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22. May 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: News, Opera

Yep … the Met backed out of the “no Met reviews” idea. Of course I do wonder if the acceptance of reviews means “good reviews only”. I suppose time will tell!

Opera News Will Continue to Review Metropolitan Opera Production

In view of the outpouring of reaction from opera fans about the recent decision to discontinue Met performance reviews in Opera News, the Met has decided to reverse this new editorial policy. From their postings on the internet, it is abundantly clear that opera fans would miss reading reviews about the Met in Opera News. Ultimately, the Met is here to serve the opera-loving public and has changed its decision because of the passionate response of the fans.

RTWT

(No) Opera News

21. May 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: News, Opera

Opera News, 76 years old and one of the leading classical music magazines in the country, said on Monday that it would stop reviewing the Metropolitan Opera, a policy prompted by the Met’s dissatisfaction over negative critiques.

RTWT

My mother always said, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” I guess the Met folks agree.

Opera San José Residents for 2012-2013

21. May 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Opera

You can check out the residents for next season here. Or just click on each name below. There are a lot of new singers. I’m looking forward to seeing and, especially, hearing them! You can see and hear them too. Buy your subscription!

ZACHARY ALTMAN: BARITONE: Zurga (The Pearl Fishers), Dr. Falke (Die Fledermaus), Count Di Luna (Il trovatore), and Gianni Schicchi (Gianni Schicchi)

NICOLE BIRKLAND: SOPRANO: Prince Orlofsky (Die Fledermaus), Azucena (Il trovatore), the Principessa (Suor Angelica), and Zita (Gianni Schicchi)

ALEXANDER BOYER: TENOR: Nadir (The Pearl Fishers), Eisenstein (Die Fledermaus), Manrico (Il trovatore), and Rinuccio (Gianni Schicchi)

EVAN BRUMMEL: BARITONE: Zurga (The Pearl Fishers), Dr. Falke (Die Fledermaus), Count di Luna (Il trovatore), and the Gianni Schicchi (Gianni Schicchi)

JAMES CALLON: TENOR: Nadir (The Pearl Fishers), Eisenstein (Die Fledermaus), Manrico (Il trovatore), and Rinuccio (Gianni Schicchi)

SILAS ELASH: BASS: Nourabad (The Pearl Fishers), Frank (Die Fledermaus), and Ferrando (Il trovatore)

TORI GRAYUM: MEZZO-SOPRANO (Affiliate Artist): Ida (Die Fledermaus), Inez (Il trovatore), and La Ciesca (Gianni Schicchi)

MELODY KING: SOPRANO: Leila (The Pearl Fishers), Roselinda (Die Fledermaus), Leonora (Il trovatore), Sister Angelica (Suor Angelica) and Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi)

REBECCA KROUNER: MEZZO-SOPRANO (Affiliate Artist): Prince Orlofsky (Die Fledermaus), Azucena (Il trovatore), the Monitress (Suor Angelica), and La Ciesca (Gianni Schicchi)

CECILIA VIOLETTA LÓPEZ: SOPRANO: Leila (The Pearl Fishers), Roselinda (Die Fledermaus), Leonora (Il trovatore), Sister Angelica (Suor Angelica), and Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi)

I’ve been to the first two!

16. May 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Opera

I just received this via email:

Hi there,

Wanted to share a reminder for you and your members/readers who are interested in experiencing the encore broadcasts of the MET Opera Wagner Ring Cycle in movie theaters.

There are a few performances left in this encore broadcast series, and we hope you are able to share with your readers, members and followers.
Siegfried: Met Opera Ring Cycle Encore – Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Götterdämmerung: Met Opera Ring Cycle Encore – Saturday, May 19, 2012

For more details about the event, please visit: www.fathomevents.com/performingarts/series/ringcycleencore2012.aspx

Best,

Geoff

Yep, I’m going. I still favor the San Francisco production, but I’m enjoying this one and will continue the adventure!

Robert McPherson

10. May 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Opera

As I type this former Opera San José resident artist Robert McPherson can be heard and seen live at the Mikhailovsky Theatre by going here. How cool is that? The opera is La Juive by Fromental Halévy.

