"Catharsis" is the wrong word: Britten's War Requiem

Review

There was bile on Tovey's tongue that rang into Roy Thomson Hall, and its effect lingered long enough to dovetail into the first bars of the War Requiem. I have always found something magnetic and charismatic about Tovey, and as silly as it may sound, to hear him indulge in a brief moment of personal feelings about the meaning of war and commemoration felt akin to hearing a friend's firsthand experience with tragedy.

Quartet breathes the divine into Verdi Requiem

Review

performance. Each instance of the "Dies Irae" theme, in which the chorus competes with a bombastic orchestra, was performed with gusto and confidence. The choir also excelled in its polyphony, with the challenging "Sanctus" and "Libera me" fugue performed well on this night.

Wacky & silly Médecin malgré lui an over-the-top delight

Review

But of course, Stephen Salters proved to be the definitive star of the night with the way he played the role of Sganarelle. Salters proved to be an extremely versatile performer whose comedy was absolutely on point throughout the whole, be it from his tasteful vocal colorations in his drinking song to the exasperation towards his near-hanging at the end of the opera.

Resources & visibility for IRCPA's New Singing Stars

Review

Following the concert, IRCPA awarded its annual "Career Blueprint" to soprano Sara Schabas, who had wowed the crowd - both live and those watching and listening live on The New Classical FM - with her crystalline singing of a snippet of Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier.

Inflatable beasts & vocal brilliance: LOC's Siegfried

Review

Pountney's concept for this Siegfried is rooted in his perception of the eponymous character's childlike naiveté and exuberance. Much of this production is experienced through the eyes of the young hero, but with some unabashed anachronisms. Siegfried's scenes were awash with primary colors taken straight out of a Crayola Crayon box.

A definitive hit: West Side Story in Atlanta

Review

West Side Story isn't an easy show and, particularly in current climates, a controversial one to cast. It is dance heavy and, while the Atlanta Opera Chorus shined during their choreographed number during last season's La fille du régiment, West Side Story requires specialized training, perfect timing, and active feats of physical intensity. After spending election night in the audience of the same production I was so nervous about, I can genuinely say that it is a production not to miss.

The follies of modernization: Oedipus Rex & Iolanta

Review

It's a crass move to co-opt sexual assault as a means to artificially raise an opera's stakes. It also causes serious dramaturgical issues. By screwing around with the plot, the director has given herself the irreconcilable task of manufacturing staging that respects the repercussions of Iolanta's assault, while spinning an idyllic, fairytale love story, with a libretto that only supports the latter.

"Veggies in the morning, and melodies throughout the day"

Interview

Then one day in the car, he heard a completely original Melody that suddenly came into his head and he began to cry. From there on - and to this day - melodies have come to Mr. Thomas "incessantly." A composer was born.

Off-Centre Stage: the COC Ensemble Studio Competition

Editorial

It's a lot of hype for one night, and only part of it is open to the public. The competitors sing one closed round before the crowd files in for the second, and after the competition is done, the singers are whisked away for a gala dinner with their colleagues - and most notably, the evening's donors.

Live-streamed in recital: Brancy & Dugan

Editorial

The Journey Home is inspired by the 100th anniversary of the end of WWI, and features traditional picks (Schubert, Vaughan Williams), as well as popular and art songs by composers who were killed in the war.