Plácido Domingo, the tenor, baritone, conductor, and opera administrator extraordinaire, said Monday that he will not renew his contract as general director of the Washington National Opera when it expires in June, 2011.
His departure is not entirely a surprise — Domingo has long been thought to be chronically overextended. But it also means that the company is left without a marquee leader, its most recognizable brand, at a time when nearly every detail of the WNO’s future is open to question — most importantly, whether it will remain autonomous or merge with the Kennedy Center.
Anna Karenina was reviewed in The Independent. Unfortunately the only way to read it is to visit the archives for 9/16/10 and get the pdf there. Fortunately it was a very nice review,
A blogger also gives his thoughts on the opera. I especially enjoy blogger reviews. Professional reviewers, after all, get in for free. (Funny how I have to let readers know if I’m reviewing something I received for free. Newspaper reviewers never have to tell us that. I don’t quite understand why the FTC makes us announce our freebies since professional newspaper reviewers never have to announce it. Call me stupid.)
Today has been, so far anyway, a total loss. I’ve been hit with the “wearies” and can’t manage to get moving. I did manage to vacuum the family room, but that was it. Soon I teach three students and then it’s off to Symphony Silicon Valley with me for our first rehearsal of the season. Yep! More work! My last day of no work at all was September 10. No wonder I’m a bit tired! I just checked my calendar. I don’t have a full day off until October 10. That’s one full month of some sort of work every single day … wow … I didn’t realize this until just now.
I think I’m in need of a nap!
What are the keys on the oboe are?
What are the keys on the oboe are?
Is the bottom a or the 4th b please tell me
I’m still trying to figure out what this is asking. I assume part of the issue might be a language problem; I’m not mocking someone whose first language isn’t English. I just really wonder what he/she is asking. I’m guessing someone here will figure it out …?
Omg! My daughter started oboe lessons today! She brought the delightful object home. Need tylenol!
No, you aren’t reading a typo above. Really.
I just received an email form someone who has a new iPhone app out. I’ve yet to even look at it, but I couldn’t resist this blog entry since I wanted to get that blog entry title in. Because I’m just that darn witty. Or goofy. Or something.
Dr. Joel Clifft, a professor in the music department at USC and APU, has created Music Theory Pro – an iPhone app for musicians or anyone who wants to learn music. His students joke, “It’s like having Dr. Clifft in my pocket!”.
So I guess I’ll have to check out Music Theory Pro even while I was never all that great at music theory and yet I’m a professional musician. Go figure. (Of course I’m also an oboist who was never that great at reed making. Go figure²)
Guess I’m going to start a new category called Apps, and as I find them (as you share some with me!) I’ll post ‘em.
This is not an endorsement of this app (since I don’t have it), but merely an announcement of the app.
ON Monday night, “Das Rheingold,” the first part of a mammoth new production of Richard Wagner’s opera cycle “Der Ring des Nibelungen,” will thunder down on the Metropolitan Opera. A 45-ton set will test the theater’s foundations; a reported $16 million budget will test the company’s finances. In the midst of economic troubles, is it seemly to spend such a vast amount on a spectacle that will be seen by a relatively small, elite audience?
This is the start of a very good Op-Ed piece by Alex Ross that appeared in the New York Times.
Me? I wish Dan and I could have gone. The production looks incredible. Sounds mighty dangerous too.
When I get a new student I invite the parent (or parents) to sit in on the first lesson. After that I prefer parents sit in my living room while I teach, or even go to our nearby downtown and enjoy some time off of parenting, but my studio door is never shut. Whatever I say to students should be able to be heard by parents. If I wouldn’t say it in front of a parent I don’t want to say it at all. (Do I always succeed in this? Well … um … no. But I’ve gotten better and better over the years!) If a parent asks to sit in on a lesson at a later date I let them do so. The reasons I prefer they not be in on every lesson is that 1) I tend to feel as if I have to talk to them as much as the student 2) they tend to talk to their child while I’m trying to teach and even if they don’t 3) a child is often distracted or made nervous due to mom or dad’s presence.
BUT …
I just read about a music teacher who abused some students. Not verbally but, even more horrifying, sexually. Dear parents, watch over your children carefully. Although the man is clearly guilty (having admitted what he did), I’m leaving his name out of this. I’m merely alerting parents: abuse can happen. Watch. Listen. And if a teacher has a “doors closed, no visiting allowed” policy, you might reconsider lessons.
A former [symphony orchestra] cellist who indecently assaulted three boy pupils has been ordered to attend a sex offender treatment programme.
[The instructor ]sexually abused the pupils between 1970 and 1989 while giving private lessons.
He admitted carrying out the abuse during private lessons he gave while living in Haywards Heath, West Sussex, and Surbiton, Surrey.
He was given a three-year probation order by [the judge].
…when it comes to the matter of oboe lessons, nothing can ever replace face to face lessons with a teacher. However, there is plenty of information in one form or another available on the Internet which can complement the work done with a teacher. But do remember, – you have to go on working with your teacher, so, when there is a difference of opinion, your teacher is always right!
Found here.
The girl behind me on the L sounds like an oboe with a Chicago accent
… and … um … WOW!
International oboe festival of Xi’an China
Final concert – Mozart Die Zauberflote for Six oboists
Maurice Bourgue, Yiu Song Lam, Mikhail Zhuravlev, Ivan Podyomov, Lin Qing, Cristian Moré Coloma
This past Friday Dan and I attended the San Francisco Opera in the Ballpark simulcast event. The opera was Verdi’s Aida, which we’d already experienced on opening night, but heck, it was free, and it was quite the event. Little did we know just how many people attend opera when it’s free and at AT&T ballpark! Wow. The lines to get in were so long I was ready to turn around and head home, but Dan looked around and found an entrance for those of us who had registered ahead of time had had printed vouchers, and we got right in. We also managed to find a way to get on to the field, despite one person who worked at the park who told us to head upstairs and keep going until we get to the top and then parachute down. Funny man … except I don’t believe he was trying to be funny, but merely unhelpful.
After setting up our blanket we had some time to wait, so Dan headed off to get food and drinks, and I spent time tweeting. Yep. At the opera! I was far from the only one; the tweets were coming from all over the ballpark.
It was so much fun to see things on such a big screen, although I still say the best way to see a video of an opera is with the camera backed off, showing the entire stage, letting us decide what we want to see. Sometimes the camera crew shows us only one singer when I want to see more! The picture was great, though, and the sound mighty nice as well. I could swear they changed on bit of staging, but maybe I just didn’t see things correctly … on opening night I thought the on stage trumpets filed on in two groups of three and were standing there before they played. This time it seems they were already set up and a screen (or something; I can’t quite recall) lifted and there they were. Hmm. I wonder …? I especially enjoyed hearing MingJia Liu play the wonderful principal oboe part again. I even took a bit of video with my iPhone on that part, but I hesitate posting it in case it’s illegal to do so.
The bows were great fun … they all came out with something from the Giants … either wearing a T-shirt, carrying a banner or Giants foam finger or, in the case of the Maestro, wearing a Giants scarf. Fun!
Bravi tutti to all involved!
Aida isn’t my favorite opera, but I think it was perfect for a spectacle at the ballpark! The sets and costumes really look wonderful on the big screen!
