BREAKING NEWS: Opera & Ballet

“I never will have peace of mind”

Wed, 14 Apr 2021 12:00:19 +0000

Happy 81st birthday actress Julie Christie.

Iolanta / Bluebeard’s Castle

Tue, 13 Apr 2021 21:32:35 +0000

Starring Anna Netrebko and Piotr Beczala in Iolanta, and Nadja Michael and Mikhail Petrenko in Bluebeard’s Castle, conducted by Valery Gergiev. Production by Mariusz Trelinski. From February 14, 2015.

I’m a diva, hey

Tue, 13 Apr 2021 12:00:39 +0000

Born on this day in 1931 soprano Anita Cerquetti.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaGucMLg8Ro

Born on this day in 1941 soprano Margaret Price.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBlxJHDtd3Q

Cendrillon

Mon, 12 Apr 2021 22:30:10 +0000

Starring Kathleen Kim, Joyce DiDonato, Alice Coote, Stephanie Blythe, and Laurent Naouri, conducted by Bertrand de Billy. Production by Laurent Pelly. From April 28, 2018.

Shostakovich - The Nose (YouTube)

Mon, 12 Apr 2021 21:47:00 +0000

I was recently bemused to see Shostakovich's The Nose described as 'rather tedious' in a blog post initially recommending a production of Cavalleria Rusticana, one of the most tedious operas I can think of, as 'interesting'. As I haven't seen the Shostakovich for ages (unlike Cav, I'm sorry to say), I decided to run a search on YT and was delighted to find Barrie Kosky's Covent Garden production available there in full.

Here it is (the opera starts 9 minutes 30 in).

Infrequent flyers in unfamiliar skies

Mon, 12 Apr 2021 19:46:27 +0000

Their romantic confusions create the action while the music explores their inner torments, or something like that.

The enchanted island in Flight is an airport (actually the Museum of Flight beside Boeing Field in Seattle), and the characters are miscellaneous travelers and some airline staff, trapped (by a storm of course—even Shakespeare got that right) in this region between the worlds, forced to cope and interact and fantasize. Do they want to get home—or is home the place they are trying to escape? Airports are a place between worlds, not destinations themselves. Not residences. Unless…

One of the characters is a wild card indeed—a Refugee who has reached the airport (hiding in a wheel) from his oppressive homeland but, without papers or money, does not know what to do next. He possesses magical stones, his only advantage—perhaps they will help other travelers who will, in turn, help him. Or will the phony stones arouse their rage? Will they go mad, like opera’s Orlando?

The story derives from the case of an Iranian refugee who hid out in Charles de Gaulle Airport for 18 years. This sounds unlikely, except that nowadays, with refugee camps all around the Mediterranean, it’s typical, and on the opera stage is echoed by Menotti’s The Consul, Argento’s Postcards from Morocco and Henze’s Raft of the Medusa.

Dove has capitalized on the Refugee’s position outside the accepted roles of this story, by making him a countertenor, vocally someplace between male and female. In Seattle, the role is taken by burly, bearded Randall Scotting, familiar to New Yorkers for his Handel, Bostonians for his Gluck, whose creamy, muscular alto soars suavely high when he remembers the agonizing cold of his journey.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=O35L90nbSVI

In 1998, the countertenor had not been part of the usual complement of singers for twentieth century opera, though Britten created Oberon and Philip Glass Akhnaton, using the countertenor range to express a lofty otherworldliness. Today, countertenors are more and more part of new operatic work, and Flight’s Refugee, the only character who is not gainfully employed, well-fed, rightly grounded on the premises, highlights the oddity, the eccentricity of this magical locale.

The stories otherwise are insubstantial and unrealistic. A businessman in a hurry whose very pregnant wife suddenly refuses to fly. A randy flight steward and a prim but not reluctant stewardess who fool around between chores. A married pair hoping to rekindle on an exotic vacation. A middle-aged woman hoping to meet a younger man she has been corresponding with—today, of course, she would not be allowed to wait in the lounge.

All the characters are self-involved, disinclined to help the scruffy refugee, tossing casual remarks from their solitudes. The lonely woman—Margaret Gawrysiak—for instance, pretends only to understand French in order to avoid questions. But she doesn’t actually know any French.

All their hopes are upended when a storm, grounding all flights until morning, is decreed by the Flight Controller—Sharleen Joynt, who has a lofty sound indeed, chilly for formalities but full of private, celestial ecstasies, a luscious voice, with far more body than the average high soprano.

The satirical plot doesn’t take itself too seriously. Had it premiered after 9/11, the misadventures of stranded plane passengers might have seemed in poor taste (although they got a Broadway musical out of that, didn’t they?), but happily Dove and his librettist, April De Angelis, dodged that bullet. Their fable recalls a more innocent time—but not one lacking in shadows. The characters reach out for emotional connections, and are often disappointed.

The score is a lively, attractive, expertly devised, tonal without being old-fashioned, relevant without forfeiting wit, human without too much sentimentality. (Of course the pregnant abandoned traveler will give birth in the departure lounge. You knew that the moment she came in.) The melodies are not, on first acquaintance, individual or irresistible but they move and agitate with the story. The orchestration is self-consciously brilliant, full of intriguing percussive effects, in a style that reminds me of Britten, and the vocal lines delight (as too few modern operas delight) in the voice and its sensuous and dramatic possibilities.

This includes—I am happy to say—several concertati. Many modern composers seem to forget that the great dramatic advantage of opera is that different words and different emotions can be expressed simultaneously in an opera with no loss of sense. Brian Staufenbiel (stage director) and Kyle Seago (video director) have likewise taken their cues: a septet of worried pre-flight characters presents itself in seven singing gadgets on a plane’s dashboard.

On stage, no doubt, they would stand and sing in a row—boring! The Flight Controller imagines herself soaring into the heavens or rolling on the grass. There is a merry quartet for two gentlemen and their ladies, the morning after the stormy night, when the ladies wonder how the gentlemen happen to have exchanged trousers in the dark. (Ah! That’s the Figaro esprit!)

The remaining singers, all unfamiliar to me, all young, personable, and possessing clear, easily produced voices that blend tidily in the concertati, are Karen Vuong (Tina), Sarah Larsen (Stewardess), Karin Mushegain (the pregnant Minskwoman), Joshua Kohl (Bill), Joseph Lattanzi (Steward), Aubrey Allicock (Minskman) and Damien Geter as the saturnine Immigration Officer, who has a heart of gold and declines a bribe. A more innocent age, that.

The Seattle Opera Orchestra—or part of it anyway—has been elegantly conducted by Viswa Subbaraman.

Flight has been streaming for Seattle Opera subscribers since April 3 and will continue through midnight on the 25^th. It will be available as pay per view from 7:00 PM on April 23 at seattleopera.org.

Ballet West Promotes Katlyn Addison and Hadriel Diniz to Principal; 8 Others Say Farewell

Mon, 12 Apr 2021 19:00:42 +0000

Last week, Ballet West announced that first soloists Katlyn Addison and Hadriel Diniz have been promoted to principal artist. The news marks a historic moment for the company.

Addison, who is Canadian, will be the first Black principal dancer in Ballet West's 58-year history. She joined BW in 2011 and has been steadily climbing the ranks since. In addition to a growing list of featured roles, she has also pursued choreography, creating several works for both Ballet West and University of Utah's dance department. In 2019, Addison participated in an artist exchange with Scottish Ballet, dancing the title role in that company's production of The Snow Queen. "She has dedicated her whole life to this art form, and methodically worked hard to get to this point, and she deserves this promotion," artistic director Adam Sklute has said in a statement on Ballet West's website. "I know she will continue to soar."

Diniz, who will be the company's first Brazilian principal, joined BW in 2015 after finishing his training on full scholarship at the San Francisco Ballet School. He's risen quickly through the ranks since, most recently performing the leading role in George Balanchine's Prodigal Son. Sklute praised Diniz's bravura technique. "He is also a consummate partner," Sklute continued, adding that he and Addison are "clear leaders."

