A Liberal's Libretto

National Opera / Kennedy Center merger?

2010-07-30T11:43:00.009-04:00

Is a merger in the works for Washington National Opera and the Kennedy Center? It would appear so.

Erica Orden at the Wall Street Journal reports:

The Washington National Opera, facing financial challenges and questions about its future, is exploring a merger with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The arrangement under consideration would mimic the Kennedy Center's relationship with the National Symphony Orchestra, the person said. The center would assume the opera's assets and liabilities, and the opera would cede to the center approval on artistic and budgetary matters. Merger discussions began around March, the person said.

Both the spokesperson for the Kennedy Center and the spokesperson for WNO said that negotiations had begun on a new rental agreement since the current agreement for WNO's rental of the Kennedy Center's space expires in 2013. In addition, their stories matched in that they both also admitted to discussing the "future" and "long term relationship" between the two organizations.

Although the financial challenges could be blamed on the current state of our nation's economy - let's not forget the staggering number of artistic institutions that have shuttered - many continue to blame General Director Placido Domingo for the company's issues. Again, Erica Orden of the Wall Street Journal:

Some have blamed the leadership of Mr. Domingo, who became general director in 2003 after several years as artistic director. Although lauded for his creative vision, he has faced criticism for what has been described as inattentive supervision. "Why can't a general director with the fame, charm and ability of Domingo roll up his sleeves and work to realize his vision, rather than distancing himself from the results?" classical-music critic Anne Midgette wrote earlier this year in the Washington Post. "The answer: because he isn't actually there, running the company."

In FY 2010, Congress appropriated some $40 million to the Kennedy Center for operations, maintenance and other upkeep costs. So, it is safe to say that the Kennedy Center could be a port in the storm for the National Opera.

It does come at a price, however. Domingo could be stripped of his artistic authority and the opera's Board of Directors could be downgraded to figurehead status. That is, of course, if the merger takes on the same shape as the merger between the National Symphony Orchestra and the Kennedy Center, which happened in 1986.

Arts organizations that have a home in our Nation's Capital and are indeed called "National" should have some funding from our National Government. Don't you think? I am in no way saying that they should be solely funded by said government, but if we can subsidize crops, oil etc., I think we could manage to specifically subsidize our "National" arts organizations.

I understand that some will say "That's what the National Endowment for the Arts is for." And that, my Friendlies, is why I said "specifically subsidize". In other words, there should be specific subsidization with funding not funneled through bureaucratic channels that are clogged with bureaucratic plaque.

"A great nation deserves great art!" Wasn't that the motto of the NEA?

If, in our great bureaucratic democracy, the way to national funding of our "National" arts organizations is to merge them with the Kennedy Center, then so be it. Unfortunately, some egos will have to take a back seat - but, that's politics ... and the arts, for that matter.

Edward M. Kennedy Institute's architect is chosen

2010-07-28T16:48:00.008-04:00

The New York Times reports that architect Rafael Viñoly has been chosen to design the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate.

If the name Rafael Viñoly sounds familiar to some of you, it's because his firm was commissioned to design a 2.8-million-square-foot residential complex on the site of the former Domino Sugar Refinery and processing facilities in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood.

Now, the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate - which is already on my must-go-to list - will not only act as a memorial, but will also be an educational center dedicated to the career of Teddy, who died of cancer in 2009. The institute will stand next to his brother's - the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum which is on the campus of the University of Massachusetts Boston. Included in the project will be classrooms, a replica of Mr. Kennedy’s Senate office and a recreation of the Senate chamber with interactive desktops to provide information about the senators who have served in those seats and their voting records.

Construction is expected to begin this fall.

Someone get me a drink and a cigarette

2010-07-27T17:15:00.004-04:00

Hmmmm.... this is interesting.

From our Divine La Cieca at parterre.com:

La Cieca hears that a big axe just fell in the marketing department over at Sterling Cooper Draper Gelb. Look for a new director to be hired from outside the company.

Woops!

[Graphic appears courtesy of La Divina Cieca and her minions at parterre.com]

Blogging on the go?

2010-07-27T12:32:00.001-04:00

I cannot ... I mean *cannot* ... believe that I can blog on-the-go, now.

I know, I know. This has been a possibility for a while - sometimes Yours Truly is a little slow on the uptake.

This will make things much more interesting, Friendlies... Don't you think?

I will say, for the record, that I am currently tippety-typing away on my trusty BBerry ... So, let's send a little prayer to the Thumb Gods that I don't make any significant errors.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

A Sister Act of a different sort ... Benedictine, to be precise

2010-07-26T12:23:00.003-04:00

Get ready for a little peace, quiet and tranquility through the Gregorian sounds of some soon-to-be-famous Benedictine Nuns as it seems they've signed a major record deal with Decca Records. CBC News reports:

The British label announced Sunday that the Benedictine nuns of the Abbaye de Notre Dame de l'Annonciation near Avignon were chosen after a worldwide search for female Gregorian chant performers...

