Enigma Opera’s Curlew River a transcendent experience

Review

I chose my words very carefully when I call this Curlew River a transcendent experience: I am afraid I cannot fully explain the power that this particular production had and why it had that power, but I remember leaving the Cathedral Church of St. Paul feeling somewhat transformed by the experience.

Installation La traviata intimate and effective production

Review

La traviata hosts what is probably opera's most well-beloved idiot plot: all of the characters make some fairly idiotic choices for the plot to progress as it does, and some characters can really come off as extremely unlikable as a result.

Les Délices presents Song of Orpheus: The Music Speaks For Itself

Review

The music is beautiful and speaks for itself. French Baroque rarities by Rameau, Dandrieu and Courbois dance with subdued, exuberant and often tremulous elegance around the legend of Orpheus and Eurydice.

Stephanie Blythe: "I can't help but try to connect with people."

Interview

"I've been singing Handel and Rossini and Wagner and Verdi and Schubert and Brahms my whole career. What's the difference if I'm doing that or doing Irving Berlin and Cole Porter and Johnny Mercer and Barry Manilow? It's all music and it’s all just different styles and I enjoy singing them all."

The opera buffa Seinfeld episode

Humour

The whole episode is an opera, guys! The barber thing, the memorable music from The Barber of Seville, it's all very self-aware. It's even got the Rossini-style comedy devices: people hiding in closets, slapstick scenes involving Newman — Don Basilio, maybe?

A subtle burn: Garden of Vanished Pleasures

Review

Garden of Vanished Pleasures is available to stream through October 10, and you should watch before it's gone. I'd say this is one of the more mature, well-produced digital items I've seen, and I'm not really surprised that it comes out of Soundstreams.

BLO Cavalleria a welcome, if not triumphant, return

Review

I think the night, strangely, was best summed up by the opening act: BLO elected to open the evening with the prologue from Cavalleria's much-beloved double-bill partner, I Pagliacci, with Arrey singing Tonio's line.

Calgary Opera names Jonathan Brandani new Artistic Director

Interview

The Italian-born conductor led Calgary Opera production of La bohème in 2019.

Wilson shines in the COC's digital fall opener

Review

Wilson may be my new favourite interpreter of Wagner. Her Isolde did things to me, made me stop and zone in. Wilson always impresses me in her attention to detail; it's very clear that in the practice room, she has given attention to each note she sings.

Before it's gone: gems out of Opera Theatre of St. Louis

Review

The Tongue & The Lash features some of the night's best singing. Markel Reed as Baldwin orates with a steely baritone that comes with some bite; tenor Jonathan Johnson exudes an easy power that's slightly unnerving — even a bit colonialist — in his portrayal of Buckley, fan of racial segregation.