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.

In review: Three Way

Review

Exposure to culture so outwardly, unabashedly about sex (whatever form it takes) will very likely challenge the typical Nashville Opera patron (#biblebelt). Three Way manages to take a subject that is most taboo, particularly in the American South, and – I think, I hope – manages to inspire its audiences to a greater understanding of their fellow person…which is something we all super need right now.

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.

Apian opera: don't miss The Swarm

Interview

"Our aim is for the audience to feel part of the colony and one of the bees. The message is togetherness and love and we want the audience to be included within that. Just as every bee has a role within the colony, so too does the audience."

2017/18: Canadians in Paris

News

Paris accueille les chanteurs canadiens à bras ouverts. Comme on peut en témoigner depuis le début de la saison 2016-2017, le public parisien semble beaucoup apprécier les talents de chez nous. C'est au Théâtre des Champs-Élysées que Julie Boulianne a chanté, en décembre dernier, sa première Donna Elvira dans Don Giovanni. Étienne Dupuis terminait, il y a quelques semaines, une série de représentations d'Iphigénie en Tauride à l'Opéra Garnier et Karina Gauvin triomphait cette semaine, aux côtés de Marie-Nicole Lemieux, dans la Rodelinda de Handel.

Talking with singers: Scott Hendricks

Interview

"This is a very good question. Firstly, my current self would tell my younger self to keep studying voice on a consistent basis. This is difficult because we travel so much and we're away from home for weeks and months at a time. Regardless, it's important to make time for touching base with your voice teacher and/or vocal coach."

In review: La traviata at ROH

Review

The broad-strokes architecture of the opera's four sets are a clean contrast against the ladies' luxurious dresses, even against the messy humanity of Verdi's simple, classic tale of love and the opinions of others. Joyce El-Khoury's Violetta comes with easy charisma, and a strong desire to maintain composure and dignity. El-Khoury matured along with Violetta's story, yet somehow retained a young voice, full of the best intentions. Her third-act aria, "Addio del passato" was the highlight of the night.

Tips for pianists: how to tremolo like a pro

How-to

In a case like this, sometimes a slower tremolo yields better results on the piano. If you try for speed, it'll likely sound a bit drier, a bit more percussive; a slow tremolo lets you just sit in the sound that already exists, and your muscles will be relaxed enough to sustain it.

Touring tragedy: Pop-Up Opera's I Capuleti e i Montecchi

News

In March and April, Pop-Up Opera revives their first tragic opera, Bellini's I Capuleti e i Montecchi. The production, sung in Italian and featuring "silent movie-style" English captions, heads across the southern UK, including stops at London's The Vaults, March 20-23.

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.