The company also announced that several dancers would be retiring, including Katherine Lawrence and Arolyn Williams, two of its longtime ballerinas. Both dancers joined Ballet West in 2004 and have danced as principals since 2011 and 2013, respectively. Lawrence will give her farewell performance in Balanchine's "Emeralds" on Saturday, April 17. Williams, who gave her final performance in Onegin in 2019, has recently had a baby. First soloist Alexander MacFarlan; soloists Katie Critchlow and Emily Neale (Pointe's Summer 2020 cover star); demi-soloist Lindsay Bond; and corps members Jordan Richardson and Lucas Horns will also retire at the end of the season.

In other roster news, three former BW dancers are returning: Amy Potter, who joins as a soloist, and Kazlyn Nielsen and Anisa Sinteral, who will join the corps de ballet. Ballet West II dancers Jazz Khai Bynum, Isabella Martinez Corridon, Robert Fowler, Connor Hammond and Claire Wilson have been promoted to the main company. Congratulations and best wishes to all!

Dancers Share Their Key Takeaways After a Year of Dancing on Film

Mon, 12 Apr 2021 18:41:19 +0000

Creating dances specifically for film has become one of the most effective ways that ballet companies have connected with audiences and kept dancers employed during the pandemic. Around the world, dance organizations are finding opportunities through digital seasons, whether conceiving cinematic, site-specific pieces or filming works within a traditional theater. And while there is a consistent sentiment that nothing will ever substitute the thrill of a live show, dancers are embracing this new way of performing.

Still, it's been an adjustment. How are dancers developing performance energy? How can artistry best be communicated through the camera? What is the best angle to present technique? Dance Theatre of Harlem's Derek Brockington explains that dancing for film is "about acknowledging that it's not going to be the same experience—it's a different way of dancing." Below, Brockington and several other dancers share their takeaways after a year of dancing on camera.

Adapting to New Spaces and Timelines

Rehearsing in the back of a crowded studio used to seem like a challenge, but since the pandemic began last year Zoom rehearsals became the norm, and gave new perspective to exploring movement in small spaces. Dancing an entirely digital season this year, Jessy Dick, a company apprentice at The Washington Ballet, explains that learning contemporary movement via Zoom last fall was confusing to translate into the body. "It is hard to feel the movement," says Dick. "I never realized how expansive moving in the studio can feel. The walls mess with your head."

Dick had to adapt and develop mind flexibility, which she says later carried over when the company began dancing in site-specific locations and adjusting to the quick pace of a filming day. When shooting Something Human, by TWB artist Andile Ndlovu, last October, considerations such as natural lighting and weather shaped a single day of filming at Maryland's Patapsco Female Institute. There was little time for dancers to acquaint themselves with the space, adapt and, as Dick says, "just go for it." Yet she adds that the challenge of performing outdoors on unfamiliar surfaces and in tennis shoes or bare feet was balanced by the inspiration of dancing with the wind and sunshine. "The location fueled us to be able to turn it on and off quick," she says, especially when doing multiple takes throughout the day.

Even when filming in the familiar confines of a theater, the recording experience can be intense. San Francisco Ballet principal Aaron Robison describes recording George Balanchine's Jewels at the War Memorial Opera House in January as "one run-through, notes and then a quick touch-up, and we did it again." While rehearsing his role in "Emeralds" was relatively typical (save Balanchine répétiteur Sandra Jennings coaching via Zoom instead of in the studio), the recording day included two back-to-back run-throughs. When asked how he rallies performance-level energy multiple times in a row, Robison explains that knowing that a performance run is complete in one single day of filming gives him the fortitude to push to his max.

Turning On Performance Mode—Without the Audience

The energy between dancers and audience members during a live performance is hard to replicate digitally. Since films are often shot from different angles, dancers have had to explore how to project through different parts of the body and with specificity, depending on the shot. "It involves more thinking than you normally have to do," says Brockington. He says he has to have keen awareness of where the camera is, while also trying to project beyond it and considering the different angles it is potentially capturing.

While Robison's filming process of Jewels was a straight run-through from one angle, he was still performing to an empty theater. Yet he says he drew energy from "the fact that we haven't been able to perform for all this time, and I felt fortunate in that moment being back on the stage."

Regardless of the circumstances, being committed to the moment is imperative for a filmed performance to be effective. Not only do viewers need to feel it, dancers want to do justice to the choreography in a way that stands the test of time. "That's the thing with a film," says Robison. "It stays."

Reaching a Global Audience

One of the major advantages to online performances is that anyone can watch from anywhere in the world. On a personal level, dancers from international backgrounds can share their dancing with family, friends and teachers who supported their training. From a more global perspective, virtual performances allow dancers and companies to share their missions on a broader platform.

When DTH initially created Dancing Through Harlem, a virtual submission for Harlem Week last August, it went viral with over 7.6 million views. Brockington and his roommate, fellow DTH dancer Alexandra Hutchinson, conceived, produced and edited the film—with choreography based on Robert Garland's New Bach and set throughout beautiful spaces in Harlem—over seven days in August using an iPad. Not expecting to reach such a large audience, Brockington says that the video's popularity is why representation matters. "I grew up not seeing many ballet dancers who looked like me." Brockington says he was honored to share his dancing and the stunning architecture of Harlem with the world while representing DTH's mission of inclusivity and accessibility.

Another audience added to the pool of viewers is the dancers themselves. Waiting for a film to debut can produce greater anticipation than pre-performance jitters, especially when you're not sure what the final product will look like. Robison explains that while he knows which takes he felt particularly good about, the chosen cut will be what best represents the entire cast—and that isn't revealed until the film is released.

For dancers, being able to watch the work they were a part of is a reward that is entirely new. "There's nothing that compares to the feeling of performing onstage," says Dick. "But it was beautiful to watch my colleagues blossom in front of the camera."

Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia Associated With the AstraZeneca Vaccine

Mon, 12 Apr 2021 15:46:18 +0000

The COVID-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca (AZ) has been widely used in Europe, but not in the US. Its technical nomenclature is a recombinant adenoviral vector encoding the spike protein antigen of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (ChAdOx1 nCov-19. Not long after the introduction of this vaccine cases of clots associated with low platelet counts began to be sporadically reported. As this disorder was of low magnitude it was at first tempting to write it off as an anomaly.

But two reports in the New England Journal of Medicine indicate that this combination of thrombocytopenia and clots is a true, albeit rare, complication of the AZ vaccine. To read these two reports go here and here. Both groups of investigators uncovered the same mechanism for this vaccine-induced disorder.

The Norwegian group reported that “[a]s of March 20, 2021, when administration of the vaccine was paused, a total of 132,686 persons in Norway had received the first dose of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine and none had received the second dose. Within 10 days after receiving a first immunization with ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, five health care workers 32 to 54 years of age presented with thrombosis in unusual sites and severe thrombocytopenia. Four of the patients had major cerebral hemorrhage.”

Another cohort of 11 patients with the same characteristics from Germany and Austria were studied. “Nine were women, with a median age of 36 years (range, 22 to 49). Beginning 5 to 16 days after vaccination, the patients presented with one or more thrombotic events, with the exception of 1 patient, who presented with fatal intracranial hemorrhage. Of the patients with one or more thrombotic events, 9 had cerebral venous thrombosis, 3 had splanchnic-vein thrombosis, 3 had pulmonary embolism, and 4 had other thromboses; of these patients, 6 died.”

All the patients had high levels of antibodies to platelet factor 4–polyanion complexes. Heparin is well known to cause thrombotic thrombocytopenia by causing antibodies to PF-4 polyanion complexes in susceptible subjects, but these patients were not treated with heparin. Thus, a new syndrome has been added to the woes of mankind – vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT). So far, this disorder is unique to the AZ vaccine.

How common is VITT? Not very. Over 20 million people have received the AZ shot. So the odds of getting this syndrome are on the order of one in a million, but if you’re that one it’s a big deal. Heparin is still widely used despite this unwanted side effect. If you’re a public health official looking at the big picture you’d likely advise to continue administering the vaccine. If you’re a patient who has a choice of which vaccine to take, you’d likely want to avoid the AZ product if possible. If that’s all that’s available and you are in a high risk group for severe COVID-19 infection, you’d be wise to take the AZ drug.

That there are side effects to any drug is inevitable. A therapeutic without unwanted events will not have any desirable ones. When looking at vaccines that have been rushed into widespread use at record speed no one should be surprised at untoward reactions. When a complication occurs at the frequency that seems to be that of VITT it is almost certain that it wouldn’t be found in clinical trials that involve thousands, not millions of subjects.

