Highlands Opera Studio: Meet the rest of the cast of Tosca

Interview

In the second of two videos covering the Highlands Opera Studio‘s current production of Tosca, we meet four of the supporting cast (your Angelotti, your Sacristan, your goons). They were kind enough to chat about the trick to learning smaller roles, and how the community in Haliburton, ON, has responded to this summer’s Opera Studio.

Opera on the YouTube

Editorial

Every once in a while, I dig around for full-length operas available on YouTube; I get more and more pleasantly surprised at what’s been uploaded by friendly strangers from the Internet. Today’s pick is one of my favourites: the 1966 BBCtv production of Britten’s Billy Budd. It’s conducted by Charles Mackerras, with Peter Glossop in the title character and the incomparable Peter Pears as Captain Vere.

Science and Simon Boccanegra

Humour

I love opera, and so does Stephen Fry. I’ve written about this gem before, but it’s worth revisiting. Stephen Fry did a special with the Royal Opera House, called The Science of Opera, where he went to see Simon Boccanegra with British comedian Alan Davies. A team of scientists were on hand to measure their emotional experience throughout the opera.

Please Judge Me! (dot com)

Interview

Mark Joelson Daboll is a Toronto-based voice teacher, and he just innovated The Voice Lesson. Mark is the creator of PleaseJudgeMe.com, which offers professional feedback on video submissions from aspiring singers. The PJM team advises submitters on everything from picking out repertoire to vocal warm-ups, and it’s an anonymous, low-pressure way to try out audition repertoire.

Colin Mochrie, Russell Braun and Operagrams

Humour

Ok, so a friend of mine showed me this video, and it’s absolutely Colin Mochrie lip-syncing to the voice of Russell Braun in a clip from Burnt Toast, an eight-part coming opera made for television 2006 (CBC, Bravo!). The music is by Alexina Louie, with text by Dan Redican, and the series features some of Canada’s best voices, including Isabel Bayrakdarian, Krisztina Szabó, and Peter McGillivray.

Patrick Lange: Conducting Madama Butterfly

Interview

I had the chance to sit down with maestro Patrick Lange, currently in town to conduct Madama Butterfly at the Canadian Opera Company. The Berlin-based conductor is in the middle of the twelve-show run featuring two different casts, and he still found time to do things like run in the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon and answer some of my questions.

Johannes Debus: Falstaff, comedy, and teamwork

Interview

I caught up with Johannes Debus, Music Director of the Canadian Opera Company, between performances of the current (and spectacular!) production of Verdi’s Falstaff. He was kind enough to talk about what it’s like to conduct a piece like Falstaff, and how teamwork can amount to fantastic comedy. Maestro Debus even gives us a taste of fun things to come in the COC’s 2014/15,like the famed Robert LePage double-bill of Schoenberg’s Erwartung and Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle in May.

Talking with Singers: Simone Osborne

Interview

Vancouver-born soprano Simone Osborne is no stranger to the stage at the Four Seasons Centre. She’s sung Oscar in Un ballo in maschera (2014), Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi (2012), Gilda in Rigoletto (2011), Pamina in Die Zauberflöte (2011), and she’s mid-run as Nannetta in the Canadian Opera Company’s current production of Falstaff.

The fab Joyce, hanging out with your opera favourites

Humour

If you’re not following Joyce DiDonato’s YouTube Channel (the Yankee Diva), you should change that. I found this adorable video Joyce made while touring Handel’s Alcina with the English Concert Orchestra. Joyce enjoys (and gets lost) along with opera favourites Alice Coote, Anna Christy, Ben Johnson, and the charming Harry Bicket. So, check this one out, and then catch up on your Yankee Diva.

Schmopera on tour: The Bremen Town Musicians

Interview

I spent the month of November on tour with the COC’s Glencore Ensemble Studio School Tour production of Dean Burry’s The Bremen Town Musicians. We went as far as Manitoulin Island and performed almost 30 shows. While we were way up north, I had the cast sit down for an interview. They even let me put my camera backstage during a show. Below you’ll find the backstage footage, plus a look at an average day on the road with the COC Ensemble Studio.