..."We never sought this, it came looking for us," the Rev. Mother Abbess told Agence-France Presse.

"At first we were worried it would affect our cloistered life, so we asked St. Joseph in prayer. Our prayers were answered and we thought that this album would be a good thing if it touches people's lives and helps them find peace."

Tom Lewis, head of Decca's talent division, said his department had to pick through entries from more than 70 convents in Europe, South Africa and the U.S.

"When you hear the sound of nuns chanting, it's like an immediate escape from the challenges, stresses, pace and noise of modern living," noted Lewis back in March when Decca, an arm of Universal Music, posted the search notice.

"This is a sound of something ancient, unchanging and timeless."

Twenty-six out of the 28 nuns will sing on the record, Voices – Chant from Avignon, due out in November. A recording studio will be set up in a building on the abbey grounds...

For more, visit cbc.ca.

Debbie's gotta gun

2010-07-22T11:00:00.004-04:00

Uhm.... hmmmm....

It looks like someone has an affinity for guns, perhaps. Can someone page Dr. Freud?

From La Fanciulla del West in San Francisco, to this:

Deborah Voigt, a leading dramatic soprano known for portraying Strauss and Wagner heroines, will be packing heat next summer in the title role of Irving Berlin’s Annie Get Your Gun at the Glimmerglass Opera Festival.

The performance will be a major departure for Ms. Voigt, a celebrated singer with an ardent fan base, but it will be within a longstanding tradition of opera stars stepping onto the Broadway stage. They include Ezio Pinza, Shirley Verrett, Giorgio Tozzi and most recently, Paulo Szot, who did double duty last season in South Pacific and Shostakovitch’s Nose at the Metropolitan Opera. - New York Times

Jane Eaglen's key to high notes: clench it!

2010-07-21T11:15:00.004-04:00

So ... that's her secret? It's all about clenching your butt?

Joshua Kosman, Music Critic for The San Francisco Chronicle reported last week on soprano Jane Eaglen teaching her tricks of the trade during a Masterclass for the Merola Opera Program. The article says in part:

Advice for young opera singers is plentiful if you know where to look. But you have to go to soprano Jane Eaglen for the true secret of a secure high note: a firmly clenched bum.

"Squeeze your bottom," she told mezzo-soprano Robin Flynn on the stage of Herbst Theatre last Thursday night. "That's the key to high notes. I have a big bottom, and big high notes."

Where high notes are concerned, I've heard it all and I'm sure you have, too.

I've heard: "Pretend you're on the toilet". I've heard: "Pretend you're passing gas". I've also heard from a colleague, soprano Kathleen Halm, that an Italian singer once told her to "Push outta dee Tempex!" By the way- yes, you're correct ... Tempex = Tampax. He even went so far as to write in huge letters "TEMPEXX" on her music. Kate and I still laugh about "TEMPEXX" to this day.

Now, I can add "clench my keester" to the list of possible go-to items if I'm having trouble with my high notes. Perfection.

In addition to highlighting a few other pearls of wisdom, the article puts to rest any rumors that Eaglen plans to retire:

Eaglen, who turned 50 this year, still performs regularly - in May she created the role of Helen in the world premiere of composer Daron Hagen's opera Amelia at the Seattle Opera - but she's cut back her engagements in favor of more teaching and coaching.

"I'm absolutely still singing and have no intention of retiring any time soon," she said in a phone interview the next morning. "But I didn't want to be traveling 11 months out of the year. So I'm trying to do more concert work, and teaching seemed to fit in with that schedule."...

...Eaglen's focus is on her students, but she never forgets to keep the audience involved in the process. She studs her coaching with wry asides, including the occasional witticisms about her ample girth; when a student gets on the right track, she starts nodding and pointing vigorously like a successful player in charades.

And singing with your tush is always a helpful technique - or at least it was for Flynn, who used it to nail a high G-flat in a Massenet aria that had eluded her on several tries. The success was not only audible, it was also visible; Flynn's eyes bugged out and her body looked as if it had received a mild electric shock.

"Yes!" cried Eaglen, adding dryly, "I have a feeling that's a new sensation for you."

For the complete article, check out the San Francisco Chronicle. And, for God's sakes, CLENCH IT!

[Photo: Merola Opera Program singer Sidney Outlaw receives instruction from soprano Jane Eaglen. By John Storey - special to The Chronicle.]

Broadway's finest In Performance at the White House

2010-07-20T14:25:00.006-04:00

Last night, some of Broadway's finest were at the White House for a White House Music Series Event saluting Broadway. Audra McDonald, Nathan Lane, Elaine Stritch (Who had forgotten the lyrics to "I'm Still Here". Stritchy!) and Jerry Mitchell were just a few of the names that helped entertain the President, his family, and other invited guests.

The show was taped and will be broadcast in October on PBS as part of the In Performance at the White House series.