Divas need love too

Mon, 12 Apr 2021 12:00:27 +0000

Born on this day in 1898 soprano Lily Pons.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6zOjeseitY

Born on this day in 1933 soprano Montserrat Caballê.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgbU88Pyq6I

Happy 73rd birthday soprano Mariella Devia.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=3y_qjYkUs90

Born on this day in 1923 Tsarina of Tap Ann Miller.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4jXDGAeQQg

Luisa Miller

Sun, 11 Apr 2021 21:51:53 +0000

Starring Sonya Yoncheva, Olesya Petrova, Piotr Beczala, Plácido Domingo, Alexander Vinogradov, and Dmitry Belosselskiy, conducted by Bertrand de Billy. Production by Elijah Moshinsky. From April 14, 2018.

Greece is the word

Sun, 11 Apr 2021 16:14:49 +0000

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJm2YMgWEgw

On this day in 1975 soprano Katia Ricciarelli made her Met debut as Mimì.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rxnbnENC40

On this day in 2008 the first Metropolitan Opera performance of Philip Glass‘ Satyagraha.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCGmbzRz9Ws

Birthday anniversaries of conductor Albert Coates (1882), baritone Hans Reinmar (1895), composer Alberto Ginastera (1916), soprano Erna Spoorenberg (1926), bass Kurt Moll (1938) and tenor Arthur Davies (1941).

Roméo et Juliette

Sat, 10 Apr 2021 21:01:41 +0000

Starring Anna Netrebko, Roberto Alagna, Nathan Gunn, and Robert Lloyd, conducted by Plácido Domingo. Production by Guy Joosten. From December 15, 2007.

La Bohème

Sat, 10 Apr 2021 15:19:49 +0000

Performance from October 2, 2017: Alexander Soddy conducts Angel Blue (Mimì), Brigitte Kele (Musetta), Dmytro Popov (Rodolfo), Lucas Meachem (Marcello), Duncan Rock (Schaunard), David Soar (Colline), Paul Plishka (Benoit/Alcindoro).

Kiss me and kill me

Sat, 10 Apr 2021 12:00:19 +0000

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vm4WVkD8uZo

On this day in 1996 tenor Roberto Alagna made his Met debut as Rodolfo.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNSyvPN7EPQ

Happy 94th birthday tenor Luigi Alva.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xqRx5ggOqs

Birthday anniversaries of composer Eugen d’Albert (1864), conductor Victor De Sabata (1892) and director and administrator Herbert Graf (1904).

The Nose

Fri, 09 Apr 2021 21:55:20 +0000

Starring Andrey Popov, Alexander Lewis, and Paulo Szot, conducted by Pavel Smelkov. Production by William Kentridge. From October 26, 2013.

Check Out These 2021 Summer Intensives Especially for Adults

Fri, 09 Apr 2021 20:27:37 +0000

After a year of shuttered studios, virtual-only classes, and waving to ballet buddies over Zoom, summer intensives are back. For adult students, packing up for a few days of intensive training might seem like a pipe dream, as many of us spent the last year trying to fit in ballet classes while juggling work and, for those of us with kids, remote learning. With the country opening up again, let's start planning (safely!) for workshops that allow us to jump into technique, conditioning and, of course, high-elbowing some new friends.

For in-person intensives, please check the studio's website for detailed health and safety guidelines, including policies on masks, cleaning/hygiene, social distancing, and the policy on having to cancel in-person programs due to COVID-19 restrictions.

CALIFORNIA

Alonzo King LINES Ballet Adult Dance Intensive (virtual only, via Zoom)

May 28–31, San Francisco

Immerse yourself in the celebrated home of Alonzo King, the artistic visionary who created LINES 39 years ago. Now in its second year as a virtual offering, this four-day workshop includes ballet, yoga, Pilates, choreography and contemporary. Students also have the option to drop in to class if they can't commit to all four days.

KENTUCKY

Lexington Ballet Adult Ballet Intensive

July 12–16, Lexington

Why should thoroughbreds have all the fun of training in the horse capital of the world? Reach new heights in your training at Lexington Ballet's Adult Ballet Intensive. Join school directors Luis and Nancy Dominguez and principal instructor Ayoko Lloyd for a five-day workshop that includes conditioning, Pilates, technique and repertoire. All classes are held in the evenings, and the program welcomes beginning through advanced students.

Louisville Ballet Adult Summer Intensive

May 31–June 4, Louisville

Polish off a glass of sweet tea (or two), and then work up a sweet sweat at Louisville Ballet's Adult Summer Intensive. Geared towards beginning through advanced levels, students ages 18+ can take part in half- or full days of training. Classes offered include technique, pointe and jump strengthening, modern, Pilates and yoga. Students will also perform in a livestreamed performance on the final day.

MASSACHUSETTS

Brookline Ballet School Adult Summer Ballet Intensive

June 23–27, Brookline

The Red Sox and New England Patriots may get a bulk of the glory in Beantown, but the city is also a mecca for ballet. At Brookline Ballet School's Adult Summer Ballet Intensive, students (beginner or intermediate level) will spend three weeknights and two weekend mornings in technique and repertoire classes, wrapping up with an informal performance on Sunday afternoon.

NEW YORK

Kat Wildish Presents (virtual, via Zoom)

June 14–25 and July 12–23

Join master ballet teacher Kat Wildish in a virtual intensive that aims to take your training to the next level. Each day, in one-hour classes, Kat will lead students of all levels from basic to advanced in various ballet exercises. The group will be limited to 20 dancers, so each person will get personal attention.

OHIO

artÉmotion Adult Ballet Summer Workshop

June 14–19, Cleveland

Head to the Buckeye State for a week of training under the tutelage of Ballet West first soloist Allison DeBona and principal Rex Tilton. In this Adult Ballet Summer Workshop, beginner and intermediate/advanced students will fine-tune their skills in two classes every morning: a 90-minute technique class followed by a one-hour class in one of the following disciplines: pointe/pre-pointe, acting, men's and women's variations, conditioning.

PENNSYLVANIA

Amy Novinski

May 24–28 and June 28–July 2, Philadelphia

Those interested in the Vaganova technique may want to check out Amy Novinski's Adult Workshops. For the five-day May workshop, newbie dancers can look forward to classes devoted to ballet, jazz and yoga. For those more advanced, the June workshop offers more rigorous technique, contemporary ballet, pre-pointe/beginner pointe and jazz.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Ballet Academy of Charleston Adult Summer Intensive

July 26–30 and August 2–6, Charleston

Embrace the low-country charm in historic Charleston, where a weeklong Adult Summer Intensive at the Ballet Academy of Charleston invites beginning through advanced students to take classes in technique, stretching/Pilates/yoga, pre-pointe or pointe (for advanced students), variations, jazz, modern, contemporary and choreography. You may choose the half-day or full-day program.

TEXAS

Houston Ballet Adult Intensive

June 1–5, Houston

For intermediate/advanced students with at least three years of ballet training, Houston Ballet's Adult Intensive might be the perfect place to hone your skills. The school has two-, three- or five-day options, and includes ballet technique, variations, yoga and Zumba.

UTAH

May 31–June 5, Salt Lake City

Ballet West welcomes students of all levels to artÉmotion's one-week Adult Ballet Summer Intensive. Classes include ballet, contemporary, pointe, jazz, modern, acting, and men and women's variations. Available in full-day or half-day options, those dancing only in the morning will take two 90-minute technique classes. The full-day experience offers the opportunity to be choreographed on for an in-studio performance on Saturday, June 5. All students will also have a professional dance photo shoot with Logan Sorenson.

INTERNATIONAL

The August Ballet Retreat in Leeds

August 28–30, Leeds, UK

The three-day August Ballet Retreat in Leeds offers classes for students of all abilities. The mornings are devoted to technique, and in the afternoon, students will focus on repertoire. In the past, The Ballet Retreat has taught solos from Sleeping Beauty, Romeo and Juliet and Giselle. One detail is still tentative: If the retreat is unable to take place in person due to the pandemic, it will be offered virtually over Zoom.

