To Dance for Grandma, or the Spontaneity Question

Op-ed

In opera circles, one of the beloved stories of innocent lay-person ignorance is the old chestnut: “Oh you’re an opera singer? Can you sing something for me right now?” The implication of this hypothetical, that it’s utterly ridiculous to ask an opera singer to demonstrate his or her skills, is really telling of characteristics unique to classical musicians. For trained opera singers, the concept of spontaneity is, for some reason, unwelcome.

Opera Australia: hating haters?

Op-ed

Well, it's been a weird week for critics. After opera critic Paolo Isotta, of the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, got himself blacklisted from receiving free media tickets from La Scala, new management has lifted his ban. Although Corriere has since decided to refuse free ticket offers from La Scala in the future, Artistic and music directors Alexander Pereira and Riccardo Chailly have said that they won't ban any critics from requesting media seats (including Paolo Isotta). How progressive.

Kira Braun: "I'm happiest when I'm singing."

Interview

It’s a good thing that Canadian soprano Kira Braun loves music; growing up in the Braun family could have gotten pretty loud, pretty quickly. Kira spent her life in music; her mother, Eleanor, worked as a professional flautist and her cousins Adi and Russell Braun are well-known names for music-loving Canadians. While she never stopped singing, Kira is newly inspired to find more opportunities to hop onstage.

Tales from the score: Peter Grimes

Editorial

Benjamin Britten rarely fails to make me marvel at the art of composing opera. I tend to be a sucker for misunderstood protagonists, and Britten writes operas like The Turn of the Screw and Albert Herring with such understanding that it pulls at my heart. Peter Grimes is the story of a fisherman who hires young boys to help him on his boat, and one of those boys has turned up dead; in a small town like The Borough, Peter is left victim to both a trial and a mob of suspicious townsfolk.

#RoundUp2014

Op-ed

The dwindling calendar days of the year, the family time, and the potential hangovers tend to bring out our best days of nostalgia. In my case, it’s flipping through the collection of events I’ve had the fortune to attend over 2014, remembering the good, forgiving the bad, and noticing no ugly. In the spirit of wrapping things up, I offer up a list of my most memorable moments of the year. And since he’s contributed to Schmopera with his own sets of expertise over the year, I also asked guest writer Greg Finney to list his 2014 highlights.

Schmopera is One!

Editorial

Cheers, readers! There's yet another reason to celebrate during this festive season: Schmopera is one year old!

In review: Ah! Mikado!

Review

Last night I went to see Toronto Operetta Theatre‘s production of The Mikado at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts. Neither Gilbert nor Sullivan show up frequently on my list of must-sees, due to personal taste and perhaps too many earworms (#iamtheverymodelofamodernmajorgeneral). But I had much faith (and a few friends) in the Canadian cast, and I absolutely wasn’t disappointed.

Christmas, of course

Editorial

It’s Christmas, guys. The Messiahs, the Christmas carols, the Hänsels and Gretels, they’re all fair game for this season of nostalgia. I was deciding on my pick for this year’s Christmas-ful opera, assuming I’d end up in the direction of Amahl and the Night Visitors, or going for an exception to the opera theme (it’s Christmas, after all) and voting for A Charlie Brown Christmas instead.

I sang along at Tafelmusik's Messiah

Review

Sunday, December 21st was 2014’s Winter Soltice, and it was an apt day to head over to Massey Hall and hear Tafelmusik’s 28th annual Sing-Along Messiah. I had actually never been to a Sing-Along Messiah, save for the obligatory singing-along of the Hallelujah Chorus at all the other Messiahs I’ve seen.

The COC's unexpected collaboration

Editorial

"Mark down 2014 as the year the Canadian Opera Company put out an album with Broken Social Scene and Fucked Up. No, really." That's right. With The Globe and Mail and recording label Arts & Crafts, the COC is a presenting partner of Broadsheet Music: A Year in Review, a new (and free!) album full of songs about the stories and issues of 2014 that affected Canadians.