An operatic horror story: Proving Up

Review

This story also asks questions about the very nature of the American Dream. In the clutches of the Sodbuster, Miles is driven to question his entire mission. He asks "Does a window make a home? Does a deed make the land yours?" While these questions might have been better left implied rather than sung out loud, they lead to another question: Who really benefited from America's Manifest Destiny?

"Sex is one of the perks of conducting."

Op-ed

I pose a theory, though: things are changing. I'm a woman in the industry who has worked with a number of conductors; I'm either extremely lucky, wholly unattractive, or it's true that conductors in the 21st century are, like men in all industries, getting on board with the idea of respecting their colleagues (and keeping their sex lives outside of the rehearsal room).

Talking with singers: Clare Tunney

Interview

"Mozart writes for the voice, so it feels totally open and liberating to sing. As a performer, because all the emotion is already in his music, you just need to a vessel that delivers it, which is amazingly freeing!"

The start of something powerful: The Echo Drift

Review

The moth, appealingly mesmerizing, could have a spin-off opera all to itself. Created by individual acrylic paintings set in stop-motion animation, it moves like an insect shadow ricocheting off a porch light on a chilly autumn night in the country.

Don't miss it: SongFest's fast-approaching 2018 deadlines

News

I'm an alumna of SongFest, and I can vouch for the program's extraordinarily dense and empowering training environment. It's a special chance to work, often one-on-one, with figures who represent the contemporary industry. It can be a career-making encounter, no doubt.

#COC1819

News

"Opera transforms how we perceive the world and, in our 18/19 season, we're challenging ourselves and our audience to look at a fundamental human experience — love — through an unexpected array of works that has the capacity to reshape how we understand our hearts and minds," said Canadian Opera Company General Director Alexander Neef via press release.

An opera's evolving relevance: Turandot

Review

Ultimately, the vision of "China" that Puccini articulated with his Turandot is pure fantasy. While his scrupulousness in incorporating elements of Chinese music-making into his score is self-evident, there is little to suggest the other trappings of Turandot are anything other than an over-eagerness on the part of Puccini and his librettists to produce a spectacle that no one had seen before.

A product of great artistry: The Return of Ulysses at the Roundhouse

Review

The undeniable star of the show was the spectacular Roderick Williams. His performance was completely committed, both vocally and from an acting perspective. He savoured every word of recitative, brought out every moment of power and beauty in the music he performed. He welcomed his audience into the space with his unique, natural warmth, making the production a joy from beginning to end.

Sunday Funday: a don't-miss-it operatic double-header

News

"One of the things I love most about music is the undeniable connections between different genres," says Amanda Smith, FAWN Founding Artistic Director & Resident Stage Director. " I’ve always listened to electronic music with a similar ear as I do with classical and my experience as a listener is often comparable – so many intricate musical layers and visuals to explore."

Moby-Dick: "A story about obsession."

Interview

"I think Moby-Dick is ultimately about the redeeming power of friendship - and how an open heart can literally save your life. It's no accident that in both the book and the opera, Greenhorn (Ishmael) is saved from drowning by floating on the coffin on his new dear friend Queequeg, who is a 'foreigner' and a 'savage.'"