While we may have to wait until October to see the show - we can get a preview, as well as a lesson in how Broadway helped to shape America, by watching President Obama's introduction to the evening. I encourage you to take a few minutes and watch.

The White House is having 'A Broadway Celebration'

2010-07-15T12:50:00.006-04:00

From Mike Boehm - the LA Times Culture Monster:

During the administration of President George W. Bush, news that Tony was to be heavily represented at a fete in the East Room of the White House would have suggested a British theme to the evening, with emissaries of then-Prime Minister Blair in attendance.

Times have changed. On Monday, the dignitaries hosted by President and Mrs. Obama will bring their regards from Broadway, not 10 Downing Street, while sharing talents that collectively have won them 11 Tony Awards.

The public is invited to watch -- eventually -- on "A Broadway Celebration," which will be taped for broadcast Oct. 20 as an installment in the PBS series, "In Performance at the White House."

The Tony-winning performers are Nathan Lane, Audra McDonald, Idina Menzel, Tonya Pinkins, Karen Olivo, and pianist Marvin Hamlisch. Working behind the scenes is Jerry Mitchell, Tony-winning choreographer (for the 2004 revival of La Cage aux Folles), who will guide 20 Washington, D.C., dance students in a segment from Hairspray, another show he choreographed.

Friends, isn't it refreshing to see culture back at the White House?

Opera is becoming even more accessible

2010-07-13T15:27:00.006-04:00

Emerging Pictures and Opus Arte announced today that the two companies had concluded a deal for Emerging to become the exclusive North American theatrical distributor of Opus Arte’s events programming. The agreement adds a wealth of new content to Emerging’s upcoming slate of alternative programming for cinemas, including LIVE opera and ballet from London’s Royal Opera House and Shakespeare plays from the Globe Theatre. The season will begin on September 10th with a live broadcast from Covent Garden, with the Royal Opera House’s opening-night performance of Mozart’s Così fan tutte.

Emerging’s “Opera in Cinema” series, now in its fourth year, already includes live operas from Teatro alla Scala in Milan and the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona.

The deal was negotiated on behalf of Emerging Pictures by Ira Deutchman, its Managing Partner, and on behalf of Opus Arte, Isabelle Fauchet, its Head of Cinema. “The addition of this content from Opus Arte solidifies Emerging as the premiere supplier of alternative content in North America,” said Deutchman. “The events themselves, and the quality of the productions are among the best in world. We couldn’t be happier.”

Fauchet added, “Emerging Pictures was an obvious choice for the Opus Arte brand. Their previous experience in relaying opera and ballet performances through their i-cinema network, together with strong marketing ethics, ideal cinema locations, and reliable delivery technology are all the right ingredients to ensure that our high quality productions from the best opera houses in the world are seen in the best way possible. We are very excited at the prospect of working with the Emerging Pictures team.”

Emerging Pictures, managed by co-founders Barry Rebo and Ira Deutchman, is the largest all-digital specialty film and alternate content theater network in North America. The company’s i-cinema technology has become the de facto standard for independent film and alternative programming, with over 65 venues in the U.S. as well as a growing presence across the globe – from London to Latvia. Emerging’s network includes traditional art houses, museums performing arts centers and commercial multiplexes, including Carmike, Harkins, Allen Theatres, and others. The company also distributes programming worldwide under its Opera in Cinema, Ballet in Cinema and Shakespeare in Cinema brands.

Opus Arte, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Royal Opera House, was established in 1999 and grew rapidly to become one of the world's leading providers of high-quality classical music content. As well as releasing around thirty titles on DVD & Blu-ray per year, the company has produced and directed programmes that have been broadcast in over 60 countries, and won many Awards. The aim of Opus Arte has always been to work with the best possible partners in all areas of business - from broadcasters to producers; from opera houses to directors. Its partnership with Emerging Pictures ensures that philosophy will continue, bringing outstanding performances to an enthusiastic global cinema audience.

Angela Meade's miraculous Norma

2010-07-13T11:14:00.007-04:00

Angela Meade, who's turn at the Met Opera National Council auditions was chronicled in the documentary The Audition, has, on more than one occasion, shown she's ready to step into the primetime ... ready to step onto the operatic A-List.

Most recently, though - as in this last weekend - she proved that, as James Jorden put it in the NY Post, she is ready to step into "...the exclusive sorority of great Normas".

The Washington born soprano rocked some serious Bellini while at the Caramoor Festival in Katonah, NY and trust me when I say, Friendlies... the reviews keep coming in for what seems to have been one hell of a Norma.

Anthony Tommasini of the NY Times said that Meade's "...stunning Norma was the big news" of the evening.

James Jorden, in the NY Post article mentioned earlier, called her performance a "miracle" saying:

"...opera buffs flocked to Caramoor for something they found ... thrilling: the emergence of a brilliant new interpreter of Norma ...

