2017/18 at the Met: are conservative seasons the way to go?

Editorial

By far, the coolest thing on the Met's new season line-up is Thomas Adès' The Exterminating Angel, when the composer himself will conduct a cast that includes the likes of Audrey Luna, Alice Coote, and Iestyn Davies. The opera seems to be the token new work of the season, like Saariaho's L'amour de loin was in 2016.

When singers call in sick

Editorial

A singer's best publicity is their work. Great singing begets more opportunities, and poor singing begets bad reputations. There are plenty of reasons not to sing while sick: it can do damage to your vocal folds, it can make you stay sicker for longer, and it means you lose a paycheque. But when a singer has to decide, to sing or not to sing, the decision often hinges on the performance they think they can give.

Booing at the opera: why?

Editorial

Those who are brave enough to boo are also brave enough to make sure that everyone knows who exactly they're booing. Curtain calls can be a cruel set-up, the bowing artist well aware of when the crowd turns from admiration to disappointment. Seasoned artists have a thick skin, but it can't be a good feeling to stand in front of a crowd of people who are unhappy and who want you to know it.

Summer programs, & when it's time to stop attending them

Editorial

Pay-to-sing programs like the Centre for Opera Studies in Italy (COSI) have a lot to offer, and there are certainly less wise ways to spend hard-earned cash. But how does a young singer know when attending these kinds of summer programs starts to do them professional harm?

A FAQ checklist for opera newbies

Editorial

One word of advice: if you spend the opera wondering how long it's going to be, that opera will certainly feel pretty long. Bring a bottle of water, accept that most operas are a bit longer than the average movie, and let yourself get sucked in.

Transparent Glass: the composer turns 80

Editorial

Alsop met Glass when she was a young violinist, and perhaps it was that familiarity with the composer and his work that allowed her to conduct the BBC Orchestra and Chorus with a focused, efficient hand. There was a settled ease to her posture that emanated into the orchestra, a physical representation of how Glass' music works, which is to simply stay out of its way.

Enjoying opera: it's not snobby to be informed

Editorial

Perhaps my knowledge of singing technique and what it takes to create opera puts me among the "elite" (or maybe it's even a form of "opera privilege"). It doesn't change the fact, though, that the more you know, the more you hear. If you know the singers personally, their performances are more meaningful. If you know the score well, you can hear the choices being made by different artists.

In review: Fidelio & other first operas

Editorial

Yet it's a fascinating, almost humanizing thing, to hear Beethoven struggle with how to really write for the voice. It's a bit like listening to Verdi's Stiffelio, which was written after Nabucco and Macbeth and Ernani, but before Rigoletto and La traviata; one couldn't argue with Verdi's skills as a composer, but even he, the opera expert, found his slow and steady way to effortless vocal writing.

How Donald Trump gave me writer's block

Editorial

At these very, very low points in the history of humans, the idea of "inspiring" people with art and music feels silly, as though we artists are children being told to go play in the corner while the grown-ups (the doctors and lawyers, et al.) sort out the problem. I suppose it's hard to write about opera with scary nonsense in one's head.

Summer programs in Europe: 4 things to do on your day off

Editorial

Doing some al fresco shopping is a great way to work on your language skills, particularly the words for various foods and units of measurement. You can also get an idea of what different foods cost, and save yourself from getting swindled on future shopping trips. Plus, you can reap the great benefits of a friendly relationship with the woman who sells all the garlic in Sulmona, Italy.