Talking with singers: Angela Meade

Interview

I also feel like I've always connected with Norma's character. She, like Donna Anna, is a strong woman, caught in the politics of her situation. Even though she is the one in charge of the Druids, she is still expected to maintain decorum regarding her sexual life and especially with those in the enemy camp. She is a bit impulsive and falls in love deeply and quickly, and so when she is burned by Pollione the flames of betrayal, hurt, pain and desperation engulf her.

Infographic: exercising for your art

How-to

Since we're in the business of helping you all stay passionate about it, we're pleased to share this great infographic from the folks over at TakeLessons.com. In the midst of all the things there are to learn about singing and musicianship, it can be easy to skip the bare essentials, like keeping your body healthy, limber, and prepped for great artistry.

Don't miss: live in-concert recording of Harbison's Requiem

News

"This is an important work, reflective of a critical time in our history, and we are honored to be documenting it for posterity," says Tucker Biddlecombe, chorus director. "It has all the elements of the great pieces of music we all love, from Brahms-like fugues coupled with complicated and exciting harmonies, to the Dies Irae movement that hearkens to the great music of Verdi and Mozart describing the final judgement day."

A game of "would you rather" or, please prove me wrong

Op-ed

Oftentimes, the singers who spend most - or all - of their time singing the tragic operas by Puccini, Verdi, maybe a bit of Donizetti and Gounod, tend to have acting skills that are less well-honed. That's in comparison to singers who perform a lot of new opera, Baroque opera, and subtler stuff by the likes of Britten, Janáček, Shostakovich, and even Wagner and Strauss.

Fierce recitals: Karita Mattila at Wigmore Hall

Review

Was it perfect? No. In fact, she threw perfectionism out the window. But what she gave up in terms of perfecting the music, she gained in the freedom of her expression. Wild and uninhibited, she switched freely from head voice to chest voice, casting away any notion that she would be singing in a reserved or false manner.

Don't miss: Il matrimonio segreto on tour

"I don't believe there is a 'traditional' way of performing opera whatever the context. However, what is interesting is taking the opera out and about to farms, castles, studios and churches and bringing the audience very close to the voices. Opera buffa was and is a popular form, so Pop-Up Opera's mission can tap into that spirit."

In review: Tosca at the COC

Review

She seemed deaf to much of the text, and her over-conducting (opting for 6 beats when 2 would do) left her with little room to follow the voices' lead. Plus, her frustrating choice to leave a break for applause after both of Cavaradossi's arias seemed to completely undermine the careful dramatic timing in Puccini's writing. Thank goodness for Adrianne.

Success & hype: the first season of Opera Pubs in Toronto

Editorial

The success of the Opera Pubs brings to light something that is - and should be - considered seriously among operatic circles across the globe: the potential for circular gratification among those on the inside. In Toronto, the audiences of most operatic events include familiar faces - fans, colleagues, and friends of those involved in the show; these are a beautiful group of folks, full of support and delight for the work done in their city. But any opera company worth the hype is constantly seeking audiences full of new faces, an ever-widening pool of interested listeners.

Take a joke, have a nap

Op-ed

We may feel a bit miffed, but for the people who did find Roker's joke blatantly funny, we are not going to change their minds by shouting "disrespect!" and tsk-tsking them for laughing. If the feared stereotype is that opera is uptight and snoozeworthy, we are not proving them otherwise by telling Roker that he's "embarrassing".

In review: Lawrence Zazzo at Wigmore Hall

Review

We are constantly looking for more representation of women composers, which is why we were so upset to see Zazzo mocking Strozzi's music and Strozzi herself. Seated behind a music stand, he made faces that we took to be "imitating a woman," like an exaggerated oil painting of a "feminine" gesture or sigh. We were happier when his face was buried in the stand.