Undergrad degrees & why you'll use that theory class after all

Editorial

It's true that "school", whatever that means to you, isn't for everyone. No formalized system of learning will fit all, and musicians perhaps have an advantage when it comes to examples of successful rebels of the education system. That's different than deeming a university course "not practical" or "pointless". It's a funny, bold thing to decide that you know that much about the topic, before finishing the course. Simply put, you don't know what you don't know.

Still stunning: Written on Skin

Review

As one hopes, there were new layers uncovered with our second hearing of Written on Skin. Martin Crimp's libretto juxtaposes a story set in the 12th century, where a woman feels stifled in her marriage, and a man responds with a tightened grip on his wife, with images of the 21st century. Car-parks, airports, and concrete buildings pull against everything we know about Agnès: a woman married at 14, never taught to read or write, with a husband that confidently and explicitly declares her his property.

In review: Boris Godunov

Review

Richard Jones makes much of this incessant guilt, exaggerating the unjustness of Boris' actions with childish images of colourful spinning tops and a cherub-like mask on the silent Dmitry. Jones carries the image through the final tableau, driving home the sacrifices of the young and innocent, when men seek political power.

True stories: the critic who loves opera even more now

Op-ed

Maybe it's the concept of the critic, or maybe it's the notebook itself, that can evoke suspicion. The notebook is open to record all the mistakes, and while the critic is scribbling in the dark, magic is happening onstage and they're missing it. It's not just a myth; these things happen, and critics can be relentlessly harsh, to the point where one wonders why they keep going to the opera, if they dislike everything they see.

Delightfully creepy: Mahogany Opera Group's The Rattler

Editorial

The Rattler is terrifying, in a way that would make the Brothers Grimm proud. The Rattler himself is a puppet, a confusing and repulsive thing that calls to mind Egyptian mummies, Disney's The Skeleton Dance, and the big hyena scene from The Lion King. Singers double as puppeteers, their Rattler-work resulting in hysterical shrieks from the young audience. Martin Riley adapts the story into a libretto, and Stephen Deazley's music covers everything from plaintive folk songs to familiar jigs; as any good show should be, the music is catchy yet smart, singer-friendly yet arguably not easy.

Opera's survival: tightened belts & callous questions

Op-ed

All of this is nearing an uncomfortable suggestion. We ask, honestly and without further insinuations: when was the last time that the chorus, or the orchestra, was the most memorable element of an opera?

Boys who are girls who love girls that are boys, or, Handel's Alcina

Review

The stage was filled with some amazing talent to watch. All the singers did a remarkable job keeping up with Taurins's spritely, yet well-informed tempi, while there were some hallmarks of the "student production" it's definitely one of the better ones I've seen - not just at GGS, but overall.

In review: ENO's The Magic Flute

Review

Of course, the use of foley artists is novel in opera, yet it wasn't just the novelty that drew us in to McBurney's world. It was completely delightful to use the "guts" of the theatre to unashamedly tell this story; *Flute* is a piece that resists against specific places and times, and its impact is weakened when a director attempts to focus on the libretto's life lessons, at the expense of the silliness. With set designer Michael Levine, McBurney struck a beautiful balance of respect for Mozart, and comfortable inclusivity.

So, about that Stephen Hawking opera...

News

In 2010, it was announced that the Metropolitan Opera would commission an operatic adaptation of Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time. Sounds cool, right? Osvaldo Golijov was set to write music for black holes and Big Bangs, and Argentine-Canadian author Alberto Manguel would write the libretto. The premiere production would be directed by Robert Lepage.

Talking with singers: Meghan Lindsay

Interview

"To me, the most rewarding thing about a singing career is the relationships you form. I love the fact that music is another language that we can explore and play with. I really enjoy practicing and find that part of the process very gratifying. There's something very meditative in doing something every day and knowing that each day, there are going to be different challenges and changes to my situation, in my voice, in my interactions."