Ghost stories & true stories: The Lighthouse

Interview

"I think people are more suggestible than we like to admit. The operation of the so-called "suspension of disbelief" in the theatre is a great example of this. When I go to see a show, I spend the first period struggling to understand, to analyse, to engage, and then, at some point that I don't even recognise (if it's good) or notice, a switch goes in my brain and there I am, living entirely in the world of the play. How does that happen? Where else does that happen?"

A fiery love triangle: Les feluettes at Edmonton Opera

Review

Kevin March's score is a tour de force: truly sensitive and theatrical. It was tender and loving when it needed to be, with subtle dissonances that hint of the conflict lurking in the shadows. The score magnificently plays homage to the musical language of Debussy and other great French composers of the early 20th century.

La traviata shows Houston how to arise

Review

I would say that this production is a very reasonable first opera to go to, all things considered, and that this is a production which will have delights to offer any but the most snobbish operagoer. For the seasoned conoisseur, it will offer orchestral variety, fluent dramatic text-setting, and proof that Italian composers can simultaneously manage subtlety ands passion.

Fuelled by female oppression: Written on Skin

Review

The music develops in parallel to the narrative, twisting and turning in response to the events portrayed. From the subtle, gliding arcs of the strings during the seduction to the terrifying crescendos accompanying The Boy's murder, the score varies immensely. Benjamin is especially gifted at disseminating horror, the overwhelming psychological intensity of the opera's key moments becoming almost unbearable.

Callas lovers, listen up: a giveaway is underway!

News

At the end of November, our Patreon supporters who pledge $15/month or more will be entered into a draw for the 42-disc box set. Tell your friends, and if you've not done it yet, consider becoming a patron of Schmopera's; your contribution will help us continue to offer more smart, ad-free content from around the opera-loving world.

Putting a big gift to great use: Tapestry Opera's Disaster Relief Benefit concert

News

The first of the two concerts starts at 7pm, featuring operatic and musical theatre offerings from the likes of Simone Osborne, Erica Iris Huang, Asitha Tennekoon, Keith Klassen, and Alexander Hajek. Tickets are $30. At 10pm the Bösendorfer gets a workout, with performances by jazz pianist Robi Botos and concert virtuoso Younggun Kim. Tickets are also $30.

"It's his life, it's him." Soundstreams presents Musik für das Ende

Interview

With the daunting score has come an "unbelievable" level of focus from the performers. "That's maybe even more powerful than this music, these people working either in pairs or quartets or quintets," he says of the "fierce" level of listening between the singers. "They're totally wrapped up with this other person."

The TSO pays homage to Maureen Forrester

Review

Forrester became known for her interpretations of Mahler and for her professional relationship with the composer's protegé Bruno Walter, so it's no surprise to find the composer on the program. After the intermission, German-Canadian tenor Michael Schade joined Ms. Platts for Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde (The Song of the Earth), one of the composer's best loved works.

Money & manners: one critic's observations from her really great opera seats

Op-ed

There's a funny catch, though, because when you're sitting in those pricey sections of the opera house, your neighbours are likely of a certain demographic; basically, they're sitting in those seats because they're good, and they can afford them. The important thing to note here is not that there are wealthy people who go to the opera, but that there's likely a stark difference between their tax bracket, and that of someone who writes about opera for a living.

3 tips for being a respectful voice coach

How-to

That mutual respect is at the root of how opera's best voice coaches work, and it's something singers should look for in their work. A coach's ability to demonstrate respect for a singer's work counts for a lot, and we have three ways to achieve it: