A diction lesson: French Canadian swearing

Op-ed

Words like tabarnak, câlisse, criss, simonaque, ciboire, calvaire, viarge and esti are nouns, so they generally require a "de" after them when they are used to describe something. A few of them were used as adjectives on a few occasions, which sounds off to a native speaker. For example, you can't say "that tabarnak chair". A connector word is missing: "that tabarnak de chair", "cette tabarnak de chaise". It's like saying "that f*ck chair", it just doesn't work, it has to be "f*cking" for it to make grammatical sense.

Aria guides: "Schweig! damit dich Niemand warnt"

Editorial

Der Freischütz is an action-packed story about girls, guns, and selling one's soul to the devil. Caspar is a man who owes his soul to the devil, and when he sings "Schweig! damit dich Niemand warnt," he plans to substitute Max's soul instead of his own. Caspar's aria is a schizophrenic rambling of a desperate man, and Weber's score is packed with traps that cost you breath and beauty of sound, and it's an aria that takes patience and time with your teachers and coaches.

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News

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In review: Manon Lescaut at ROH

Review

There are 21st-century women who are pressured by their parents into a life they don't choose, yet being sent to a convent is arguably more period-specific. Rich people get to enjoy private entertainment; yet a troupe of minstrels showing up in someone's bedroom is of another time. And while there's a theatrical trope of a chorus who comments on the actions of a main character, it's harder to believe a hoarde of people at a casino have turned their attention away from gambling, to Manon's outsmarting of her would-be abductors.

Don't miss: yoga & mindfulness for singers

Op-ed

On December 15th, opera singers will come together for a yoga and meditation practice specifically designed for their profession. We are Opera Yogis Madison Arsenault and Danielle Simpson, and we have designed a 2-hour workshop for singers who want to carry the benefits of yoga into their singing.

Teddy Roosevelt, the Chicago Cubs, & operas by women at the Met

Humour

On the one hand, this is great news. There are indeed operas - and good ones - written by women, and Saariaho's mesmerizing tale of 12th-century troubadour Jaufré Rudel is one of them. On the other hand, it's fairly stunning that after Der Wald, there was a 113-year wait for the Met (the Met, for goodness' sake!) to stage a second opera by a woman composer.

From tenor to mezzo: one singer's path through gender transition

Editorial

"I was a very high tenor," she says, even recalling many conversations with her mentors and peers about pursuing a career as a countertenor. On a daily basis, Sinclairé "always had this debate with myself" about how to train her voice; though not an easy decision to make, there was at least one simple truth to the matter: "I never felt comfortable playing tenor roles."

The real value of summer programs

Editorial

Your colleagues are not competition. Along with you, the motivated young artist, the singers and pianists that are learning beside you are the ones who, in a handful of years, will become founders of opera companies and concert series; they'll become assistant conductors and directors, and they may eventually end up in a position to hire someone like you.

Loose TEA raises funds for radical new vision of Bizet's Carmen

Review

Viau's new take on the story has John already married to Michaela who comes and pleads for his return home for the sake of their kids, as opposed to his mother in the original. Ricardo is an investment banker ready to support Carmen in her dream of opening her own watering hole in exchange for her feminine charms. John is infatuated with Carmen, as she treats him like he's still a human being - something he doesn't recognize in others after two violent turns in Afghanistan.

Two emerging singers to make their Carnegie Hall debut in 2017

News

For their Carnegie debuts, Dickerson and Kalender will be joined by world-renowned pianist and conductor, Warren Jones. Kalender first met Jones at the Music Academy of the West in 2014; "I performed in a number of projects and he was my main mentor throughout the summer festival," says Kalender. "Our work together for opera scenes, art song and chamber music inspired me in so many ways, and I am delighted to collaborate with this amazing maestro at Carnegie Hall."