Fach-isms & stereotypes for a reason

Humour

I do get the jokes. Stereotypes for a reason, and all that. It's interesting to note that even if singers of different voice-types don't align perfectly with the above cross-section, there are still a few fach-specific thought processes that I've noticed from my seat at the piano.

Has everyone seen this?

Humour

Don Giovanni Unmasked left me pretty confused on a lot of fronts, but it's oddly riveting. The concept is bizarre, with Leporello as the emcee of a film screening; in said film (black & white, of course) is where we see Don Giovanni, dressed in a way that makes me think of Zorro. So, that means that sometimes Dmitri Hvorostovsky is talking to himself through a movie screen. Plus, there's a pretty crazy plot twist at the end.

Louis CK's Subway Opera Singer

Humour

We'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.

On the recording of opera singers

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Canadian tenors Isaiah Bell and Christopher Mayell are thoughtful guys. Here, they chat about the tricky task of recording by opera singers; they talk about why it's difficult, why it's not the same as performing live, and why they should have to do it in the first place.

Two tenors > YouTube comments

Humour

Eager for topical conversation, I showed Canadian tenors Christopher Mayell and Isaiah Bell some comments made about one of those videos with one of those "child opera singers" singing Puccini. Specifically, whether or not 9-year old Amira Willighagen was better than 11-year old Jackie Evancho. It got pretty real.

Mayell's Mid-Atlantic

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Toronto Operetta Theatre opens Cousin From Nowhere on Thursday night, and you can catch tenor Christopher Mayell onstage. He sheds some light on the question we all ask at the oper(ett)a: "Why Mid-Atlantic?"

Why directing opera is like directing music videos (sort of)

Humour

It occurred to me that directing a music video has a lot in common with directing an opera. The music video director starts with basically the same tools as the opera director: they're working with music and words. There are endless ways a director can visualize a song, and music videos have evolved from relatively simple videorecordings of an artist playing or singing (think an in-concert opera), to full-on short films, born out of a great song (a little bit like opera directors who stage oratorio or song cycles).

Odd Opera: Anna and Erwin

Humour

Hey guys, wanna see something slightly awkward? Here's Erwin Schrott and Anna Netrebko singing "Bess, you is my woman now," from *Porgy and Bess*. Good singing, and totally worth the click to hear Anna saying "I is, I is." But, oh man. So weird.

Science and Simon Boccanegra

Humour

I love opera, and so does Stephen Fry. I’ve written about this gem before, but it’s worth revisiting. Stephen Fry did a special with the Royal Opera House, called The Science of Opera, where he went to see Simon Boccanegra with British comedian Alan Davies. A team of scientists were on hand to measure their emotional experience throughout the opera.

Colin Mochrie, Russell Braun and Operagrams

Humour

Ok, so a friend of mine showed me this video, and it’s absolutely Colin Mochrie lip-syncing to the voice of Russell Braun in a clip from Burnt Toast, an eight-part coming opera made for television 2006 (CBC, Bravo!). The music is by Alexina Louie, with text by Dan Redican, and the series features some of Canada’s best voices, including Isabel Bayrakdarian, Krisztina Szabó, and Peter McGillivray.