Elza van den Heever and the MET Orchestra: A stunning all-Strauss program
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.
Stu&Jess Productions, on L'heure espagnole
InterviewStu&Jess Productions are gearing up to present Ravel's delightfully bizarre L'heure espagnole on May 7, 8 & 9th at the Techno-Lith paper company in Montréal. I asked a few questions of conductor Stuart Martin and director Jessica Derventzis, about Ravel's really neat opera, and setting it in a paper warehouse. "It's a magical chamber of sound."
In review: Earnest, the Importance of Being
ReviewLast night I went to opening night of Earnest, the Importance of Being at Toronto Operetta Theatre. The piece, by Victor Davies and Eugene Benson, had its premiere in 2008. It's a rare thing to find an original Canadian operetta, and this one is a hilarious and charming take on Oscar Wilde's *The Importance of Being Earnest*.