Vera Causa Opera: "Opera for all."

Interview

"Accessible opera is opera which allows the viewer to have a direct connection with the work, and allows for performers that would otherwise not be able to partake in the production to be a significant part of it. The fact of the matter is there are things which hinder a direct connection to traditional opera. For us, we tailor our operas to suit the average person and in some ways take off the rose-coloured glasses."

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.

Don't miss: Women Who Write

News

Sara Constant, flutist and writer for Wholenote leads a round-table dicussion with three Canadian women: Norma Beecroft, pioneer of electronic music composition, Juliet Palmer, composer and Artistic Director of Urbavessel, and Tara Kannangara, Juno-nominated jazz artist and composer. The conversation will "reveal the joys and triumphs of each composer as they find their voices in the Canadian music scene".

In review: Götterdämmerung at the COC

Review

Thursday night, I blew into the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts almost immediately after work - even planning all week I still just made the 5 minute call before the early curtain at 6pm. As is said before, this is my virgin Wagner (it was so hard not to write "Wirgin Wagner" just now) but I'm not unfamiliar with the Ring Cycle, and being the huge Tolkien junkie I am, I love me a good epic.

In review: Rigoletto at ENO

Review

The night truly went to Sydney Mancasola, in her company debut as Gilda. Her first sounds were clear as a bell, like a sorbet to Rigoletto's dark and murky world. Her singing was polished and thoughtful, with a stunning bloom at the top of her range. Frustrating as Gilda may be - though she comes by her innocence honestly - Mancasola sang with an earnest sound that reminded us of her youth and sheltered existence.

Talking with singers: Angela Gheorghiu

Interview

"Often colleagues are scared to say "no", they fear that they would no longer be invited any more. Everyone wants to be able to sing a lot. Sometimes singers want everything, too fast and too soon. Nobody really constructs a real career, a personality which may, in the future, fill the concert halls and theatres. Many colleagues have difficulties and concerns with modern productions, but once again, no-one has the courage to refuse to perform on this basis."

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?

Tarrare the Freak: "I just want to be full."

Review

Why, in the time of CGI and robots, do puppets still retain their magic? The simple answer lies in the puppetry skills of Poster and Nakamura, who pushed their audience to laughter and disgust and pity. Yet the secret seems to lie in the transparency of the art form. The puppeteers were always visible; every set change was done nakedly, the audience in on all the tricks. Instead of spoiling the illusion, it added a second layer of wonder.

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.

Cloisters and clowns: SOPAC's inaugural double-bill

Interview

"It's a pair that, as far as we were able to find, had never been a pair before, and we've surrounded ourselves with the juxtaposed idea of the beauty and the beast 'out of the box' idea behind this double bill. We were also fascinated with the idea that neither production has been done frequently in Ottawa - they are a bit off the beaten path."