A Lucia with agency and independence at the Royal Opera House

Review

It was even more refreshing to see a very real depiction of female pain on stage - something that could never be sterilised or downplayed. There was nothing but bravery from Oropesa as she navigated the emotional turmoil of the second half of the opera.

Facts, leaps & taking unnecessary offence

Op-ed

Moreso than a healthy sex life, is it not also empowering for an older woman to have agency of her own? To make her own decisions? Maybe Octavian can sleep with anyone, but for now he's sleeping with her. Not once does the Marschallin confuse what she has with Octavian with true love.

Nerding out: why you should definitely care what key your aria is in

So. Back to the key of your aria. Basically, in the Baroque and Classical eras, the out-of-tuneness of various keys became associated with different affects. The theory was that a listener could be swayed to feel differently when they heard music played in G major versus in B-flat major, or in d minor versus f minor.

Opera is artifice: Giulio Cesare's conquest of Houston

Review

Costanzo's take on the title role, which HGO's Thursday Facebook release went to great lengths to publicize as a take on Indiana Jones, was very effective indeed, in spite of this whimsical comparison. He well personified the countertenor as young virile male hero, particularly being skilled in the arias that showed off his agility and fiery, piercing upper register.

A fierce mob wife: Rodelinda at ENO

Review

While not a total work of feminist theatre, I do like seeing operas from the 18th century where women are shown as strong-willed characters in control of their own destinies and not being controlled by men. In fact, the plot is driven by how much the other characters of the opera need Rodelinda.

Talking with singers: Charlotte Mundy

Interview

"Music has brought me incredible amounts of joy and peace, and really helped me figure out who I am. I want to give those feelings to as many people as possible. Also, singing is my favorite thing to do and I think it's miraculous that there are people who will pay me to do it."

"A fascinating marriage of art forms": Kayoi Komachi

Review

In traditional Noh, there is far less in terms of story and action than you would expect in a Western-style play or opera. So much of the story is often based in metaphor, and the performers, rather than acting out a series of events, are conveying the essence of a story instead of enacting it.

Opera & other trysts: a love story

Op-ed

My focus was so great that it likely made me a not-very-interesting person to those outside of my opera bubble, but I didn't care. In the years of academia, summer opera programs, and YAP audition circuits, there was always someone with whom I could talk about my love affair with opera. We were all smitten, it seemed.

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.