Morlaix International Adult Ballet Camp

July 2–10, Morlaix, France

The Morlaix International Adult Ballet Camp is in the heart of France's Brittany region. In this full-day intensive, intermediate through advanced-level students will be led by an international faculty. Dancers can look forward to morning ballet classes and rehearsals in the afternoon. The week of training wraps up with a performance of Bournonville's Napoli at a nearby theater. Please contact the school for information about room and board.

Pelléas et Mélisande

Fri, 09 Apr 2021 13:58:44 +0000

Recorded in March 2021. New production of the Opéra de Lille.

From an unknown woman

Fri, 09 Apr 2021 13:03:06 +0000

On this day in 1992 soprano Deborah Polaski made her Met debut as Kundry.

Pre-Professional Program students performing in Aspire ’21 showcase

Fri, 09 Apr 2021 08:50:39 +0000

Queensland Ballet Academy’s Pre-Professional Program dancers will take to the stage from 20 – 22 May 2021, showcasing their technique and artistry in the annual showcase Aspire ’21. Photo :...

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Mahler - Abschied. In memory of David Caille, 1986-2014

Fri, 09 Apr 2021 05:22:00 +0000

I had tickets to see Ann Hallenberg in Mahler's Song of the Earth in Berlin on April 5 2014, but had to cancel the whole trip for work. On April 8, this clip of Ann singing the Abschied was published on YouTube. On April 9, David, at just 27, took his own life and we lost an artist who could, I sincerely believe, even now have brought something quite new to the art of painting. For me, this Abschied has always been, since then, a farewell to David.

As Peter Doig said, he will not be forgotten.

The following Saturday, on a beautiful sunny day up in the snow-capped mountains: deep blue sky, white blossoms on the trees... I was at his funeral, where the crowd of those who loved him was such that many had to stay outside the church among the mountains of flowers, and inside, this was played:

'Now I've heard there was a secret chord / That David played, and it pleased the Lord..'

Francesca da Rimini

Thu, 08 Apr 2021 21:27:28 +0000

Starring Renata Scotto, Plácido Domingo, and Cornell MacNeil, conducted by James Levine. Production by Piero Faggioni. From April 7, 1984.

Why Planning Summer Study This Year Is More Complicated Than Ever

Thu, 08 Apr 2021 19:21:23 +0000

When it comes to navigating summer intensives, 2021 may be more complicated for ballet students than last year. On the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic's spring spike in 2020, summer programs went all-virtual or had very limited capacity. This year is more of a mixed bag, with regulations and restrictions varying widely across state and county lines and changing week by week.

Between vaccines and variants, can students aim for a full calendar of intensive training at local and national summer programs?

In-Studio Classes, Lower Enrollment

Many schools affiliated with major companies are finding ways to make in-person intensives possible, with some offering housing. However, they're doing so at smaller scales to enable social distancing. For instance, at San Francisco Ballet School, administrators have decreased enrollment by 25 percent compared to normal years. Boston Ballet School's Summer Dance Program is expecting to land at two-thirds enrollment overall in both its classes and housing, as compared to a non-pandemic year. While in-person classes are a big improvement from last year, smaller enrollment at major schools means that a large number of students can't be accommodated.

This stressful situation may be heightened by waitlists for those coveted in-person slots. "Yes, waitlists are longer. That said, we've never used one before, so we don't have a good comparison to base that off of," confirms Dave Czesniuk, managing director of Boston Ballet School, over email. "We are sensing a lot of 'wait and see' from the population. We won't be allotting any additional acceptances, since we filled our enrollment and waitlist so fast."

Luckily, the pandemic uncertainty has also meant that some programs are announcing plans later and still hosting auditions through April and May—check out Pointe's Summer Study Guide, which is regularly updated.

Should You Go In-Person or Virtual?

Many top-tier intensives, like the ones mentioned above, will offer a combination of in-person training and virtual classes (expanding the latter as a contingent plan if outbreaks occur). Smaller, bubble-like programs are also worth considering, and may be more conducive for social distancing, whether commuter-based or residential. For example, Michigan's Interlochen Center for the Arts, which is offering a virtual option and on-site programs, has outdoor studios, cabin-style housing spaced out on a wooded campus and regular testing.

Other schools are only offering virtual intensives. For example, American Ballet Theatre is not holding in-person programming at its Southern California location and is waiting for more information from its Texas, Florida and Alabama university partners before deciding whether those will be in-person. (The New York City intensive, also still tentative, does not offer housing.)

There are pros and cons to each type of intensive, and you should take into account your current training and career goals, as well as safety, when deciding which to attend. For example, younger students, with their shorter attention spans, may be best served at a program that lets them train in person, so that they can take a full class through grand allégro and receive in-person, dedicated corrections.

Alternately, older students often see summer sessions as a chance to get in front of a director and potentially earn a traineeship or apprentice contract down the road. Joseph Morrissey, dance director at Interlochen Center for the Arts, acknowledges that his older students looking to train away from home this summer may feel pressure to network at company-attached programs. But while vaccines may be possible for students over the age of 16 by summertime, he says, he wants them to be vigorous in selecting an intensive for its safety protocols. "I would never sacrifice safety over networking."

Kate Lydon, director of ABT's summer intensives, notes that virtual intensives can be a great place to safely network. She points out that ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School director Cynthia Harvey, ABT Studio Company director Sascha Radetsky and ABT artistic director Kevin McKenzie will be teaching at all of the company's two-week virtual intensives—and confirms they will be keeping an eye out for new talent. "These three see more students over Zoom than they normally would because usually they would only be present at our New York program."

Staying Local

This summer may see more dancers staying close to home. Elizabeth Hutter, principal at New Ballet School in San Jose, California, is leery of sending her students to in-person residential programs due to the risk of a COVID-19 outbreak. "What might look sure right now might be unsafe in two weeks," she says. Her dancer daughter, 18-year-old Sarah Patterson, has decided to stay home this summer to take advantage of in-person classes at the New Ballet School's outdoor studio.

Katie Slattery, a faculty member at The Florida Ballet, is seeing a similar trend and says this is a genuine concern for families. "Most of our advanced year-round students who typically go away to an intensive are enrolling here for summer because their parents don't want to send them away due to COVID."

Hutter also notes that many families have been economically impacted by the pandemic, making a residential program—or finding housing if it's not provided—financially challenging. She adds that some schools are charging just as much for their virtual sessions, and that not all families have the same access to at-home training accommodations, like wide space and portable flooring. If your family isn't in a position to pay for full-priced programs, training at your local studio may be the more economical fit with the lowest health risk.

Design Your Own Hybrid Curriculum

To get the best of both studio training and national networking, Lydon suggests combining in-person and virtual programs, if possible. For instance, you could start or end your summer with a short virtual session and also attend a local, socially distanced one.

If that's not an option, keep in mind that the wealth of online training resources, from master classes to cross-training to at-home technique and pointe classes, is likely to continue into 2021. While a smattering of Instagram and YouTube classes can't replace a dedicated training schedule and live teacher corrections, strategically selected virtual classes may help supplement your local training.

Morrissey's advice is to keep everything in perspective. Understand that many students are in the same boat this year, and one summer won't make or break your career if you keep dancing and stay positive. "At the end of the day, the art form is not going anywhere," he says. "It's on maybe a little bit of a pause, it's not fun, it's not comfortable, but we will come back."

Who wants to ‘Live’ forever?

Thu, 08 Apr 2021 18:24:57 +0000

Wagnerians in Concert on Saturday, May 8 at 1pm EST features sopranos Christine Goerke and Elza van den Heever, tenor Andreas Schager and baritone Michael Volle, live from the Hessisches Staatstheater, in Wiesbaden, Germany.

The performance, with piano accompaniment by Craig Terry, will include arias and duets from Wagner’s Der Fliegende Holländer, Lohengrin, Parsifal, Das Rheingold, Tannhäuser, and Die Walküre, as well as songs by Richard Strauss. Also on the program is Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder and the final scene from Strauss’s Die Frau ohne Schatten, with both selections featuring all four artists.

Three Divas showcases sopranos Ailyn Pérez and Nadine Sierra and mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard, live from the Opéra Royal—Château de Versailles, in France, on May 22.

