Mozart's blurry barlines

Editorial

All those squiggly lines that he wrote are erased bar lines. The duet is in 6/8 time, and in this version, Mozart has the downbeats lined up with words like "Männern" and "Liebe"; they're good words for downbeats, but Mozart apparently thought the pulse of this duet was a bit heavy-handed. So, he moved the all of the barlines over by half a measure, and the effect is pretty amazing.

Album review: Gino Quilico's Secrets of Christmas

Review

Quilico sings with a lazy ease that sounds fittingly cozy for a Christmas album. His voice is straightforward, clean, but with personality and an air of improvisation. In the more popular, crooning numbers, he made me think of Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and those Lawrence Welk Show Christmas specials.

In review: Sondra Radvanovsky at Koerner Hall

Review

She spent the aria pouring her voice out into Koerner Hall, showing us the steel in her sound that travels up to her warm, thrilling top. Radvanovsky is one of those singers that seems of another generation, of the old-guard of bel canto, the never-ending sound, hold-that-note-forever style that's truly a rare find (in any generation, really).

Mozart ladies with a twist: Miriam Khalil & Shantelle Przybylo

Interview

In 2014, they put up #UncleJohn (based on Don Giovanni), featuring soprano Miriam Khalil as Donna Elvira; Khalil has since reprised Elvira in #UncleJohn for two subsequent productions, in at Toronto's The Theatre Centre and at the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival. The following year at the Banff Centre, fellow Canadian soprano Shantelle Przybylo took on the role of Felicity (also known as Fiordiligi) in AtG's A Little Too Cozy, based on Così fan tutte.

Talking with singers: Peter McGillivray

Interview

"I came to opera a little bit later," says McGillivray, who studied English, history, and Political Science before turning his attention to singing. "I think it was helpful for me to have to make the conscious decision to study this, because in the end you do decide that it's the only thing you can do."

Knoxville Opera, poor diction, and prerogative

Op-ed

There are assumptions being made about the phrase, "age appropriate, attractive artists," the first of which is that it's synonymous with saying, "no ugly, old singers allowed." Age appropriate can mean not too old to pass for a character in La bohème (including Benoit, I figure), or not too young to sing Rodolfo right to the end. "Attractive" could mean a lot of things, but Knoxville Opera didn't specify what; they also didn't say that they were planning to prioritize physical attractiveness over vocal.

Schwag: the Schmopera Store

News

Although it's a labour of love, operating a blog like this is no small feat. That's why, instead of cluttering your experience with ads, we've opted instead to open the Schmopera Store, where you can shop for unique opera-centric apparel. Our T-shirts and hoodies are designed by the Schmopera team, from one set of opera nerds to another.

The performing arts, in 360˚

News

With the Google Cultural Institute, you can listen to the dress rehearsal for Lohengrin at Fundação Theatro Municipal de São Paulo, or watch Yannick Nézet-Séguin conduct the Philadelphia Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, or basically stand onstage for a rehearsal of Gregory Doran's Henry V at The Royal Shakespeare Company. Multiple 360˚ cameras are placed in the space, sitting you right among the woodwinds, or centre stage among the sets.

Pocket Concerts: chamber music, up close

Interview

Pocket Concerts is a Toronto-based concert series, which brings chamber music to private homes, offices, and other intimate venues. Their most recent public event was their November 29th Party with Brahms at the Wharf; over post-concert pizza and wine, we spoke with the artists, hosts, and listeners about the very special experience of a Pocket Concert.