Kill the wabbit..kill the wabbit...

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 07:22:05 GMT

Just joined. How ya'll doin'?

Im putting together audition material and I need an "extended solo from a mass, requiem, oratorio or contata". I have to admit Im not very familiar with this kind of music so I dont even know where to look for options. Any suggestions on material or at least where to look would be great. Im a soprano if that helps.

Thanks guys!!

apt music

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 01:51:38 GMT

I always enjoy it when I recognize an aria in commercials; I wish it happened more often. Today, during a commercial from the Sox-Rays game (rivalry wtf), a Red Bull commercial caught my attention with Papageno's theme song. A cartoon cat was sitting in his armchair, flossing and enjoying a Red Bull. During the cute little ascending xylophone runs, he sprung his whiskers cutely. It was a charming commercial just for that much; it would have left me with a positive impression, even before the ending: the 'camera' panned up, and we see an empty birdcage, suspended on the wall some distance up; the cat has managed to get up there and catch and eat the bird (Red Bull gives you wings).

So the cat caught the bird! With Papageno music! Thanks for that, Red Bull.

O toi, qui prolongeas mes jours

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 03:15:01 GMT

Hello,
I'm trying to help my friend find an English translation of 'O toi, qui prolongeas mes jours' from 'Iphigenie en Tauride' by Gluck. So far I've had no luck and am beginning to wonder if there is one.
If anyone could point me in the right direction then your help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
ACR.

Favorite opera in an "obscure" foreign language

Fri, 02 May 2008 17:08:12 GMT

What is your favorite opera that is NOT in English, German, French, or Italian?

I discovered Rusalka, which is in Czech, about a month ago. It's so beautiful! It's the only opera I've ever listened to that's not in one of the 4 aforementioned languages, though, so I'd like to know what your opinions are, too.

Met Fille

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 02:55:57 GMT

I got a chance to see the dress rehearsal of the new Fille du Regiment at the Met yesterday. It was pure delight; I enthusiastically recommend it. It's being simulcast world-wide this coming weekend; catch it if you can. (The New York run is sold out.)

Juan Diego Florez was phenomenal, and Natalie Dessay will be the defining Marie, in my mind, for the rest of my life.

One of the things that I loved about this production is that it was thoroughly captivating and engrossing, and never a bit stuffy or dull, and that it did so without ever compromising its being an opera. This would be a good production to take opera novices to, I think. The singing is world-class, and the staging is attractive, AND the acting is really of very high quality. (Dessay is hilarious in this role.) This is what opera should be. Easily the best production I've seen this season. Go see it!

Figaro!

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 22:32:05 GMT

Hello opera fanatics

I want to convert a friend into an opera-liker if not -lover and I think the best way to do that would be with a solid comedic opera. I was thinking Marriage of Figaro is a pretty safe bet, probably the most likely to have a stellar production available *somewhere*. What is your favorite DVD-production of Figaro?

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 18:30:35 GMT

I am here to ask for a little help and support. For the last three months or so I have been writing a weekly blog for the Portland Opera. They asked me to do this at a time when I was employed there. My job came to a screeching halt but they asked if I would continue with the blog and I agreed. I really quite enjoy doing it and although I have no pretensions either to being a writer or to expertise in opera I still manage to trot out about a thousand words per week. One of the pleasures for me is that I have seemingly no constraints on what I write about or how I express myself. I do not write reviews of Portland Opera productions; I made them well aware of the difference between a blog and a corporate newsletter. I write trivia, gossip and occasionally some personal anecdote. I try to ensure there is some opera connection – however tenuous it may be.

So, here’s what I am asking. Would you kindly go to the blog page, read this week’s entry (it should be up by Monday afternoon) and perhaps have a glance at one or two of the back entries. Then let me know what you think and make any and all suggestions which you think might improve the finished product. Also let me know if there is any subject you think it would be interesting for me to address. I really would be most grateful!