This concert is presented in association with the Opéra Royal du Château de Versailles, whose glorious 250-year-old theater, inaugurated for Marie Antoinette’s royal wedding, will be the venue for the performance. The complete program will be announced shortly.

The program for the Wagnerians concert is as follows:

“Dich, teure Halle”
From Wagner’s Tannhäuser

“Allerseelen,” Op. 10, No. 8
By Richard Strauss

“Cäcilie,” Op. 27, No. 2
By Richard Strauss

“Wie Todesahnung … O du, mein holder Abendstern”
From Wagner’s Tannhäuser

“Ein Schwert verhiess mir der Vater”
From Wagner’s Die Walküre

Wesendonck Lieder, WWV 91
“Der Engel”
“Stehe still!”
“Im Treibhaus”
“Schmerzen”
“Träume”
By Richard Wagner

“Wirst du des Vaters Wahl nicht schelten?”
From Wagner’s Der Fliegende Holländer

“Winterstürme wichen dem Wonnemond … Du bist der Lenz”
From Wagner’s Die Walküre

“Abendlich strahlt der Sonne Auge”
From Wagner’s Das Rheingold

“Nur eine Waffe taugt”
From Wagner’s Parsifal

“Euch Lüften … Entweihte Götter!”
From Wagner’s Lohengrin

“Nun will ich jubeln”
From R. Strauss’s Die Frau ohne Schatten

Soprano Angel Blue has withdrawn from her previously announced recital for personal reasons.

Photo: Ken Howard

I, Franco

Thu, 08 Apr 2021 14:00:11 +0000

Never having been a rabid, card-carrying Corelli fan, I was surprised to discover how swiftly Metcentric the tenor’s career became after his debut 60 years ago this January. True, he’d often pop over to Philadelphia, but he appeared only five times with the San Francisco Opera: Tosca with Dorothy Kirsten.

His other outings during November 1965 were three in Los Angeles and this single San Diego Fanciulla. The year before, he had made his Chicago Lyric debut in today’s Opening Night Trovatore followed by Carmen (again with Bumbry), then La Bohème the next fall opposite Mirella Freni immediately after her Met debut. Then that’s it for both companies.

But the US public beyond the East Coast wasn’t denied Corelli as he headlined the Met’s spring tours for a startling 12 of his 15 seasons with the company! These then make up a substantial portion of his 369 Met appearances.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FTRRtBzT04

Where La Scale heard the tenor in rare works like Il Pirata, Poliuto, Les Huguenots (or rather, Gli Ugonotti), La Battaglia di Legnano and Handel’s Giulio Cesare and Hercules, the US only got Corelli in his traditional repertoire—19 roles with the Met.

In addition to many expected iterations of Turandot, Tosca, and Aïda, there were anomalies like three Macduffs in Macbeth during the 1973 tour and just one Edgardo (several days later he dropped out of a second Lucia after the first act!). His Pollione in Norma with Rita Hunter and Frederica von Stade was scheduled for the fall of 1975 but he withdrew after the dress rehearsal and never again appeared with the Met.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mv6JORvDERc

In a brief interview included after the conclusion of the Chicago Trovatore Corelli remarks that his favorite role is Don José (because they’re so alike!) but strangely he never did Carmen at either the old or new Met. He did appear however in two 1968 parks performances opposite Rosalind Elias—in the Bronx and Queens, no less, while Manhattan and Staten Island got Barry Morell! But local Corelli fans surely traipsed to Philadelphia to see his José stab Marilyn Horne in 1962, then Regina Resnik in 1971. The latter proved to be his final appearance in that city.

Further puzzles arise around Corelli’s choices. Why after 1964 did he break with La Scala, a company for whom he opened eight of the 11 seasons he appeared there, beginning with his debut in 1954 opposite Maria Callas in La Vestale? What delayed his Met debut until he was nearly 40?

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHQl7H-jxMg

In addition to the intense curiosity about his tackling Otello, why did he never take on Des Grieux in Manon Lescaut, a role so obviously suited to him–particularly after his white-hot duet with Renata Tebaldi at the gala that closed the old Met?

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=kf9J794LukA

Corelli was still a force when I began to listen to the Saturday afternoon Met broadcasts, but I wasn’t much of fan back then. His sobbing and peculiar lisp bothered me as well as his awful French diction in Roméo et Juliette and Werther. Later I came across several earlier live performances–particularly a spectacular Met Ernani broadcast with Leontyne Price—that made me more of a believer.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClkIjVyS4yA

A few warnings about these recordings: the primitive-sounding in-house Fanciulla isn’t the easiest listening experience but it captures Corelli’s Dick Johnson opposite the intense Minnie of San Francisco Opera favorite, ill-fated Australian soprano Marie Collier (which whom he also appeared in a single Bohème at the Met where she was due to repeat Fanciulla, an engagement canceled by the 1969 strike).

The Trovatore broadcast is an example of that maddening species where the announcer occasionally speaks over the music—ugh! But it’s worth putting up with to catch one of Corelli’s final US Manricos mothered by a fiery Bumbry who was 16 years younger than her son!

When Herbert von Karajan brought Corelli and his legendary Salzburg Festival Trovatore in which the tenor appeared with Price, Giulietta Simionato and Ettore Bastianini to the Vienna Staatsoper in 1963, their Leonora was Ligabue. The Italian soprano, perhaps best known for her Alice Ford in Falstaff, performed a number of roles in Chicago and Dallas but just once in New York: Donizetti’s Maria di Rohan in New York with the American Opera Society.

Puccini: La Fanciulla del West

San Francisco Opera in San Diego
10 November 1965
In-house recording

Minnie — Marie Collier
Wowkle — Claudia White
Dick Johnson — Franco Corelli
Jack Rance — Chester Ludgin
Nick — Howard Fried
Larkens — Adib Fazah
Joe — Robert Glover
Harry — William Whitesides
Handsome — Winther Andersen
Happy — David Giosso
Sid — Colin harvey
Sonora — Richard Fredricks
Trin — Raymond Manton
Jake Wallace — John West
Ashby — Joshua Hecht
Postillion — James Eitze
Jose Castro — Pietro Menci
Billy Jackrabbit — Andrew Foldi

Conductor — Francesco Molinari-Pradelli

Verdi: Il Trovatore

Lyric Opera of Chicago
9 October 1964
Broadcast

Leonora — Ilva Ligabue
Azucena — Grace Bumbry
Inez — Elizabeth Mannion
Manrico — Franco Corelli
Count di Luna — Mario Zanasi
Ferrando — Ivo Vinco
Ruiz — Robert Schmorr

Conductor — Bruno Bartoletti

The Corelli Fanciulla and Trovatore can be downloaded by clicking on the icon of a square with an arrow pointing downward on the audio player above and the resulting mp3 files will appear in your download directory.

Ligabue can also be heard in another Corelli specialty—Giordano’s Andrea Chènier— but she marches to the guillotine instead with Jon Vickers.

In addition, more than 400 other podcast tracks are always available from Apple Podcasts for free, or via any RSS reader.

The archive which lists all Trove Thursday offerings in alphabetical order by composer was up-to-dated in late December.

Ice queen

Thu, 08 Apr 2021 12:00:34 +0000

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZn8uU-FNSw

Born on this day in 1921 tenor Franco Corelli.

On this day in 1876 Ponchelli’s La Gioconda premiered in Milan

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxcHfYsP2Y0

Birthday anniversaries of conductors Adrian Boult (1889) and Josef Krips (1902); tenors Raoul Jobin (1906), Paul Kuen (1910) and Walter Raffeiner (1947); bass-baritone Walter Berry (1929); baritone John Reardon (1930) and soprano Sabine Hass (1949).

Happy birthday to erstwhile parterre box scribe Joel Rozen.

Finale 28 – Das Rheingold

Thu, 08 Apr 2021 01:00:20 +0000

Wagner wrote the librettos for the four Ring operas in reverse order. The music, however, was composed in the correct sequence. Das Rheingold lays the foundation for the long slog ahead. As it’s all in one act, allowing no chance for a bathroom break, it lasts only 2 hours and 20 minutes, give or take a bit depending on who’s waving the baton.

