Kidon Choi
In review: Bluebeard's Castle/ Erwartung
ReviewLast night I was able to check off one of my must-sees. For a while I felt like the only opera fan in Toronto who hadn't seen Robert Lepage's double bill of Bluebeard's Castle/Erwartung, but I fixed that. The production couldn't have brought more hype along with it, and I usually try and ignore hype so that it doesn't skew my otherwise fine enjoyment of a production. The rumours turned out to be true, and I was amazed.
Overthinking it and other traps
Op-edDon Giovanni may have a drug problem, or he may be secretly gay, or he may be grossly insecure, but you can *play* seduction. And that's enough, you know? Simplicity doesn't mean you put in less work, it just means you let the audience get interested on their own.
In rehearsal with the COC Ensemble Studio
InterviewOn May 15th, 2015, the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio takes the Four Seasons Centre stage in their unique performance of The Barber of Seville. It's a big deal for these young artists to step into the mainstage roles of this ongoing production by Els Comediants, and the hype has earned them a sold-out show.
Louis CK's Subway Opera Singer
HumourWe're big fans of Louis CK's, and we couldn't resist sharing this clip from his very funny *Live at the Comedy Store*. We can't help but wonder if the story is true (sounds kinda true-ish, knowing how young opera singers can be), and if we know this girl on the New York City subway. Does she go to Juilliard? MSM? The curiosity is in overdrive.
When the people who tried to shut down SDO got paid $1M
EditorialThanks to Slipped Disc, I read the ugly story of Ian Campbell and his ex-wife Ann Spira Campbell, and how they were paid roughly $1M on their way out of the San Diego Opera board.
Google's very specific opera offerings
EditorialA couple of quick finds for the online opera fans, who consistently bemoan the state of opera on the Internet. If you use Google Play Music, you'll be pleased to notice that there's a radio station that plays Metropolitan Opera broadcasts from their 2011-12 season.
Francois Racine on Bluebeard's Castle/ Erwartung
InterviewFrançois Racine is the revival director of Robert Lepage's production of Bluebeard's Castle/Erwartung, and he has seen the double bill performed across the globe over the last 20 years. He took a few moments out of a tech rehearsal in the Four Seasons Centre to talk about these two "very dark" operas, and this production by Lepage that seems so timelessly compelling.
Love of opera, and getting perspective
Op-edI got into writing about opera because I wanted to tell people about this very cool industry of mine. The art is enormous and stunning, and the people who created opera are extraordinary folks. I knew that most people my age didn't have much exposure to opera, and it seemed like an obvious way to bridge the gap, to show just how fascinating it really is.
Love opera? Love stats? Look at this.
EditorialI made a pretty neat find over at Wolf Trap Opera's website, which has a great section on audition resources. WTO has [collected stats(http://opera.wolftrap.org/for-artists/audition-resources/) on the auditions they've heard over the last four seasons, and which arias are sung the most.
Talking with singers: Krisztina Szabó
InterviewHungarian-Canadian mezzo-soprano Krisztina Szabó is no strangers to the Four Seasons Centre stage. This time, she'll sing The Woman in Schoenberg's Erwartung, which, with Bartók's Bluebeard's Castle, makes up the iconic double-bill by Robert Lepage.