Opera spin-offs, round two

Humour

Good operas and good productions often make me think about the characters after the curtain closes. When that happens, I end up imagining the operatic spin-offs, sequels, and prequels that could be. Since our last instalment was such fun, I'll share a few of my imaginings once again; readers, leave your ideas in the comments below!

A sneak peek at AtG's Death & Desire

Interview

This week, Against the Grain Theatre gave a preview of their upcoming show, Death & Desire, in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre. Death & Desire combines two song cycles, Schubert's Die Schöne Müllerin and Messaien's Harawi. The two protagonists of each respective cycle are faced with each other in this "double-poeticism" by Artistic Director Joel Ivany.

The Bicycle Opera Project at 21C

Review

Last night, as part of the Royal Conservatory of Music's ongoing contemporary music festival, 21C, the Bicycle Opera Project presented a teaser of their upcoming season. The BOP team will first take up an artist residency in Baddeck, Nova Scotia, to premiere Dean Burry's new opera, The Bells of Baddeck.

How to play for singers

How-to

Pianists, you're a busy bunch. So how do you learn all that music, and prioritize like a pro? When it comes to playing for singers, pianists are often in one of three situations:

In review: Owen McCausland's recital stunner

Review

At yesterday's noon-hour concert in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre, COC Ensemble Studio member Owen McCausland had the stage (mostly) to himself. Owen sang a full recital, including 6 of the Janáček songs, plus selections from Ralph Vaughan Williams' The House of Life and Benjamin Britten's Les illuminations.

And you thought your singer face was weird...

Humour

Readers, we can't stop watching Jerry Lewis lip-sync to Mario Lanza singing "Be My Love."

In review: Ekaterina Gubanova & Rachel Andrist in recital

Review

Since Ekaterina was completely stunning in Bluebeard, I was eager to hear her up close, in the well-lit Amphitheatre. The women treated us to two sets of Russian songs; Three Songs by Tchaikovsky preceded Modest Mussorgsky's amazing Songs and Dances of Death.

Bring back opera on late-night TV

Editorial

In an earlier post, I was hunting for operatic tributes to David Letterman as his retirement quickly approaches. Few and far between as they may be, there seems to have been a definite "Golden Age" of opera on late-night television. From the 1950s to the 80s, folks like Plácido Domingo, Marilyn Horne, Maria Callas, Leontyne Price, Richard Tucker, Martina Arroyo, and Beverly Sills made appearances on late-night shows with Johnny Carson, Ed Sullivan, and Merv Griffin.

Hat trick in the Amphitheatre

Editorial

The Free Concert Series in the Four Seasons Centre's Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre is winding down for the summer, and this week marks the end of the Vocal Series performances. At noon this Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, you can catch some stellar singing, for free.