Wagner considered the work as prologue for the three succeeding operas. Basically, Rheingold sets in motion the disastrous consequences of buying more house than you can afford, of incurring a debt that you cannot hope to pay off, and contracting with a builder whose price is fluid. It can be seen as a metaphor for the world’s current economic malaise. If Wotan had settled for an ordinary McMansion the three remaining operas would have been superfluous. But the king of the gods insisted on bringing the whole family along and housing them in more than splendid surroundings, thus setting in motion the three bladder busters that followed.

The finale of the opera, The Entry of the Gods into Valhalla, depicts the grandeur of taking possession of overpriced digs as well as the apprehension engendered by the realization that there’s a huge mortgage hanging over the place that contains a lot of killer clauses. But at least for the moment things are grand.

This excerpt is from a 1990 performance with James Morris as Wotan and the late James Levine conducting the Met orchestra.

Eugene Onegin

Wed, 07 Apr 2021 22:02:32 +0000

Starring Anna Netrebko, Elena Maximova, Alexey Dolgov, Peter Mattei, and Stefan Kocan, conducted by Robin Ticciati. Production by Deborah Warner. From April 22, 2017.

Our god is an awesome god

Wed, 07 Apr 2021 20:51:37 +0000

Our Own Henson Keys will make his opera debut in the role of Wotan in Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Twilight: Gods, directed by Yuval Sharon and starring Christine Goerke.

10 Online Ballet Performances to Catch in April

Wed, 07 Apr 2021 19:09:48 +0000

Spring is in full bloom with another round of exciting digital dance offerings. This month, companies across the country are releasing world premieres, season finales, artistic collaborations and more. We've rounded up some highlights below.

New York City Ballet

On April 8, New York City Ballet presents When We Fell, a world premiere by Kyle Abraham starring company dancers Taylor Stanley, India Bradley, Jonathan Fahoury, Christopher Grant, Claire Kretzschmar, Lauren Lovette, KJ Takahashi and Sebastian Villarini-Velez. Filmed by cinematographer Ryan Marie Helfant and shot on the promenade and stage of the David H. Koch Theater, When We Fell celebrates a return to the Lincoln Center grounds after a period of emptiness. The film will remain available for free through April 22 via the NYCB website and YouTube channel.

Ballet Austin

Later this month, Ballet Austin artistic director Stephen Mills premieres his PRELUDES/BEGINNINGS, a new dance film celebrating Austin's historic Scottish Rite Theater and the "ghost light" tradition. Set to Chopin's 24 Preludes, the piece reflects on the ghostly nature of an empty stage and considers historical parallels between the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic and the present-day coronavirus. Audiences can sign up to receive free access to the film April 15–25 via the company website.

Seattle Dance Collective

NYCB principal Sara Mearns stars as Juliet in Gallop Apace, a new dance film presented by Seattle Dance Collective running April 15–22. Directed and choreographed by Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber, the piece explores strength, transition and womanhood and is inspired by an often overlooked scene from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Tickets are $5; go to the SDC website for more details.

Post:ballet

On April 1, San Francisco–based contemporary ballet company Post:ballet released a short dance film reimagining Act II of Swan Lake. Shot along the San Francisco Bay in view of the Golden Gate Bridge, company dancers waltz and jeté across the sand in artistic director and founder Robert Dekkers' 15-minute contemporary take on the classic ballet. You can watch Post:ballet's Swan Lake for free via the company's YouTube channel.

San Francisco Ballet

Now through April 21, San Francisco Ballet is streaming George Balanchine's three-act Jewels. While "Rubies" and "Diamonds" is archival footage, the opening ballet "Emeralds" is a new performance capture with role debuts by Misa Kuranaga, Angelo Greco, Sasha Mukhamedov and Aaron Robison. For $29, viewers can purchase 72-hour on-demand access to the stream via the SFB website.

Houston Ballet

Houston Ballet continues its eight-week film program In Good Company, which premiered on March 10, through the end of this month. Each film features choreography by artistic director Stanton Welch and music by the Canadian acoustic quartet The Dead South. The program releases one new video each week on the company's website, YouTube channel and social media pages, where online viewers can access them for free. Check out the released films Honey You, Achilles, The Recap, Long Gone and That Bastard Son now.

Colorado Ballet

Colorado Ballet wraps up its 2020–21 season with its online premiere of Through It All, a program of classical and contemporary repertoire that includes new works created by company dancers. While the program marks Colorado Ballet's return to the live stage, all six performances April 10–11 and 17–18 will be livestreamed in real time. Viewers can purchase virtual tickets up to one hour before the performance for $25 per individual or $40 per household via the company website.

Dayton Ballet

Dayton Ballet presents a condensed production of artistic director Karen Russo Burke's Cinderella at the Victoria Theatre April 23–25. The 3 pm EDT performance on April 24 will also be livestreamed and remain available for on-demand viewing through June 30. Viewers can purchase $25 tickets for online access via the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance website.

Miami City Ballet and Paul Taylor Dance Company

On April 1, Miami City Ballet and Paul Taylor Dance Company premiered the new collaborative virtual performance ViVa, which celebrates the joint history of ballet and modern dance. Choreographed by Amy Hall Garner and set to music by Vivaldi, the piece travels from Miami's Lincoln Road to Manhattan's Lower East Side and features MCB soloist Samantha Hope Galler and PTDC dancer John Harnage. ViVa will remain online permanently for free via MCB's and PTDC's websites and social media channels.

Pennsylvania Ballet

Pennsylvania Ballet continues its digital spring season with its second installment, Resilience, streaming April 29–May 5. The program features a solo, by principal Jermel Johnson, from Dwight Rhoden's And So It Is..., as well as performances of George Balanchine's Allegro Brillante, Christopher Wheeldon's Polyphonia and Angel Corella's Raymonda Suite. Viewers can purchase online access to season installments for $25 each via the company website.

Threepenny Submarine

Wed, 07 Apr 2021 16:45:02 +0000

Rachel Krehm and co’s latest project Threepenny Submarine is now live on the Opera 5 Youtube channel. It’s a collaboration between Opera 5 and Gazelle Automations and features two (puppet) singers on a quest in a submarine. It stars Caitlin Wood as a Rossini singing cockatiel with a tidiness fetish, which doesn’t seem terribly like Cait (at least the tidiness thing. Of course she can sing Rossini), and Rachel Krehm as a messy Wagnerian vixen, which sounds about right. It’s designed for kids but it’s quite funny and very cute and should work for kids of all ages.

Also on the tubes, The Crossing have produced an animated watercolour video of one of the tracks from their recent recording of Gavin Bryars’ A Native Hill.

Fidelio

Wed, 07 Apr 2021 14:00:09 +0000

Peter Schneider conducts Klaus Florian Vogt, Anja Kampe, Evgeny Nikitin and Stephen Milling.

Kew Gardens: Wellbeing programme launched

Wed, 07 Apr 2021 12:36:36 +0000

Unwind with new Kew Gardens Wellbeing programme Rare chance to cycle through UNESCO World Heritage siteFitness Boot camp with beautiful backdropYoga in world’s largest Victorian GlasshousePilates in...

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Hush now, don’t explain

Wed, 07 Apr 2021 12:00:38 +0000

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MWRheQtvmA

On this day in 1975 Beverly Sills made her official Metropolitan Opera debut in Rossini’s Siege of Corinth.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyJJxa9nFO4

Manuela Hoelterhoff in The Wall Street Journal:

It finally happened. Beverly Sills made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Pamira in a new production of Rossini’s obscure “L’Assedio di Corinto” (“The Siege of Corinth”) especially mounted for the event.

The audience became frenetic even before she had completely materialized on stage, as if to greet a long lost daughter now returning from years abroad in foreign opera houses. In actuality Ms. Sills has been a hundred yards away at the New York City Opera for most of her singing life and this was merely the gracious conciliatory gesture from her to the Met which under a previous administration had either ignored her or offered her such silly roles as Martha. Most people in the sold-out house had bought their tickets a year ago when the event was first announced. Others had queued up all night for standing room tickets in order to hear Ms. Sills and a cast which included Justino Diaz (Mometto), Harry Theyard (Cleomene), and Shirley Verrett in the “travesti” or trouser role of Necole, Pamira’s suitor.