Meade's is a very fine Norma -- and, as a first attempt at this Mount Everest of a role, it's simply a miracle."

Zachary Woolfe pointed out:

The Associated Press, which has the good or bad ability to immediately blanket a singer's Google responses, headlined their review "Angela Meade conquers Norma."

And, Alex Ross reflects in the New Yorker:

In technical terms, Meade is astounding...

...The coloratura effects—rapid runs, trills, delicate turns, and so on—are handled with uncommon ease. She is a very musical singer, naturally and intelligently riding the phrase. Her tone has a distinct character, slightly darker than the coloratura norm yet warmly glowing. She doesn’t seem to make her voice do things; it is doing what it was born to do. As a friend remarked, you relax when you listen to her; you don’t worry for the singer, and lose yourself in the music.

Could it be that we have a truly great singer on our hands? It would seem so.

Now, Chickens ... it's no secret that Angela Meade is a healthy sized singer.

I know... I know... you're saying: "Here he goes again ... always hearkening back to that certain General Director who told him that 'Fat doesn't make noise.'" Yes, I am hearkening as per usual.

While I'm certainly not using the three letter "F-word" to describe Ms. Meade ... AT ALL ... There is a can of worms here and I think I need to crack that baby wide-open. So, let's do it - shall we?

For the first time in a long, *long* time, we're hearing that a singer has astounding technique and has a voice that is "doing what it was born to do". She's "stunning" ... a "miracle" ... and has "conquered" one of the most difficult roles in the soprano repertoire ... at 32 years old. It's hard for Yours Truly to think that her healthy voice and her healthy sized body are just a coincidence.

Right? I mean - come on. Have you heard of any 32 year old "little girls" who are conquering Norma on this kind of scale? Yea, not so much.

All I'm saying is this: let's hope that as she continues move forward in her career she's not taken to task by the powers-that-be for her size - thus, forcing her into making unhealthy choices that will effect this astounding technique. Or worse, let's hope she is not blacklisted because she doesn't fit the HD Theater Screen mold... which is something I fear may be happening already.

Again - Zachary Woolfe:

As for Meade's New York future, she's scheduled to sing a few performances at the end of the run of Donizetti's Anna Bolena, which will open the Metropolitan Opera's 2011-12 season (it's a vehicle for Anna Netrebko). But she won't be the first-cast soprano at the Met until that spring — this is 2012 we're talking about — when she'll appear in Verdi's Ernani, the role of her surprise debut at the house in 2008.

I think it's a wise decision to take things slow, and build up Meade's big-role repertoire in smaller houses and festivals. But it's frustrating that a singer in her youthful prime won't be appearing in the City at all next season (unless Renée Fleming cancels one of her Armida performances, which Meade will be covering).

Which reminds me: where was New York City Opera the past few years, as this phenomenally talented American singer was rising through the competition ranks? Ah, yes, I remember. City Opera was closed for two seasons! And even before that, someone reminded me, Glimmerglass Opera—which for a long time provided something of an out-of-town City Opera tryout—doesn't program much of the repertory at which Meade would excel. Well, George Steel, take a good look. Angela Meade is the kind of singer you should be building productions around.

Here's to you, Angela Meade. Be proud ... *very* proud of yourself.

[Photo: Angela Meade, center, in the title role of Norma at the Caramoor International Music Festival, with Keri Alkema, right, and Will Crutchfield conducting. By Susan Farley for The New York Times.]

Another Favorite Clip: Cesare Siepi

2010-07-08T12:55:00.003-04:00

In honor of the passing of Cesare Siepi, I thought I would make this fab clip the latest installment of Another Favorite Clip.

Now Friends, I have to tell you that this is one of my favorite arias to sing... period. Fully stop. There's nothing like a good Verdi to wrap your voice around.

Without further pontification from Yours Truly - enjoy Ella giammai m'amo from Verdi's Don Carlo.

In Memoriam: Cesare Siepi 1923-2010

2010-07-07T14:55:00.006-04:00

Cesare Siepi, who fled Fascist Italy and later rose to fame both as a staple of the Metropolitan Opera and one of the most celebrated singers to play the title role in Don Giovanni, has died at age 87.

Siepi, a native of Milan, Italy, died at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta on Monday after suffering a stroke more than a week earlier, his family said Tuesday.

The Washington Post's Anne Midgette says in part:

Warm, deep, resonant and melting, Mr. Siepi's voice was a defining sound in opera in the 1950s and 1960s on the world's stages and, fortunately, in many recordings.

For years, he was the reigning bass at the Metropolitan Opera, and a regular fixture at London's Covent Garden and many other houses around the world, singing virtually all the staple roles of the bass repertory: King Philip II in Verdi's Don Carlo, Boris in Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov, and, perhaps most memorably, the title role of Mozart's Don Giovanni.

