Birdcalls and Spoilers

Humour

The above is a photo of a birdcall. It was recently loaned to me by the COC, because I’l be using it backstage during the twelve upcoming performances of Madama Butterfly (I know, I spoiled the magic of live birds). Backstage things like birdcalls, offstage conducting, ominous door knocking, cueing foghorns, etc., are all neat bonuses of the Music Staff job description.

In review: Lucia di Lammermoor at Opera By Request

Review

Last night I went to see Lucia di Lammermoor with Opera By Request. It was one of those nights I often have in Toronto, where a good chunk of the cast is made up of friends and colleagues, and my curiosity was piqued to hear some of these young singers in their Lucia roles.

The COC Ensemble Studio: Meet the Newbies

Editorial

Yesterday in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre, the Canadian Opera Company's Ensemble Studio kicked off the new season of the Free Concert Series. This year there are three new singers and one new pianist in the Ensemble. I'll admit the concert wasn't my first encounter with the COC young artists; I've had the opportunity to see them at work in recent weeks, but I was no less excited to hear them all sing their "introductory" arias.

And he never came back

Editorial

Conductors are dropping like flies in Europe. Riccardo Muti just resigned as chief conductor from Teatro dell'Opera di Roma. “Despite all my efforts to contribute to your cause,” Muti said, “there are no conditions to ensure the serenity necessary for the success of the production."

Pavarotti and all his Friends

Humour

I indulged in some Pavarotti & Friends today, and pulled out a few favourites to share. I recognized that song recipe for Pavarotti's duets with famous pop singers: the famous pop singer starts off by singing the first verse au naturel, and Pav joins in for the second verse, in Italian, with what sometimes sounds like a totally new melody.

In review: Offenbach/Hahn

Review

Last night was opening night at the New Theatre Alliance Française de Toronto for Opera 5's (check out their Opera Cheats) season opener: a romp through the French obsession with the Far East during the 19th century. We were treated to a double bill of Île du rêve by Reynaldo Hahn and Ba-Ta-Clan By Jacques Offenbach, two very different pieces that not only show the varied differences of the East's influence on Western music, but also the versatility of a stellar cast of darn fine singers.

The Klinghoffer Example

Op-ed

I came across an article today that prompted me to weigh in on all the talk about The Death of Klinghoffer. Andrea Peyser at the New York Post just published this piece, stating, "The Met is to present an obscene opera titled 'The Death of Klinghoffer' — a musical celebration of the senseless murder by Palestinian monsters of a defenseless, elderly Jewish New Yorker." Sigh.

Opera 5's Aria Umezawa on Offenbach/Hahn

Interview

This weekend, Opera 5 puts up their fall show, a double bill featuring Reynaldo Hahn's L'île du rêve and Jacques Offenbach's Ba-ta-clan. Opera 5 is all about combining art forms (including the beloved culinary arts!), and I was curious about this pairing of Hahn's "idylle polynésienne" and Offenbach's "chinoiserie musicale".

In Review: Baby Kintyre

Review

Canadian composer Dean Burry's opera Baby Kintyre is the coolest thing I've heard in a long time. The opera, with the libretto also by Dean, had its first performance in 2009 on six consecutive broadcasts of the CBC's Saturday Afternoon at the Opera. Baby Kintyre is written in the style of a radio serial in five episodes, based on the true story of a mummified baby found in the wall of 29 Kintyre (near Queen and Broadview) in Toronto.

Prom Night for Rufus

Tomorrow night at Royal Albert Hall in London, Rufus Wainwright will have his debut performance as part of the BBC Late Night Proms. Rufus is Canada's most chatter-worthy addition to the operatic scene (with his upcoming COC commission, Hadrian), and he'll be joined by soprano Deborah Voigt to sing a couple of arias from his 2009 opera, Prima Donna.