Despite a recent recording from Angel with the same principals the opera no doubt was unknown to most present. At one point mezzo soprano Verrett found herself trying to outshout a screaming audience which thought she had finished her third act aria, when half still remained. Like most serious works by Gioacchino Rossini, the Siege has hardly been heard in the 20th Century (a rare revival at La Scala in 1969 introduced Beverly Sills to European audiences).

The libretto focuses on the 15th Century struggle between the courageous Greeks and the cruel Turks and thus capitalized on the contemporary concern with the Greek war of independence. In the 1820s Greek martyrs were favorite subjects for painters and poets such as Delacroix and Byron. Rossini even conducted a benefit on their behalf.

So the “Siege” was very popular for a brief decade. Then it disappeared. What was heard at La Scala a few years back, and now in New York, is a conflation of this work and an early version called “Maometto,” largely put together by conductor Thomas Schippers. The resulting score strikes a rather successful balance between the trivial and the majestic. It moves at a slow pace but there are beautiful parts such as the wedding ceremony with harp accompaniment.

The arias are vocal extravaganzas that would terrorize all but a few singers today. A particularly demanding example is Necole’s “E d’un trono alla speranza” which requires high Cs and very difficult coloratura passages from the mezzo soprano. Shirley Verrett tore into it with commendable sang froid. I don’t recall ever hearing anything like it. Furthermore, she looked surprisingly well in male attire and instilled even her stylized movements with passion. Both Harry Theyard and Justino Diaz were also up to the technical demands of their intricate parts. Conductor Schippers’ beat was crisp and exact; his tempi were well-placed and never at odds with the singers.

But what of Pamira, the reason we had presumably all gathered? She has two arias, one at the beginning of the opera and one at the end which erupts into a wonderfully absurd technical display-“Parmi vererlo.” And Miss Sills, for all who may have worried a bit, aware of her recent illness, sang it and much of the preceding music with the perfectly phrased abandon one expects from her. In the beginning her voice was not quite as pure as it usually is, but the most difficult passages were done with flourish and the top is still secure.

Thus the role was vocally satisfying for both soprano and audience. Dramatically it is dead. Pamira is one of opera’s less fascinating heroines. When she finally stabs herself for the usual reasons of “l’onore” and “patria,” muddled concepts that have exacted the greatest opera fatalities, nobody cares all that much. This less the fault of Miss Sills, who is appealing even when inert, but that of director Sandro Sequi’s static approach to the libretto. He has a gift for tableau-the final collection of Corinthian ladies standing in the catacombs was effective. But whenever anyone had to move, especially the chorus, it was either uninteresting or embarrassing. The final massacre was so inept, the audience laughed mercilessly.

Both Mr. Sequi and designer Nicola Benois have a curious antiquarian approach. The motivating idea was to re-create (not even re-interpret!) the La Scala settings of the 19th Century premiere. This curious idea is being presented as a widely revolutionary concept. Hardly. The effect created is that of a museum piece.

The remaining performances at the Met are sold out, but the Angel recording should satiate all but the compulsive opera-goer. “L’Assedio di Corinto” will also be part of the Metropolitan Opera spring tour which begins in a few weeks.

On this day in 1949 Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific opened on Broadway.

Queensland Ballet brings an enchanted tale to life

Wed, 07 Apr 2021 08:00:00 +0000

photo : David Kelly A dark yet familiar fairy-tale beloved by many, audiences will be spellbound by Queensland Ballet’s The Sleeping Beauty opening on June 4 at Queensland...

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Keyboard for two tonight ! Four amazing so 'young' hands!

Tue, 06 Apr 2021 23:20:00 +0000

Martha and Daniel are almost twins ... Daniel Barenboim is roughly two years younger than Martha Argerich, but playing tonight shoulder to shoulder on the same keyboard on the rather dark scene of 'le Grand théâtre de Provence 'without a live audience but for thousands of on line followers, looked so intimate and casual: almost like two very gifted talented always young musicians having a date with the three composers of their evening, Mozart, Debussy and Bizet, with their magical hands and a unique piano keyboard to share and create a unique sound with their combined hearts and souls.

If I have one moment to remember, it is the second one with Claude Debussy and his "Epigraphes antiques ' six 'poems' without words but music, except for the titles all beginning with 'Pour' for ... a purpose, each of them opening on a vast imaginary world.

It was fascinating to see both players creating these delicate musical poems : it reminded me of a comment I readt : Marcel Proust who said once that if language had not been invented music would have been our way of expression. I really felt each piece was a poem with its own atmosphere created by these wonderful musicians. They were looking so passionate in their special world together ! their weary hands seemed so alert and so young as if age did not count ... had no weight on their agility...it looked so easy...and yet for the two of them how many hours and hours of practice to create this unique sound with four hands on the piano with the same intensity and volume, not that easy on a piano?

What my memory selected was the 6th poem ' Pour remercier la pluie du matin' It was so delicate and so Asian to my ears ... my only wish was to find it on youtube to keep it even more in mind ... and I found it...it was loaded some years ago by the couple of artists who played it and there is the picture of the CD cover with a very interesting selection of composers they recorded together.

The Bizet part was not so surprising and captivating for me. As for the Mozart sonata K521 which was opening the concert, it was not a discovery and a real pleasure to follow tonight with two tremendous musicians who respect, know and appreciate each other so much and for such a long life time . (In an interview on Radio Classique before the concert Daniel Barenboim explained he has known Martha since 1949 when they were both children and practicing the piano almost with the same teacher) He said Martha was his oldest friend and his 'love' in the music world ... not in life! he made a point in explaining that so simply. I was moved by this confession ! In fact I could feel when watching them tonight that they had a huge musical intimacy while playing together.

Last chords ending Le bal de Bizet and the concert plus a smile from Martha !

Rigoletto

Tue, 06 Apr 2021 21:43:32 +0000

Streaming and discussion begin at 7:30 PM. Photo: Met Archives

Aix Easter Festival : On line concert tonight ! Martha Argerich and Daniel Barenboim "Pianos"!

Tue, 06 Apr 2021 17:03:00 +0000

Join Us for a Q&A With Pacific Northwest Ballet's Sarah-Gabrielle Ryan on April 22

Tue, 06 Apr 2021 15:03:32 +0000

Simply put, Pacific Northwest Ballet's Sarah-Gabrielle Ryan is a dazzling performer—we couldn't take our eyes off of her when she danced the lead pas de deux from "Rubies" during an online company performance in October. In our March/April digital cover story, PNB artistic director Peter Boal describes the 23-year-old corps member as having a "go-for-broke presence, a gutsiness." We couldn't agree more—and after our photo shoot, we can also say that she's as charming in person as she is onstage. After training in her hometown of Philadelphia, Ryan followed her instincts to Seattle, where she's thriving in exciting roles.

Now you can have a chance to hear more about Ryan's training and career path, ask for her advice, and much more in our exclusive virtual conversation! Click here to register for free with your questions. Then join us for Q&A with Sarah Gabrielle-Ryan on Thursday, April 22, at 4 pm Eastern/1 pm Pacific.

Spring break at the COC

Tue, 06 Apr 2021 14:25:11 +0000

The week of April 12th the COC is streaming a series called Exploring New Opera. It’s slanted to young audiences and those new to opera and deals with aspects of the in-development piece Fantasma by Ian Cusson and Colleen Murphy. It’s all free and doesn’t require pre-registration.

The full line up is:

Music Making
Monday, April 12 at 2 p.m. ET
Fantasma composer and COC Composer-in-Residence Ian Cusson takes participants through the genesis of the opera’s story and how this translates into his music.

From the Performer’s Perspective
Tuesday, April 13 at 2 p.m. ET
COC Ensemble Studio artists Matthew Cairns (tenor) and Alex Soloway (pianist) talk about what it’s like to work with a living composer, and workshopping a new role in an opera.

The Real World of Props
Wednesday, April 14 at 2 p.m. ET
COC Props Supervisor Wulf Higgins shares a behind-the-scenes look at how the visual world of Fantasma is created and brought to life.

Creating the Character
Thursday, April 15 at 2 p.m. ET
Wig & Makeup Supervisor Sharon Ryman and Costume Supervisor Sandra Corazza give a sneak peek at two characters from Fantasma, Ms. Macaroni and Tino the Clown, as well as share some of their quick-change secrets.