Irene Dalis Vocal Competition

09. May 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Opera

The Irene Dalis Vocal Competition is rapidly approaching. I’ve attended the past few years and I’ve loved it. Sadly this year they’ve moved it to 3:00 so I’m unable to go, but I do recommend it to any of you who are able to go. Really. You’ll hear some mighty fine singing … and you even get to vote for audience favorite. So get those tickets! (Facebook folks can get a special deal, so if you want to know about that just ask me.)

This is from last year:

The Met’s Ring Cycle & Wagner’s Dream

07. May 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Opera

Prior to the Ring Cycle you can watch a documentary, Wagner’s Dream, at your local theater on Monday, May 7. Yes. Today.

The complete Ring cycle will be shown in movie theaters beginning May 9. I know it’s at CineMark at Santana Row. You’ll have to check for your own local theater.

May 9 Das Rheingold
May 14 Die Walküre
May 16 Siegfried
May 19 Götterdämmerung

Occult Mystery Film Opera

05. May 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Opera

Hmm. Okay then …

Philip Glass’s opera about Walt Disney is to get its UK premiere at the English National Opera (ENO) next year.

Acclaimed British baritone Christopher Purves has been cast as Disney, while soprano Janis Kelly will play the role of Disney’s studio nurse.

Cloud Atlas writer David Mitchell will see his latest libretto premiere, which features 3D film sequences, at the ENO in 2013.

He has collaborated with Dutch composer Michel van der Aa on Sunken Garden.

The opera is described as an “occult mystery film opera”.

RTWT

Faust Reviews

23. April 2012 · 2 comments · Categories: Opera, Reviews, Videos

I see these so far …

Not For Fun Only
Opera Tattler
San Jose Mercury News

Not For Fun Only even mentioned me and my “insights”. He will probably guess that I am now laughing. ;-)

We’ve now had two of the eight performances. Our next is this Thursday night. Having them spread out always makes it sort of tough on my brain.

But then most everything is tough on my brain!

Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho

10. April 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Opera

Today I go back to work. It’s our first (of two) Opera San José orchestra-only rehearsals for Faust. We arrived home from a seven day vacation on Sunday evening, so it will be quite interesting to see how my mouth and brain deal with a three hour rehearsal. Later in the night (too late, but it was the only time we could get the hall) I have a rehearsal for the Reinecke trio. In between I have two students to teach. I’m going to really have to apply brain power to get through the day after having been off for so long. Ah well … nothing like jumping into it all very quickly!

Here’s a bit of the start of Faust for you:

This is Wonderful!

05. March 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Opera

The Progression of Recitative

A Real Pit

29. February 2012 · 4 comments · Categories: Opera

Yesterday I was telling a student about playing in the pit, and how our instruments get rather dirty sometimes, due to all the dust that accumulates there. She reacted with a surprised look, “I didn’t know you played pit!”

Now some of you might wonder about that. I would, but I know better now. These days there’s a “pit” group in high school marching bands. The “pit” uses players who don’t usually march, like oboes and even, at least at one school a student I had attended, strings. (Ridiculous, if you ask me, but you probably aren’t asking.)

I had to explain what a real orchestra pit is. One might wonder about why I had to explain too. Why is a student unfamiliar with that? Hasn’t the student ever attended anything I play?

No, in fact, most of my students never attend concerts I play. Sad, but true. They are busy, I’ll grant them that, but mostly they have little or no interest in hearing a professional group. I’ve encouraged them. I’ve even, in the past, offered comps to them. Never do they take me up on that. (I’ve given up at this point.) They want to play an instrument, but they don’t want to hear them being played.

I find that incredibly puzzling, and quite distressing as well. I wonder if I’m the only one who has such disinterested students. Am I doing something wrong?

Meanwhile … here are a few photos of the California Theatre that include the orchestra pit, taken by Bob Shomler, put up with his permission (Thanks, Bob!).

This was taken a while ago … I’m not sure which opera was being done. I’m guessing Tosca, perhaps, due to some people I see sitting in certain chairs, but that’s just a guess. (I know it was a while ago because the set up has since changed.)