Tall and handsome, he was one of the few Giovannis who could both sing with the sensuous, seductive ease the role requires and look the part of the irresistible seducer. He owned the role for decades, even making a film of the opera, released in 1955, under celebrated German conductor and composer Wilhelm Furtwängler.

Siepi made his MET debut in November of 1950 as King Philip II in Verdi's Don Carlo. It was opening night of the 1950 season which was not only Telecast, but also happened to be first performance under Rudolf Bing's management. The Grand Inquisitor that night was Jerome Hines, Jussi Björling was Don Carlo and Robert Merrill was Rodrigo. What a cast of singers! While Mr. Siepi was celebrated around the world, the Met remained a home of sorts; he continued singing at the house until 1973, in more than 400 performances.

After one of his performances as King Philip in 1952, the New York Times reported:

"Siepi stopped the show every time he finished an aria, for his portrayal . . . was a human experience. His singing, always a joy, has rarely surpassed the heights of richness and eloquence it reached last night."

Bravo, Maestro Siepi. You will be missed!

Hampson and Mahler - quite a duo

2010-07-06T14:57:00.004-04:00

I've gotta be honest with you, Friends ... in my brain, such as it is, recitals don't get any better than Hampson singing Mahler.

Well ... ok, back in the day, Marilyn Horne singing *anything* was pretty much out of this world. But, this isn't about her... that's an entirely different post.

I am fully willing to admit that I am a little biased where Tom Hampson is concerned. Mostly because I have worked with him in two masterclasses, seen him sing on stage numerous times and was present when he was given an Honorary Doctorate from my alma mater. Not to mention that he gave us students one hell-of-a lesson on how to effectively sing the phrase "O ruddier than the cherry..." ([O rud'yuh thahn thuh churry], incase you wanted to know.)

Anyhoo - I just received this little gem in my email inbox and wanted to share it with you:

Long regarded as the premier interpreter of the songs of Gustav Mahler (1860-1911), Thomas Hampson will dedicate much of his summer and the upcoming 2010-11 season to performances of the Austrian composer’s works. The celebration begins on July 7 – the date of Mahler’s birth 150 years ago – with Hampson’s recital from Mahler’s birth-house in Kaliste, Czech Republic, that will be webcast live on www.medici.tv, and an evening concert from Kaliste with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra conducted by Manfred Honeck, which the European Broadcasting Union will transmit live across Europe. The webcast will also be available for streaming through www.medici.tv for 60 days following the performance.

Additional Mahler performances will follow throughout the summer – making more than 50 concerts over the course of the 2010-11 season – including Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen at the Zurich Opera with conductor Philippe Jordan; Rückert-Lieder with the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra and Christoph Eschenbach at the Rheingau and Schleswig-Holstein Music Festivals; and Das Lied von der Erde with the NDR Symphony Orchestra, Hamburg and Alan Gilbert on a four-city tour that includes the final concert of the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival.

Additional information about Thomas Hampson’s big Mahler season is available from 21C Media Group and ThomasHampson.com.

Peter Gelb: the MET = "ungainly ship"

2010-07-01T10:12:00.006-04:00

...it is not unheard of in the past for productions to have come here sometimes for reasons that were beyond the artistic desires or plans of any of the people charged with the artistic supervision of this place. That will not happen with me. I’m not saying that I’m totally in command at every moment, but I am driving this ungainly ship.

This quote comes from Anne Midgette's fascinating interview of the MET's Peter Gelb. It's an interesting read and I suggest you hop on over and give it a once (or twice) over.

2010 NEA Opera Honors recipients announced

2010-06-25T15:47:00.004-04:00

At yesterday's meeting of the National Council on the Arts, the NEA's advisory body, NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman announced the recipients of the 2010 NEA Opera Honors:

Martina Arroyo is admired around the world for her operatic roles, oratorio and recital performances, recordings, and also for her commitment to young artist development through the Martina Arroyo Foundation.

David DiChiera's varied career includes important posts in Ohio and California, as well as at the Michigan Opera Theatre, which has played an important role in the cultural and economic vitality of Detroit.

Philip Glass has had an unprecedented impact upon the musical and intellectual life of our time, including especially his 20 operas, symphonies, compositions for his own ensemble, and his wide-ranging collaborations.

Eve Queler is being recognized for her focus on rarely performed operas and for her dedication to emerging singers, which she has brought to her work as music director of the Opera Orchestra of New York.

Now in its third year, the NEA Opera Honors is the highest award our nation bestows in opera. This year, the awards will be presented at an award ceremony and concert produced by the Washington National Opera on Friday, October 22, 2010 at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC.

Chairman Landesman said,

"On behalf of the NEA, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to this group of stellar artists and thank them for all they have accomplished and shared with us in the course of their careers. Their works of art have delighted and challenged us, illuminated our sense of the world, and refreshed our understanding of what is possible."

NEA Director of Music and Opera Wayne S. Brown said,

"This class of NEA Opera Honorees is four outstanding individuals, who together represent the finest traditions of opera. Without their artistic accomplishments, the world of American opera would be far less extraordinary."