Staging the Show
Friday, April 16 at 2 p.m. ET
Stage director and dramaturg Julie McIsaac speaks with music therapist Dr. SarahRose Black about her considerations in staging Fantasma, as well as her thoughts on creating an engaging experience for young people from the moment audience members walk in the door.

You should be able to find all the streams on the COC’s Youtube channel with the option for Q&A using Youtube Live following the initial broadcast.

Stravinsky demeure

Tue, 06 Apr 2021 13:36:05 +0000

On the fiftieth anniversary of the death of Igor Stravinsky. Do any composer's oeuvre and 'voice' take in quite so much of the twentieth century and much else besides, whilst ever remaining itself? Petrushka or Movements? The Rake's Progress or Les Noces? Why choose? Stravinsky did not. And the more one listens, the more they have in common—until suddenly once again they do not, snarling and glistening in mutual opposition as dialectical as anything in Schoenberg, yet differently, if only for a moment. In this 'reliquary', furnished from fragments Stravinsky had left behind, Charles Wuorinen (re)constructs, varies, laments, and returns: much as Stravinsky himself might have done, and yet not. As one of Stravinsky's greatest interpreters and antagonists famously put it, 'Stravinsky demeure'.

Sens and sensibility

Tue, 06 Apr 2021 12:00:10 +0000

Born on this day in 1900 soprano Gina Cigna.

Livestream NOVERRE: YOUNG CHOREOGRPAHERS | The Stuttgart Ballet

Tue, 06 Apr 2021 11:36:11 +0000

Timoor Afshar, Jessica Fyfe and David Moore (from left to right)© Roman Novitzky Livestream Noverre: Young Choreographers Kindly supported by EnBW On Sunday, April 18th at 6 pm (CET), a...

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Harnoncourt’s Mozart cycle

Tue, 06 Apr 2021 11:18:36 +0000

Back in 2014 Nikolaus Harnoncourt launched a project to present all three Mozart/da Ponte operas, concert style, on the stage of the Theater an der Wien in a single month. They are now being released on DVD/Blu-ray. The first is Le nozze di Figaro and it comes with a 52 minute documentary by Felix Breisach; Nikolaus Harnoncourt – Between Obsession and Perfection – part 1.

The documentary and the essay in the booklet are really essential viewing/reading because they really do give insight into what conclusions Harnoncourt had come to about performing Mozart in the course of his long and distinguished career. It also shows how detailed the man was in rehearsal; demanding but not in a dictatorial way. The main theme of the film is Harnoncourt’s views on recitative. To summarize, and over, simplify he believes that historically the recits were performed more like natural speech. He encourages his singers to use the speech rhythms they would use if they were speaking and makes it clear that pitch values can be altered if necessary. The accompaniment too is much sparser than usual. It’s an interesting effect. Personally, I like it better than the approach one often hears which is for both singer and harpsichordist to run through the words as fast as possible! Is it “authentiic”? Harnoncourt thinks so. I have no idea.

The performance itself is very interesting. The back wall of the stage is decorated with portraits and that’s about it. There are music stands and the singers sing in concert dress with a few minimal nods to stage directions. For me, the minimalism effectively concentrates one’s attention on the music and the characterizations. As in the other Harnoncourt recording of Figaro that I’ve seen (Salzburg 2006), his tempi are very personal; often rather slow. A good one to listen to here is Voi che sapete. He’s also very deliberate and quite incisive. The entry of the winds, for example, is often a bit startling. It’s the Concentus Musicus Wien in the pit so it’s also very much a period sound. The overall effect is a bit unnerving. It’s a combination of the music and how it’s performed and Harnoncourt’s dramatic view of the piece. He sees it, I think, as a rather sad story about rather unpleasant people which makes it a lot darker than most productions.

The singing is really good. Bo Skovhus is a very good Count. He has a wide range of registers and uses them to good effect. Christine Schäfer sings the Countess. She’s not a typical sounding Countess. It’s not a rich sound but very clean and pure. It probably won’t suit everybody but I rather like it. Andrè Schuen is quite a muscular Figaro with a good emotional range while Mari Eriksmoen’s Susanna is quite broadly painted. She gestures wildly rather more than i might prefer but her singing is excellent. Elisabeth Kulman has a lot of fun as a very knowing, rather mature, Cherubino. The minor roles are nicely done too. Ildikó Raimondi makes a surprisingly sympathetic Marcellina. Mauro Peter doubles as a rather arch Basilio and a st st stuttering Don Curzio. Peter Kálmán also doubles as Bartolo and Antonio; both to good effect. Finally, Christina Gansch makes a very appealing Barbarina.

Then there’s the Concentus Musicus Wien. They are, of course, Harnoncourt’s instrument and the soft strings and incisive winds are very much a factor in this performance. The chorus is the Arnold Schoenberg Chor who never disappoint in my experience. As a final comment on the performance, I noticed that applause early on in the piece was quite thin but it became noticeably louder and longer act by act. I get it. At first one doesn’t quite know what to think of what Harnoncourt is doing but he sucks you in to the point where you are wondering why it isn’t always done this way.

Technical quality is all good. Felix Breisach directed both films and “arranged” the stage action for the actual performance. He rightly doesn’t distract apart from a few close-ups on the man himself which are well justified by the intensity they reveal. The picture and sound (DTS-HD and 24 bit stereo) on Blu-ray are first class. Besides the essay, the booklet contains a synopsis and a track listing. Subtitle options are English, Italian, German, French, Korean and Japanese.

A concert performance, even an extraordinary one, wouldn’t be most people’s first choice for a video recording of Le nozze di Figaro. There are excellent recordings of fully staged performances toto suit all tastes available. This one is for the person who has seen Figaro many times and is asking themselves is there anything new that I can get out of it. For me, the answer was a resounding yes and I look forward to seeing the other two operas. The set is shaping up as a fantastic swan song for one of opera’s most interesting figures.

Faust

Mon, 05 Apr 2021 21:30:45 +0000

Starring Marina Poplavskaya, Jonas Kaufmann, and René Pape, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Production by Des McAnuff. From December 10, 2011.

Britten - Gloriana with Anna Caterina Antonacci (operaonvideo.com)

Mon, 05 Apr 2021 17:33:00 +0000

I continue to find online things I never knew existed or thought I'd never see again. Today it's Britten's Gloriana starring Anna Caterina Antonacci, which I flew to Madrid to see in 2018.

Photo: Javier Real

'As an unusually gripping tragic actress and an unusually subtle singer, Anna Caterina Antonacci has “form” - and a devoted, if discreet, following. As Elizabeth I, she surpassed herself in her personification of the ageing queen, in gait and posture, gestures and facial expressions, and myriad vocal inflections…

'In terms of volume, she was at her limit in a house the size of the Real. But the point here was not to blast and bludgeon her way through the part, but, through vocal subtlety, as usual, to deliver a convincing portrait of a complex, changing character. This was, physically and vocally, an operatic performance of a kind we rarely get to see. It was a privilege to witness.'

My account is here in full.

This is the link to the video.

Mortal combat

Mon, 05 Apr 2021 12:00:46 +0000

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wc-XSdH2aLw

Born on this day in 1908 conductor and director Herbert von Karajan.

On this date in 1874 Johann Strauss Jr’s Die Fledermaus premiered in Vienna

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHF5LP53LZY

Birthday anniversaries of composers Louis Spohr (1784) and Albert Roussel (1869), soprano Eugenia Ratti (1933) and bass Keith Engen (1925).

Happy 73rd birthday tenor Dano Raffanti.

Sofia Coppola to direct film for New York City Ballet’s 2021 Spring Gala

Mon, 05 Apr 2021 10:40:44 +0000

Andrew Scordato and Daniel Applebaum Divertimento No. 15 Choreography George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust New York City Ballet Credit Photo: Paul Kolnik The Coppola Film Will be Shot on...

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About Us

Mon, 05 Apr 2021 03:34:47 +0000

Tristan und Isolde

Sun, 04 Apr 2021 22:15:59 +0000

Starring Nina Stemme, Ekaterina Gubanova, Stuart Skelton, Evgeny Nikitin, and René Pape, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle. Production by Mariusz Trelinski. From October 8, 2016.