Natalie Dessay: "opera is an art which has not been able to renew."

Editorial

Frankly, there are either examples of forward-looking operas, or there aren't. It's strange that Dessay dismisses the works of two of the great opera composers of the 20th and 21st centuries, as though their rarity makes them invalid. On top of the big names like Adams and Adès, a fair peruse of what's happening in places like Minnesota Opera, Opera Philadelphia, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Houston Grand Opera can easily dispel the "rare" myth.

In review: Chris Thile at Wigmore Hall

Review

The virtuosity of his mandolin playing reminded us of the pristine coloratura of singers like Marilyn Horne or Joan Sutherland - every note is perfect, and every note has purpose. We hear every note in its exact place, and even as Thile was playing in just one voice, we heard how the harmony progressed.

Talking with singers: Matthew Polenzani

Interview

"If you're going through a divorce, or there's been a death in the family, or your children are misbehaving, or whatever it is, that stuff can be difficult on a voice." Polenzani has watched his own colleagues go through tough times in their offstage lives, and the personal costs are certainly audible in a singer's voice. "On the other hand, I also know singers who have been through divorce who are singing better afterwards, because the stress of a failing marriage was difficult on their voices."

Poor decisions & professional consequences

Editorial

There's something to be said for adding personal comportment to the long list of must-haves within the competitive industry of opera; with so many great singers vying for coveted professional spots, why give the gigs to the man who drinks so much that he smashes peoples' heads against toilet bowls?

Why opera fans love to name-drop

Editorial

Basically, if we were to tell you that Terrence Malick has made a new Netflix miniseries starring Meryl Streep and John C. Reilly, and that it was written by JJ Abrams, and that it features cameos by Alan Rickman, Uzo Aduba, and (maybe?) Stan Lee, you'd go see it, right?

Talking with singers: Saimir Pirgu

Interview

Though the risks are low in practicing one's craft within school or young artist productions, Pirgu feels that the benefits are equally low. "From nothing, comes nothing," he says. "That's what I learned in those years. I did things when I was not supposed to do it." In a way, he misses the carefree approach he had towards singing in these early years. "It was beautiful. Just go straight away and sing. Now, I think too much."

In review: The First Commandment

Review

"Flaws" like an overly thick orchestration, or a vocal tessitura that is relentless and awkward, are what thrill the lovers of music history; it's indicative of just how much of a genius Mozart was, that moments of orchestra imbalance or slightly less organic melodies - largely harmless in the big picture - seem the "rudimentary" product of 11 year-old Wolfgang.

In review: Daniels & Katz at Wigmore Hall

Review

With a career that started twenty-five years ago, singing entirely different from our patriarchs of Alfred Deller and James Bowman, Daniels is responsible for growing what was once a niched zoo animal of a fach into one to stand up with the rest of them. In doing so, he has set the bar extremely high for countertenors, to a standard to which he continues to hold himself.

"Kinder schafft neues": Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg

Review

Die Meistersinger is a story about tradition, and whether or not it's good for anything; it exposes how people treat tradesman differently from artists, and the contempt that makers of "high art" can have for the opinions of the general public. Holten's production seems to shine extra light on the tradition of using women as prizes, even complicating the matter with an Eva Pogner who doesn't even get the chance to manipulate the system to her own advantage.

Talking with singers: Chen Reiss

Interview

"It is very important to leave a few weeks a year free from work so that I can truly rest, recharge and miss the stage. Saying NO to certain offers is not easy but sometimes necessary. I realized it during my maternity leave, in which I did not sing a tone for 6 months!! I did not even sing in the bath. It was wonderful but even more wonderful was coming back to the audience, to the theater, to the orchestras, I was so fresh and enthusiastic."