I have waited until now to post this announcement and request because I wanted to make sure before doing so that I was confident enough in what I am doing to be assured the blog would continue.

Here’s the link: http://www.portlandopera.org/blog/operaman

I am cross-posting this to any community I think may help me.

Tristan und Isolde at the Met Opera

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 21:27:13 GMT

I just heard about this and thought I would share. It's short notice, but I figured this community would love to know this...Make sure you check your time zone!!!
Deborah Voigt and Ben Heppner, originally slated to star in all six performances of Wagner's Tristan und Isolde this season, are scheduled to sing together on Friday night. Illness has prevented them from taking the stage together until this final Tristan of the season, conducted by James Levine. To celebrate their very first full performance together—anywhere—of this epic opera, the Met will stream the performance live on its website.

Visit metopera.com at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 28, to hear Voigt and Heppner live from Met in Tristan und Isolde .

Abandoned Toys

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 20:03:07 GMT

Abandoned Toys makes some of the most beautiful contemporary classical music that I have come across lately. If you like the genre, you should really look into their album, "The witch's garden".

Abandoned toys

uber beginner, go easy!

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 05:31:04 GMT

I've always wanted to train as an opera singer, but sadly I don't know the first thing about beginning with that! I currently live in a pretty remote area, where every vocal coach I've come across impressed me only with their skills to produce mini Britney Spearses with great efficiency, but I'll be moving to Santa Barbara within the next few months. I'm sure there are a few decent places to train there, but I haven't been able to investigate it much. Anyone know anything about that area?

I know very little about music beyond classic rock trivia, so I can't really say much about my range besides that I can keep up with Joni Mitchell pretty well. But whatever givable advise there is out there, I'd be glad to take it off your hands :)

thanks!
bridge

Auditioning for operas

Sat, 09 Feb 2008 19:17:43 GMT

Say I want to audition for my city's opera CHORUS (it puts on 3 shows a year, so I'd be auditioning for all 3). No principal roles, just the chorus. My highest performance note at the moment is the high A, but I might be able to get it up to a high B or C by the time auditions are (May or June). Lowest note is the G below middle C. I'd categorize myself as a lyric soprano, but I could sing mezzo if that's where I was needed. It says it wants a photo and a resume.

First, do I have any chance at all with my current range?

Second, by "trained" do they mean they want people with degrees in music? By that time I'll have had an entire year of voice lessons as well as choir experience and some solo performance experience (a couple of recitals, an entire song as a solo for the choir I'm in, an audition or two, and a volunteer thing I did this weekend). But I have no intention of getting a degree in music.

How bad is it that I can't sight-read?

Lastly, does it hurt that I have no prior experience in musical theatre or opera?

Should I just wait until next year?

(crossposted to singers)

Ads for Pagliacci movies.

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 13:11:12 GMT

The 1931 I pagliacci in Providence in 1934.
A goodly number of movies have been made of Leoncavallo's popular one-act opera, including in the silent era. The first sound-era version has also been said to be first movie ever made of any opera in an actual sung version. It was the 1931 I pagliacci featuring the Naples San Carlo Opera Company. The cast included Fernando Bertini (Canio/Pagliaccio), Alba Novella (Nedda/Colombina), Mario Valle (Tonio/Taddeo), Francesco Curci (Beppe/Arlecchino). I've never been able to see it and am not even sure it survives. To my mind, the finest filmed version was the 1982 one by Franco Zeffirelli, featuring Placido Domingo and Teresa Stratas.

The 1943 version with Beniamino Gigli was also called Laugh, Pagliaccio and was not shown in the USA until after the war.

The 1948 version had Afro Poli, Tito Gobbi, Gina Lollobrigida dubbed by Onelia Fineschi. Released as Love of a Clown.

Anna Netrebko news!

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 23:58:07 GMT

Anna Netrebko announces her pregnancy

Anna Netrebko says it is a high note of another kind: She is pregnant and she's getting married.