These four honorees will each receive an award of $25,000 in recognition of their significant lifetime contributions to American opera. NEA Opera Honors recipients are nominated by the public and chosen by an NEA-convened panel of opera experts. Past honorees, whose bios can be seen here and here, are John Adams, Frank Corsaro, Carlisle Floyd, Richard Gaddes, Marilyn Horne, James Levine, Lotfi Mansouri, Leontyne Price, and Julius Rudel.

Congratulations to all of the honorees!

OONY 2010 - 2011 40th Anniversary Season

2010-06-24T14:00:00.004-04:00

The Opera Orchestra of New York and Music Director Eve Queler announced the 2010-2011 40th Anniversary season today.

Included in the 2010-2011 40th Anniversary Season is a double bill of Massenet’s La Navarraise and Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana led by Music Director Designate Alberto Veronesi on October 25, 2010 and an anniversary performance of Meyerbeer’s L’Africaine conducted by Eve Queler on March 2, 2011.

Casts include Roberto Alagna, Maria Guleghina, Elīna Garanča, Mignon Dunn and Marcello Giordani.

Wait a minute ... Mignon Dunn? The last time she was on an operatic stage was in Elektra at the MET in 1994. Wow. I think it's safe to say that you'll not want to miss *this* Mamma Lucia, Friends.

The season will also include the company’s annual Vidda Award recital featuring 2011 Award recipient soprano Meagan Miller at Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center on Wednesday, February 9, 2011 at 8:00 p.m.; and young artist recitals as part of the Opera Orchestra of New York’s Rising Star recital series.

I'm assuming Mme. Aprile Millo wasn't available for any of these dates?!

So, what does an inspirational character look like?

2010-06-24T13:25:00.006-04:00

I think inspirational characters come in all shapes, sizes and colors. And, this ... this is truly one of the most inspirational characters I've ever heard about.

Charity Tillemann-Dick was only 4 years old when her parents took her to see her first opera.

More than 20 years later, she has performed at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music and the National Palace of the Arts in Budapest, Hungary, the Kennedy Center in Washington, and at several music festivals in Italy. But last month, she sang for a different kind of audience. It was an audience filled with the doctors and nurses at Ohio's Cleveland Clinic who performed the double lung transplant and open heart surgery that saved her life.

From CNN.com:

Noticeably thin -- but looking much healthier than she did right after the operation, when she weighed 95 pounds -- the soprano serenaded her caretakers with Puccini's "O Mio Babbino Caro". The full-bodied aria reminded her of the last six years, she said. Its heroine pursues the object of her love, despite her family's fear that it could kill her.

At 20, Tillemann-Dick was told she had idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension, abnormally high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs, which forces the right side of the heart to work harder than normal. It worsens over time. Eventually, her doctors warned, her lungs would give out...

...From diagnosis until weeks before her transplant, Tillemann-Dick exhausted herself on international stages. Fearful that directors would replace her, she hid her illness by wearing heavier makeup to disguise sallow skin. She tucked a cassette-size medication pump in her skirt. She didn't let on when her eyesight became blotchy. She often felt nauseated, a side effect of her medication, but she held it together.

The singer appears to have approached recovery from her transplant surgery in the same manner she battled her illness -- she would sing, no matter how awful she felt.

At a point where most patients are barely speaking, Tillemann-Dick started retrained her voice by humming. As her body strengthened, her pipes were ready for jazz, then folk, and eventually she was singing show-tunes. She's performed this summer at the Swiss and Hungarian embassies [in Washington DC].

She sang "O Mio Babbino Caro" for those audiences, too.

The aria's line, "My love for which I suffer," carried, perhaps, a meaning stronger for her now.

Here is her performance for the doctors - while she seems a little "breathless", it's a triumph for her after only 8 months of recuperation and rebuilding.

Happy Birthday to James Levine

2010-06-23T13:29:00.003-04:00

On this day in 1943, James Levine was born in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Happy Birthday, Maestro! Hope to see you back on the podium soon.

For a fitting tribute, check out this fantastic video from the National Endowment for the Arts.

A step closer to performing arts at ground zero

2010-06-23T11:18:00.004-04:00

Some relatively good news came yesterday for those supporters of a performing arts center at ground zero in Manhattan.

From the New York Times:

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on Tuesday approved an agreement under which the city will reimburse the authority up to $44 million for building underground foundations and infrastructure for a performing arts center at ground zero.

The vote does not guarantee that an arts center will be built on the World Trade Center site, as called for by the master plan. Though the authority, which owns the site, and the city support that plan, the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, which controls $50 million in federal funds earmarked for the project, has explored a different location nearby.

The development corporation has yet to release those funds. It has been negotiating a “clawback” agreement with the city and the authority that would require that the funds be returned to the corporation, should they ultimately be used for private development rather than a performing arts center or some other public purpose. Then the corporation could direct the money toward an arts center elsewhere.

