In review: Fidelio & other first operas

Editorial

Yet it's a fascinating, almost humanizing thing, to hear Beethoven struggle with how to really write for the voice. It's a bit like listening to Verdi's Stiffelio, which was written after Nabucco and Macbeth and Ernani, but before Rigoletto and La traviata; one couldn't argue with Verdi's skills as a composer, but even he, the opera expert, found his slow and steady way to effortless vocal writing.

In review: #COCFlute sparkles

Review

The second act drops us fully into their world as we follow Tamino, Papageno, and later Pamina through their trials to join Sarastro's order, the union of male and female being pivotal to the outcome. The only thing I missed in this concept was the closing of the metatheatrical envelope. Once the second act started, we never saw the concept established in the first act return to complete the idea.

Who's afraid of the aging singer?

Interview

"In later career, there is much less forgiveness for a less than standard performance, whether it is loss in vocal function, beauty, tone quality or whatever, there is much less margin for error. As a young singer, you are perceived as fresh and new, so companies are willing to give you more chances. It is much more challenging to maintain a career as you age than it is to begin. Companies will often hear younger singers in audition again and again, while they often dismiss older artists."

Prove you're an opera buff at the COC's Opera Trivia

News

Opera Trivia is part of the COC's ongoing Opera Insights programs, which offer conversations and events to enhance your opera-going experience at the Four Seasons Centre. Bring your friends, show off your impressive niche intellect, and learn some new fascinating opera factoids. All the programs, including Opera Trivia, are free to attend, but it's highly recommended to register online.

Talking with singers: Rena Harms

Interview

"The first time I saw Madama Butterfly I actually found Cio-Cio San to be a hard pill to swallow. She can come across very weak and silly if one is not careful in her portrayal. Without her own drive and motivation she seems doomed from the start and her plight becomes uninteresting. I think it is important to relate to the audience that it is her inner strength that drives her to make life-changing decisions."

2017 Various Stages Festival presents: In a Grove

Interview

"We hope listeners will take away a sense of the tone of the piece, and a glimpse of what we intend to with it as a whole. Even though we will be somewhat limited in how much we can do spatially at Various Stages to give a sense of the immersive nature of the opera, we hope the audience will have a taste of what’s to come: a powerfully unsettling, haunting experience designed to be both confounding and crystalline, disjunctive yet deeply emotional."

4 awesome rage arias that aren't the Queen of the Night

Humour

The best thing about opera is that it takes any human emotion, and blows it up to huge proportions. There's really no such thing as "mildly happy" or "somewhat down" in opera; even an explosive emotion like anger is amplified. With so many anger-inducing headlines on our news feeds lately, some catharsis seemed appropriate.

The 2017 Various Stages Festival presents: Mu'a

Interview

"I have always been fascinated by the magic of water puppetry, its deep roots in Vietnamese culture but at the same time from a different era. I am keen to see what will come out of this encounter between an ancient artform and a group of artists anchored in our XXIst century. This process will be the chance to connect those dots and hopefully shake our conception of what is considered as 'traditional' versus 'contemporary'."

Stephen Bell: singer by night, Coffeeshop Creative by day

Interview

"Today more than ever, it is crucial to have as many skills as possible. How can you finance that call-back tour of auditions in NYC if you aren't working? Want to go and take a 2-week intensive program abroad? Yep, you need cash. That "day job" or second career can allow you have the opportunity of pursuing a career in the arts. In web design, I have found another passion to present my skills as an artist, and I love it!"

Bel canto indeed: "Dare Voce"

Interview

"We wanted to make a Songbook, a series of songs within the tradition of the Italian 'bel canto', but using a range of contemporary sounds at our disposal, for example, the electric and electronic. If you think about it, opera was once a part of popular culture... in Italy you can still go to the markets and find someone calling out with a Puccini tune!"