The 36-year-old star soprano and her fiance, Uruguayan baritone Erwin Schrott, are expecting a child this autumn, Netrebko's management company said Monday.

I say good for her!

Opera Icons

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 14:06:01 GMT

Because I was tired of not having any when I wanted them.

1		2		3		4
5		6		7		8

I got the icon table generator here. It's ridiculously easy to use.

Sat, 19 Jan 2008 16:27:44 GMT

Lowbrow newbie on the loose! Could anyone recommend a recording of Strauss's Wiener Blut?

Looking for a complete recording - or grosse Querschnitte - in German on CD. The only ones I have found floating about seem to be what I think of as "historical" recordings - I'd rather have something modern. I have a Wiener Volksoper compilation CD with a couple of tracks from the operetta sung by Reinthaller, Gratschmaier, and Schüttengruber which I love to bits but sadly, short of kidnapping the cast on my next visit, I cannot obtain a complete recording with that lot. Does anyone have any recommendations? I considered the René Kollo directed by Anton Paulik (Philips series on CD), since Kollo is always good value, but you invariably get him as a job lot with Dagmar Koller, quelle horreur!

Danke vielmals im vorraus! Erm

Tosca

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 21:42:15 GMT

Does anyone know any interesting trivia about Tosca? I'm writing an article about it for my university paper and want some fun facts about it. Thanks!

New to LJ - LOVE Opera

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 21:13:37 GMT

Hello All -

Just wanted to introduce myself. I'm new to the LJ world and joined with the encouragement of my fiance fuzzinit. I've been a subscriber to the Seattle Opera now for 15 years - my mother and uncle are on their 40th years as ticket subscribers. Anyways, Saturday evening is our next adventure in Opera with Leoncavallo's Pagliacci. Should be a good one...we'll see. Not sure if any of you are from Seattle...but sometimes they hit it dead on and produce an amazing opera...other times, just dudsville, but I'm sure it's like that everywhere. :) I've only been to the Met once, saw Strauss' Elektra, and it was amazing. It's my intention to try and hit an opera in any city I visit that has an opera house.

Well - just wanted to say hello and meet some new opera loving friends.

Hope you all have a wonderful day!

Cheers!

Opera at the movies again-Macbeth

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 01:58:36 GMT

Opera at the movies again today courtesy of the Met broadcast, and it was great!

First of all, I must register my typical complaint about the Met's sometimes awful costume choices. Today was no exception; the witches came out dressed in 1950's housewife outfits (cats eye glasses, strappy high heels with ankle socks, fake pearls, mini skirts, you name it), with makeup smeared all over their faces (why? why? why?), and did a weird little dance with handbags to kick things off.

OK, the first witches chorus is admittedly rather cheerful for a pack of witches to sing, but for cripes sake, they looked like the chorus from the Pajama Game who had apparently been drinking between the matinee and evening show. O.o

I'm not against modern costuming for opera either, I liked most of the rest of it, but that was just a bad choice.

Anyway. Željko Lucic is new to me, I've never heard him before. He has a fine voice and sings this part really very well and almost effortlessly. However, he needs to take some acting lessons, as he had one facial expression for the entire performance-that of Tormented Soul. Admittedly, Macbeth is a tortured soul, but he certainly warrants more expressions than THAT. However, he was very good. I think he could have been better dressed too, the plastic crown was bad, and the outfit he wore to kill King Duncan looked like something my dad might wear.

Maria Guleghina blew me away, no word of a lie. She had been rather badly panned for her performance as something...Vitellia or Abigaille, can't remember, a couple of years ago, but as Lady Macbeth she just radiated excellence. She sings particularly well at piano level, sort of like Monserrat Caballe, but unlike Caballe she doesn't always go that way and can let out a hell of a yell when called for too. She has a warm spiciness to her voice that reminds me a bit of Zinka Milanov, although she also has some bad diction habits like Milanov too; a bad habit of rolling her Rs too much. I didn't care, though, La Luce Langue positively gave me the shivers. She has a graceful, confiding quality that makes her appealing in Macbeth. She made this opera great today. I'm a fan.