The development corporation is exploring building the arts center at the Deutsche Bank site at 130 Liberty Street — which the corporation owns — where they believe construction would be faster and less expensive. Construction of an arts center at ground zero cannot begin until the PATH station is completed...

...But the authority’s approval “is an important step forward for both the performing arts center and the overall redevelopment of the World Trade Center site,” said Kate D. Levin, the cultural affairs commissioner.

For more, visit the New York Times Art & Design section.

Cincinnati Opera & Ryan Seacrest - on the same stage - on the same night

2010-06-21T12:41:00.006-04:00

Cincinnati Opera kicked off its 90th season with a gala concert Saturday hosted by none other than Ryan Seacrest... as if he wasn't doing enough.

From Cincinnati.com:

"I accepted because I was honored and, frankly, it's something different," [Seacrest] said. "I think the most interesting thing for me is that this is the purest, most authentic form of performance in the world.

"Cincinnati opera has got such a great history, so the extent that I can be exposed to it, it's a good thing, and for people who wouldn't normally see it, it's great for the music."

Seacrest said he's never done anything like this before. "I have been asked to sing for this type of event," he said, "but I get disqualified before the main event. ... I realized early on it's better being around the music and not performing the music."

I know he's trying and I fully adore that fact. But, while I applaud the comments that his handlers came up with during the media training for this event, let me be the first to say: "Seacrest .. OUT!"

I know he lent some A-List cred. to the event, but honestly folks? I don't think I am the only one still rolling my eyes.

The star-studded evening boasted a roster of performers that was a who's who of Cincinnati Opera and opera in general - certainly not A-List, but I'd say B+++. Again from Cincinnati.com:

Renowned opera stars Carol Neblett and Sherrill Milnes hosted the concert of scenes, arias and choruses hailing nine decades of grand opera in Cincinnati.

A group of three tenors - Richard Leech, Russell Thomas and Gregory Turay - performed the Three Tenors anthem, "Nessun dorma." And famed soprano Christine Brewer, celebrated for her Wagner roles, made her debut in "Dich, teure Halle" from Wagner's Tannhäuser.

American mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves returned to perform a reprise of "A Quality Love," from Margaret Garner, a role she created for the opera's world premiere in 2005. Based on a true local story by Richard Danielpour and Nobel-laureate Toni Morrison, Margaret Garner was co-commissioned by Cincinnati Opera, Michigan Opera Theater and Opera Company of Philadelphia.

The program crescendoed to the grandiose Triumphal Scene from Verdi's Aida, starring Angela Brown, the world's reigning Aida, with Graves in the role of Amneris.

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Opera Chorus, May Festival Chorus, members of the Allen Temple A.M.E. Choir and the Cincinnati Ballet also participated, led by maestros Eduardo Müller, Henri Venanzi and Steven Reineke.

This sounds like an absolutely stellar evening, Friends. I mean, let's be honest: Angela Brown & Denyce Graves singing Aida/Amneris? I'm sold. When do tickets go on sale?

A milestone on Twitter... is that a Twitterstone?

2010-06-17T12:54:00.000-04:00

In Memoriam: Maureen Forrester 1930-2010

2010-06-17T11:25:00.007-04:00

Celebrated Canadian opera star Maureen Forrester has died. The Globe and Mail reports:

Forrester was 20th-century Canada’s incarnation of the prototypical 19th-century diva. She sang incomparably, gave generously of her rare musical gifts and her worldly goods, and lived life “in the large.”

...Forrester established her unique persona early. On one hand she took pleasure in washing her own floors. On the other, she loved to live and laugh and spend money on beautiful things. In the wake of her marriage, which ended in 1974, she had some grandes affaires. Her singing career was major from the outset, stretching across five continents. In her prime she sang as many as 120 concerts a year.

She was a big woman, magnificent on the platform (always gorgeously gowned and coiffed) and charismatic on the operatic stage. She was always supremely present for her audience; your eye couldn’t leave her and, when she sang, neither could your ear. Her voice, arguably an opulent and capacious mezzo-soprano, officially a contralto, was famous in Mahler, ideal in Brahms and Dvorak, supple and agile in Bach and Handel, intimate in the most delicate lied and mélodie, simple or rude or funny in folksong or operetta.

An authentic celebrity, she touched the Canadian nerve as no other singer of her time had done.

After making her operatic debut later in her career, Forrester sang a wide range of mezzo soprano roles. In Verdi, Ulrica; in Strauss, Herodias and Klytemnestra; in Poulenc, the Old Prioress; in Massenet, Cendrillon’s nasty stepmother; in Menotti, the title role in The Medium. For her La Scala debut, in 1990, she repeated her Countess in The Queen of Spades.

