Talking with singers: Peter McGillivray

Interview

"I came to opera a little bit later," says McGillivray, who studied English, history, and Political Science before turning his attention to singing. "I think it was helpful for me to have to make the conscious decision to study this, because in the end you do decide that it's the only thing you can do."

Knoxville Opera, poor diction, and prerogative

Op-ed

There are assumptions being made about the phrase, "age appropriate, attractive artists," the first of which is that it's synonymous with saying, "no ugly, old singers allowed." Age appropriate can mean not too old to pass for a character in La bohème (including Benoit, I figure), or not too young to sing Rodolfo right to the end. "Attractive" could mean a lot of things, but Knoxville Opera didn't specify what; they also didn't say that they were planning to prioritize physical attractiveness over vocal.

Schwag: the Schmopera Store

News

Although it's a labour of love, operating a blog like this is no small feat. That's why, instead of cluttering your experience with ads, we've opted instead to open the Schmopera Store, where you can shop for unique opera-centric apparel. Our T-shirts and hoodies are designed by the Schmopera team, from one set of opera nerds to another.

The performing arts, in 360˚

News

With the Google Cultural Institute, you can listen to the dress rehearsal for Lohengrin at Fundação Theatro Municipal de São Paulo, or watch Yannick Nézet-Séguin conduct the Philadelphia Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, or basically stand onstage for a rehearsal of Gregory Doran's Henry V at The Royal Shakespeare Company. Multiple 360˚ cameras are placed in the space, sitting you right among the woodwinds, or centre stage among the sets.

Pocket Concerts: chamber music, up close

Interview

Pocket Concerts is a Toronto-based concert series, which brings chamber music to private homes, offices, and other intimate venues. Their most recent public event was their November 29th Party with Brahms at the Wharf; over post-concert pizza and wine, we spoke with the artists, hosts, and listeners about the very special experience of a Pocket Concert.

Talking with singers: Nicole Cabell

Interview

"There's a part of me, and every singer I know, that wants to settle down and have a normal job and a family, and all that. But then there's this other part, and I think if you don't have this, you're gonna have a hard time. There's this other part where you're really restless if you're not aways going, and having crazy adventures. *Wanderlust*, I guess. I have that in me."

Opera with a message: Operation Superpower

Interview

Operation Superpower was originally created by four Juilliard grads: composer Armand Ranjbaran, pianist Peter Dugan, and baritones John Brancy and and Tobias Greenhalgh. It's an interactive show for 6- to 12-year olds, where young audiences can find their own hidden superpowers; so far, they've performed for ~50,000 superheroes-in-training.

The guy who sang at the Met 2,928 times

Editorial

In what can be deemed the Great Find of the Weekend, check out this list of artists who have had the most performers at The Metropolitan Opera. I can't vouch for detail-accuracy, and since it's a Wikipedia article, go ahead and take it with a grain of salt. That said, have a look at the ten singers with the most Met stage time:

Supporting roles, and stars on deck

Op-ed

There are singers like Luciano Pavarotti, Monterrat Caballé, and Renata Scotto, whose professional debuts were as Rodolfo, Mimì, and Violetta, respectively. Clearly, this is not the usual career trajectory; even Maria Callas started off in supporting roles (much to the envy of her leading castmates). For opera singers, starting "at the bottom" is the only way to work towards title roles.

Instruments can sing, too

Op-ed

Something that young instrumentalists hear for much of their training is that they're not "singing" enough. It can be confusing, because no, they're not singing at all. They're dragging bow hairs across strings, plunking keys downwards, maybe even using their own air supply to make sound; but they're not quite singing.