Sexy operas: The Tale of Januarie

Review

It has all the stuff of classic storytelling: an old man marries a young blonde girl, a young man is lovesick over that same blonde girl, and the whole story is fuelled by sex. In fact, Priapus himself (played by Carl Stone) sets quite the tone indeed, introducing the story with a penile hat atop his head, a wheelbarrow in front of him to carry the weight of his four-foot-long penis.

Don't miss: Soundstreams presents Odditorium

News

Amente-Nufe, Crown of Ariadne, Tantrika, and La testa d'Adriana are the four selections from R. Murray Schafer's 12-piece musical/theatrical cycle, Patria, which will be presented in a newly-realized performance directed by Chris Abraham, with music direction by the contemporary musical guru himself, Dr. John Hess.

Wanted: your opera schwag wish-list

Editorial

You probably already love our t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, and doggie gear - but what else do your operaphilic hearts desire? Tote bags? Baseball caps? Phone cases? Posters? Maybe you want more colours to choose from, or you've got a great idea for a new design. Do you want to see your favourite opera reference, immortalized in material goods?

Schoenberg/Bach & other unlikely pairs: AtG Theatre heads to TIFF

Interview

"This past week, we were able to have an open, pop-up rehearsal in the atrium of TIFF Bell Lightbox. To see a new and engaged audience stop by and listen to both pianist Topher Mokrzewski and soprano Adanya Dunn rehearse is what makes this collaboration so special. It's been really great to work with a partner that is open to creating intersectional performances like this, who wants to activate their building into a site for film, art, and music."

Opera Philadelphia puts the Met's 2017/18 season to shame

Editorial

It's a little bit like looking for a place to grab dinner when you're a tourist in a new city. The Met's season is like eating in Times Square, or along the Ramblas in Barcelona, or in Leicester Square in London, where the wait staff stand outside their restaurants, shoving their photo-laden menus in your face as you walk by; Opera Philadelphia's season is like the better food, better prices, and better atmosphere in the restaurants found along the quiet streets adjacent to the tourist traps.

6 new works presented at Various Stages 2017

Editorial

What was fascinating was hearing the questions that the creators of the works posed to the listeners. They offered their own inspiration for artistic choices, wondering if their intended affect made its way to the audience. Perhaps it's a good test to run works-in-process by an audience of industry folks and critics; if an opera can impress them, they're likely in good shape for general audiences.

In review: Songbook VII at Tapestry Opera

Review

For the last few years, one of my favourite events is the Songbook series presented by Tapestry Opera. It's one of my favourite events because it's something I believe we should see more of here in Toronto. As Artistic Director Michael Mori pointed out in his preamble speech, the unfortunate thing that often happens in Canada with new works is that they only get heard once.

Talking with singers: Alessandro Fisher

Interview

"This is my first project with them, however I've been wanting to work with them for ages because I've not only loved their productions and recordings, but have also only ever heard positive things about the rehearsal and production process. It’s all very well putting on a beautiful piece of music, but the atmosphere that is created in the rehearsal room is absolutely crucial in developing a positive, friendly working environment."

At arm's length: Goerne & Hinterhäuser in recital

Review

Not only did Hinterhäuser make for an uncomfortable start to a recital, but he seemed to behave it poor, selfish taste. Goerne seemed prepared to continue singing, even if Hinterhäuser needed to scramble to save the missed page-turn; yet this pianist decided to stop the whole thing entirely, draw attention to the human error that may have happened beside him, and force Goerne to restart.

In review: An Evening with the Ensemble Studio

Review

With the incredible COC Orchestra on stage surrounded by the set of their current production of Mozart's The Magic Flute, the night opened with the overture and first five scenes of Mozart's La finta giardiniera, then the stunning Norma/Adalgisa duet scene from Norma. After intermission they closed out the night with the final string of scenes from Handel's Ariodante.