Her MET debut came in 1975 when she sang Wagner's Erda in Herbert Von Karajan's production of Das Rheingold. The Wotan that night was Thomas Stewart and the Fricka was Mignon Dunn. She later sang Ulrica in Un Ballo in Maschera under the baton of conductor Henry Lewis, who happened to be married to another famous mezzo soprano.

The night of Forrester's MET debut in Das Rheingold was reviewed by Donal Henahan for the New York Times. It says in part:

Admit it. You looked at the cast before Monday night's Das Rheingold at the Metropolitan Opera and could not suppress a twinge of doubt. A fear for the worst even, to tell the truth. After all, thirteen of the fourteen singers in this first performance of the season in the Met's finally completed "Ring" cycle had not previously taken their roles with the company. Only Thomas Stewart as Wotan was familiar in his part.

And yet this turned out to be a first-class if not quite magical performance that compared favorably with Mr. von Karajan's own glorious achievement in the '68 premiere.

Need I draw any parallel's for you with this last MET season? Sounds very familiar, doesn't it - with all of the cast changes and debuts this last year? Well, it sounds familiar up until the first-class part, anyway.

What's more is that Christine Weidinger left the role of Woglinde that night after Scene 1 in order to substitute for Mary Ellen Pracht, who had been scheduled to sing Freia but cancelled. To accomodate this change, Loretta Di Franco sang Woglinde in Scene 4.

Boy howdy... talk about a switch-a-roo.

I'd like to take this opportunity to point out that I've always thought it would be a grand idea for someone to name their dog Flosshilde ... nicknamed "Flossy" perhaps?

Wait a minute ... I'm suddenly reminded of a conductor I worked with once who had two cats named Fasolt and Fafner. Be that as it may, I still maintain that Flosshilde would be a stellar dog name.

But, let's move away from that - shall we?

I'd like to leave you with a tidbit that someone left in the comments section of The Globe and Mail article on Forrester's death:

I thank you for the wonderful tribute to an Opera diva whose rich chesty voice surpassed even that of American Mezzo Marilyn Horne. While 11 years younger than Ms Forrester I grew up also in the English speaking (not French speaking as your article states) middle class suburb of NDG (Notre Dame de Grace). I recall vividly passing by the house she lived in on Old Orchard Avenue, just down from Herbert Symonds Elementary School and hearing this "voice" wafting out the window of her home. I'd stand for minutes soaking the sound into my being until she stopped her afternoon rehearsal. To this day I am an opera nut and travel all over the world to hear the sounds that I first heard listening to what was to become a national Canadian treasure. Rest in peace. But continue singing with the angels.

This just goes to show you, singers ... you never know how your voice will impact the world even through a passerby.

Absolutely Agog - my obsession continues

2010-06-16T13:09:00.002-04:00

My obsession with Renée Fleming's new CD, Dark Hope continues. Here's the video for Endlessly.

Hmm, these two faces in the screen shot look awfully familiar. Bonus points for finding Renée's daughter Sage (age 14), daughter Amelia (age 17) and sister Rachelle. Here's a tip on Rachelle, she's the only on who sings back up for Renée on this track.

Eva Mendes as Callas? Please ... no.

2010-06-15T12:05:00.016-04:00

There are some things that I read that really and truly cause my eyes to cross and steam to rise from my ears.

This is one of them.

From an article about Eva Mendes in the July issue of W Magazine:

Lately she has been listening to recordings of Maria Callas, whom Mendes says she’d love to play onscreen. “You can catch me at a very dark hour listening to an aria from Norma and crying my f—in’ eyes out,” she says. “I love doing that.”

...She’s also fascinated by the diva’s decision to abandon her career for shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis. “She gave it all up in the name of love, only to be left because she gave it up,” says Mendes, who is developing a project based on a Callas biography by Nicholas Gage. She admits that the story has become something of an obsession for her, seeing in it, perhaps, resonances with her own dual passions. “I’m a modern woman in the sense of I take care of myself, I’m fiercely independent and I’m really ambitious,” she says. “Yet I have these old-school thoughts ingrained in my mind. I do like to belong to a man. I love having a man in my life and being his woman at the end of the day. I know it’s a dichotomy.”

If this were the game show Jeopardy ... I'd choose Things I'd rather stab myself in the eye with an unsharpened pencil than see. ... for $5000, Alex.

The answer: What is - Eva Mendes playing Maria Callas in any capacity whatsoever?

Kaiser, writer for the blog Cele|bitchy, says what I'm feeling in a much more diplomatic way:

Eva would be a terrible Callas. Just awful. I know that sounds mean, and I seriously don’t mean Eva any harm, because she’s actually pretty harmless, but please don’t let her play Callas. Callas was an old-school diva, a larger-than-life presence, all tragedy, all drama, all passion, all of the time. Eva is… pretty. That’s it. She can’t play the part. Throw a black wig on Meryl Streep, and she could do it. Not Eva.

I agree. Not Eva! Please ... NOT EVA!