(Also, have you noticed that the HD broadcasts have been fairly heavy on cleavage this year? I'm sure her bralessness in the last scene perked up a tired man or two. Holy cow. However, I enjoyed looking at Banquo's handsome bald assassin myself too, I will add. ;)

John Relyea was great as Banquo too. Actually, everyone was pretty good, although my husband thinks the guys are a little paltry and wonders if Relyea is the only bass the Met employs. The set was good, and the director dude whose name I forget did a great job aside from the witches. I enjoyed it.

Who is that odd-looking short man in the chorus who sings practically without opening his mouth?

Also, thanks for not having Renee Fleming host this one; she has stepped solidly into the place vacated by Beverly Sills, and is no less annoying in some ways. I love her singing, but I find the little intermission chats annoying when she does them.

Finally, stop filming the conductor between acts. I don't need to see Jimmy Levine yanking at his pants, kthx.

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 17:56:23 GMT

Hey, all! I just started a new forum for my favorite singer, Renee Fleming. It's called "La Diva Renee" but it's not strictly Renee discussion. It's pretty much a bunch of everything...opera, broadway, TV, and whatever else anyone wants to talk about. I'd love for anyone to join cuz I currently have like 2 members lol. And I'm still working on a banner so for now it just says "invision free". Here's the link:

"La Diva Renee"

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 23:28:05 GMT

Which version of "Ombra mai fu" from Handel's Xerxes do you prefer?

David Daniels

Dmitri Hvorostovsky

Die Zauberflöte

Sun, 16 Dec 2007 22:07:46 GMT

I've been looking around for a good DVD recording of the Magic Flute to get as a Christmas present, and amazon.com has a... large selection. Needless to say, I need the advice of more knowledgeable people. Does anyone here know which recording has the best performers, choreography, and good (but not overdone) camera work?

The wide selection of renditions out there

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 23:45:33 GMT

Today I did the Met at the Movies thing and got to see Romeo et Juliette, with Roberto Alagna and Anna Netrebko, conducted by Placido Domingo.

I don't know what I think of Domingo the conductor; I am not a good judge of such things. He seems more mellow than others and is probably a singer's conductor and not a disciplinarian or anything, but it wasn't awful, just sort of blah.

I think Alagna is a wonderful singer, I really do, I know he was not well received in Italy in Aida, but I don't care, he was a joy to hear today. Romeo is a very good role for him. He was unfortunately, however, poorly costumed-if you are going to put a man into tight-fitting pants, plz to give him a jacket or something that covers his bits because it's rather distracting and silly-looking, and the powder blue made it worse, complete with matching boots. I sometimes find the Met really bombs in costuming, two years ago it looked like Dolora Zajick had just gotten off the dinner shift as a serving wench at the Medieval Times dinner theater and ran right to the Met and just slapped a beaded wig on her head on the way in to be Amneris. But I digress. He still looked like a young suitor and that was good-they are nice looking together.

Anna's voice broke in the opening scene (eep!) but she made up for it, hey it happens. Juliette sits a little too high for her comfort (which she admits to in the interview) but is a good part for her just the same. She's spunky and energetic and it suits this part as a young girl. The first act aria, the Je veux vivre, wasn't really good, but the rest of it was completely enjoyable. The chemistry between these two made the whole thing work.

Nathan Gunn as Mercutio was a wonderful surprise, he's been sort of written off as not much, but came to animated life in this part and bounced around the stage. Isabel Leonard as the page was also a very good performance

ZOMGWTFBBQ!!!!1! WHY?!?!1

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 15:01:28 GMT

I just found a video of Michael Bolton singing Celeste Aida.

I am absolutely at a loss for words.
I'm still recovering from the initial shock.
...it might be a while....just.....watch....

X-posted

Prefered version of "Ombra mai fu"
	David Daniels
	Dmitri Hvorostovsky

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