In review: Rigoletto at ENO

Review

The night truly went to Sydney Mancasola, in her company debut as Gilda. Her first sounds were clear as a bell, like a sorbet to Rigoletto's dark and murky world. Her singing was polished and thoughtful, with a stunning bloom at the top of her range. Frustrating as Gilda may be - though she comes by her innocence honestly - Mancasola sang with an earnest sound that reminded us of her youth and sheltered existence.

Talking with singers: Angela Gheorghiu

Interview

"Often colleagues are scared to say "no", they fear that they would no longer be invited any more. Everyone wants to be able to sing a lot. Sometimes singers want everything, too fast and too soon. Nobody really constructs a real career, a personality which may, in the future, fill the concert halls and theatres. Many colleagues have difficulties and concerns with modern productions, but once again, no-one has the courage to refuse to perform on this basis."

Summer programs, & when it's time to stop attending them

Editorial

Pay-to-sing programs like the Centre for Opera Studies in Italy (COSI) have a lot to offer, and there are certainly less wise ways to spend hard-earned cash. But how does a young singer know when attending these kinds of summer programs starts to do them professional harm?

Tarrare the Freak: "I just want to be full."

Review

Why, in the time of CGI and robots, do puppets still retain their magic? The simple answer lies in the puppetry skills of Poster and Nakamura, who pushed their audience to laughter and disgust and pity. Yet the secret seems to lie in the transparency of the art form. The puppeteers were always visible; every set change was done nakedly, the audience in on all the tricks. Instead of spoiling the illusion, it added a second layer of wonder.

A FAQ checklist for opera newbies

Editorial

One word of advice: if you spend the opera wondering how long it's going to be, that opera will certainly feel pretty long. Bring a bottle of water, accept that most operas are a bit longer than the average movie, and let yourself get sucked in.

Cloisters and clowns: SOPAC's inaugural double-bill

Interview

"It's a pair that, as far as we were able to find, had never been a pair before, and we've surrounded ourselves with the juxtaposed idea of the beauty and the beast 'out of the box' idea behind this double bill. We were also fascinated with the idea that neither production has been done frequently in Ottawa - they are a bit off the beaten path."

Don't miss: Haus Musik

News

"Adventure ensues as we experience the world around us for the first time through the eyes of the recently awoken Leeka, a curious and vivacious young woman from a galaxy far away."

Opera composers we just don't like, okay?

Maybe it's unfair to accuse a pioneer of made-for-TV opera of being super-duper cheesy. But among English-language opera in the 20th century, Gian Carlo Menotti seems to be the poor man's Britten/Adams/Barber (#zing, right?).

Pianists: where's the fire?

How-to

It can be extremely humbling for a trained pianist to discover just how hard it is to stay with a conductor. It may seem unfair - shouldn't a conductor be a living, breathing version of a metronome, after all? In some cases, that's true; Philip Glass' music works well when a tempo is set and maintained, but we guarantee you wouldn't want to hear your Puccini at an unwavering 108 clicks a minute.

In review: Tim Mead & James Baillieu in recital

Review

Mead's sound is truly impeccable. When he sings, it's as if he's insistently speaking, listening to the impact of his words. He listened, too, to Baillieu at the piano. Baillieu, with his warm sound and enpathetic ear, is one of our favourite pianists these days. Baillieu has a knack for creating a soloistic phrase out of a singer's intent; he follows, without losing his autonomy.