This is from our latest production, La traviata:

Bel Canto — The Opera

28. February 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Opera, Read Online

Anthony Freud, general director of Lyric Opera of Chicago, today announced details of its new world premiere. Bel Canto, by the gifted young Peruvian composer Jimmy López, with a libretto by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Nilo Cruz, is based on the best-selling novel by Ann Patchett. To premiere in Lyric’s 2015-16 season, the new opera, commissioned as part of Lyric’s Renée Fleming Initiative, will be conducted by Lyric music director Sir Andrew Davis and directed by Stephen Wadsworth.

Both the 2001 book and the new opera are inspired by the Lima Crisis of 1996-97, when members of a revolutionary movement in Peru held hostages at the Japanese ambassador’s house for 126 days (Dec. 17, 1996-April 22, 1997). Central to the story is the fictional famed American soprano Roxanne Coss, who will be portrayed by Australian-born American soprano Danielle de Niese. Like the novel, the opera will explore the tensions and unexpected alliances that develop when a group of culturally disparate strangers – the terrorists and their hostages – are confined in close quarters for months.

RTWT

I read the book when it was popular (and I had a Costco membership so I bought it for very little) and enjoyed it. It’ll be interesting to hear the opera eventually … if it succeeds past its opening, of course.

Traviata

20. February 2012 · Comments Off · Categories: Opera, Ramble

Yesterday was the first time I’d had issues with a solo in Traviata. There was just silence for a note … or was it two? Nothing there. I hate when that happens. I think, though, that it wasn’t as noticeable as I feared, as a good friend said he didn’t notice. (Thanks Mike! That really made me feel better!) Of course conductor, singers and orchestra noticed, and I am most embarrassed when I do an “oops” in front of colleagues, but such is life. (And the hardest thing is that after the performance no one wants to look me in the eye or speak to me!) But I am turning over a new leaf … or at least I’m attempting to do so. I’m letting this go. I had a bad moment. It is over. I will move on. I tell my students to do this all the time. You’d think I’d know how to do it myself by now!

Here’s the ad for the opera:

We have three more shows, and then I move on to Mahler. I really really really really (get the idea?!) need some reeds!

Sometimes Reeds Look Awful …

13. February 2012 · 4 comments · Categories: Opera, Reeds

… and sound okay. Sometimes they look fantastic and even crow great, but don’t work at all. Reeds are a mystery and I don’t care what anyone else says. They are a mystery and that’s that.

For opening night of opera this past Saturday I played on three reeds. La Traviata is a three act opera, but we are doing it slightly differently. We do Act One as is and have an intermission. Then we do Act Two but we don’t get all the way through it before we take our second intermission. We stop right after Alfredo has his little fit about Violetta leaving him. After that intermission we do the remainder of Act Two (now renamed Act Three) and after a short break we do what Verdi called Act Three (unless he, too, had this all done differently and I don’t know about it) and we now call Act Four. Yeah, crazy to try and explain … mostly because I’m not good at explaining things!

So for Act One I used the purple reed on the right that you see below. For the second I used the red (middle) reed. I do the final two acts with the purple reed on the left. All three of those reeds look mighty awful, but they were the ones that worked so there you go. Most important with a reed is response. If it doesn’t respond well, I don’t care how good it sounds. It doesn’t get used. Of course pitch is also important, and finally we do want a reed that has a good sound. I’ve had students use reeds that are just awful when it comes to response but they like them because of their tone. The struggle isn’t worth it. Really. Make sure reads respond!

Sunday I planned on doing the same thing with my reeds, but when I pulled out the pink reed for the second act it had a crack in it. How that happens to me I don’t know. Seems as if I’m the only one who has reeds that just crack all of the sudden. I’m guessing it’s my rotten reed making technique. I pulled out another reed but I only used it when I wasn’t worried about response, since I didn’t quite trust it, so I used Act One guy for the majority of Act TWo.

Reeds. They are a curse, as far as I’m concerned. For the most part, though, I deal (and complain and whine). At least not so far.

Now we have a long break: no opera until Thursday night. I suppose I should work on reeds for the next few days. And maybe practice a bit ‘o Mahler, too! I’m still trying to figure out a reliable fingering for high-high A (you know, the one higher than the “normal” high A). Why would anyone write that for oboe? Ugh!

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