Vibrato: all the reasons why

How-to

There are a few instances where singers can really use this vibrato-as-litmus-test phenomenon. The examples are likely endless, but we've narrowed down a few sections from beloved arias, where attention to vibrato can keep the singing easy, and the singer honest.

Opera haters: they exist, & that's alright

Humour

Sure, it's disheartening, a bit maddening, and confusing, to stumble across someone who just really doesn't like opera. We want to challenge their opposition, ask them if they've ever been to an opera, heard anyone sing it besides Katherine Jenkins or Andrea Bocelli. The truth is, they may have heard the best of the best singing Verdi, Wagner, and Mozart, and they still hate opera.

Worthy campaigns: A Silent Night

News

Brancy and Dugan premiered A Silent Night at the Kennedy Center, and their subsequent recital tour has included their debut with Carnegie Hall Presents. The duo now wish to record A Silent Night, and they have launched an Indiegogo campaign to help the project. Tax-deductible donations will fund album production and post-production, artwork design, marketing, and other costs.

New teams, new operas: Bicycle Opera + Toy Piano Composers

Interview

Bicycle Opera and Toy Piano Composers will premiere Travelogue, a new collection of operas by composers Monica Pearce, Elisha Denburg, August Murphy-King, Tobin Stokes, and librettist Colleen Murphy. Travelogue is exciting in itself, and it's part of Toy Piano Composer's inaugural new music festival, Curiosity Festival, happening April 1-9th (find out all about it right here).

In review: The Devil Inside

Review

Oh yeah, and like all good wish-based fairy tales, there's a caveat. If you die in possession of this bottle, your soul is damned to hell for all time; if you sell it, you must sell it for less than you paid for it. Two hours and a bunch of bad decisions later, we find the characters in a very interesting predicament. I won't spoil the show for you, but trust me, it's gooooooooood!

This weekend: Chelsea Moor Castle

News

Toronto-area fans of Gilbert and/or Sullivan are in luck this weekend. The North Toronto Players present Chelsea Moor Castle (or the Contract to Marry), a mash-up of music from HMS Pinafore, Pirates of Penzance, Iolanthe, The Mikado, The Gondoliers, Ruddigore and more, by Michael Harms and Barb Scheffler.

Talking with singers: Luca Pisaroni

Interview

Pisaroni is quick to note that, "all operas are difficult to cast." Still, the coloratura bass-baritone Maometto is a notable departure from Rossini's fast-moving mezzos and tenors. "I could lie to you and say 'oh yeah, I love it, it's easy'," he laughs. "It's very difficult because it requires everything from you. There are low notes, high notes, coloratura, long phrases, legato, it's really challenging, all of it."

"Hello, Papagena!"

Humour

That's right. Stuart the Minion spots a fine-looking yellow fire hydrant in New York City, and he uses his best pick-up line, best translated as, "Hello, Papagena! You're beautiful like a papaya."

Creators in Concert: Jake Heggie

News

Heggie will take the piano, along with soprano Talise Trevigne, mezzo Elise Quagliata, tenor Stephen Costello and baritone Joseph Lattanzi. The four singers have been involved in the workshopping and performance history of Heggie's works, and with the in-demand American composer, they'll perform selections from Moby-Dick, Dead Man Walking, Three Decembers and more.

In review: Strauss & Brahms at the Barbican

Review

It's a piece that contains within it all that's needed to pack a punch; Brahms can get a reputation for being un-fun, and less imaginative than some of his contemporaries (like Strauss and Wagner), yet there was always something respectful about his music-first approach to telling a story. The City of London Choir and the Philharmonic Orchestra delivered thrilling waves of sound in those fantastic moments of "Denn alles Fleisch...", and the soloists rang through the Hall like encouraging cries from a mass of bodies.