Week of July 26, 2012 - August 2, 2012

This week on Rhode Island Public television,

WSBE:  (Comcast 294, Cox 808, Full Channel 109, and Verizon 478) 

The Audition

Saturday, July 28, 8:00pm; Sunday, July 29, 3:00am; Monday, July 30, 12:00am

http://www.metoperafamily.org/metupload/video/2008-09/Audition/index.html

The Audition, directed by award-winning filmmaker Susan Froemke, looks at the intense pressures young opera singers face as they struggle to succeed in one of the most difficult professions in the performing arts. The feature-length documentary takes you behind the scenes at the Metropolitan Opera's National Council Auditions, where each year thousands of hopefuls compete for a cash prize, the chance to sing on the Met stage–and the opportunity to launch a major operatic career. The film covers the dramatic week leading up to the finals of the 2007 auditions, focusing on three very different tenor contestants: Michael Fabiano, a fiery 22-year-old grappling with his inner demons; Alek Shrader, a 25-year-old with movie-star looks who attempts to sing nine high Cs in the fiendishly difficult aria that made Pavarotti a star; and Ryan Smith, who at the age of 30, and with little formal training, is pursuing his dream of an operatic career.

The Audition is both a suspenseful competition narrative and a revealing backstage look at what it takes to make it as an opera singer.

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This is a listing of full operas available on YouTube. Some of the links are no longer active, and others do not have English subtitles or any subtitles, but enough of them are good that it is worth it to check out the list.  Follow the links to even more lists:

http://tornamiadir.tumblr.com/post/6771392891/links-to-full-operas-on-youtube-misc

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OPERA ON THE INTERNET 

WITH  

DAVE  D' AGUANNO

Wagner enthusiasts, rejoice!

It's that time of year again when the Bayreuth Festival swings into action, starting today, in fact, with a LIVE performance of "The Flying Dutchman." Although there is no Ring Cycle scheduled this summer, the festival does include performances of "Tristan & Isolde" -- "Lohengrin" -- "Tannhauser" -- & "Parsifal."

The full broadcast (& re-broadcast) schedule is here:

http://operacast.com/bayreuth_2012.htm

As far as this coming Saturday's schedule is concerned, a few items of interest include NPR's broadcast of Verdi's "Simon Boccanegra" in a performance from this past February. It's another in the series of broadcasts from the Los Angeles Opera. Featured in the title role is none other than Placido Domingo. Is there any leading role this man HASN'T sung yet? Well, he hasn't sung the role of Carmen yet, but stranger things in the world of opera have been known to happen !!!

(www.wrti.org/)

Those of you who enjoyed the Met's "Enchanted Island" from this past season may be excited about yet another operatic pastiche: this one is the opera "L'Olimpiade" which is put together with music by Vivaldi, Hasse, Paisiello, & a few other composers from the Baroque & Early-Classical eras, the common thread being that all the texts used in the opera were written by Metastasio. It's a studio recording that will be aired on the Belgian station Klara on Saturday.

(http://radio.klara.be/radio/10_home.php)

And for Obscure Opera of the Week, you can tune in to German Radio for a performance from last Saturday of Mercadante's 1836 opera "I Briganti" which is being given this summer at the Rossini Festival in Bad Wildbad (the festival obviously encompasses a few works other than those by Rossini himself). In any case, if your cup of tea in Rossini, Donizetti, & early Verdi, this opera by Mercadante is bound to impress you.

(www.dradio.de/dkultur/)

Enjoy!

DAVE

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Concert and Event Calendar

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Summer Presentation of

"I Pagliacci"

Staged with Chorus and Costumes.

7:00pm.
St. Ann's Church
opposite Hopkins Park/Square,
at the intersection of Charles Street and Branch Avenue
Providence, RI

All tickets are $25 per person, with desserts being served at the conclusion of the opera.
Tickets are available by calling the Opera Providence office at 401-331-6060,
or St. Anns Church office, Russo Street, Providence.

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For additional information on our exciting 2011-12 Season,
to purchase tickets, or to contribute to the Annual Appeal, contact:

Opera Providence
585 Elmgrove Avenue
Providence RI 02906401-331-6060

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Pagliacci has  been parodied and used in commercials often; take a look at these:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7joApY9dnw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mRtc36Mr-c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAUDHxDYMMo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=k7-D1e3QZaU&NR=1

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Annual Appeal
2011-2012

Join Opera Providence by becoming a contributor
to Rhode Island's Premier Opera Company.

With your donation of $1000 you receive:

• Opera Classics Series – one ticket to each performance
   
• Blithewold Concert – one ticket
   
• The Merry Widow – one ticket

With your donation of $500 you receive:

• One ticket to all performances in the Opera Classics Series
  
  OR
   
• One ticket to all performances in the Blithewold Concert Series

With your donation of $250 you receive:

• One ticket to a Blithewold Concert
  
  OR
   
• One ticket to a Newport Concert.

To contribute to the Annual Appeal, please contact:

Opera Providence
585 Elmgrove Avenue
Providence RI 02906
401-331-6060
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AUDITIONS!

Come sing with us!

If you are an experienced choral singer, sign up for an audition on August 29th or September 5th by sending an email to info@ricco.org or by phoning (401) 521-5670. This season, we'll be singing Vivaldi's Gloria and Britten's St. Nicolas in November; Part's Te Deum and Schubert's Mass No. 3 in Bb Major in March; and various works by Beethoven in May.

We rely on your generosity!

Your gift will help bring to life the choral works of musical masters such as Mozart, Bach, Handel, and Haydn, as well as musical premieres from young contemporary composers, and works that have never been performed in Rhode Island, like Sir Michael Tippett's A Child of Our Time. Your contribution also helps to support educational initiatives like our Annual Collegiate Vocal Solo Competition which provides the opportunity for young classical singers to perform as soloists with a large chorus and  professional orchestra.

You can make a secure online donation through PayPal by clicking the Donate button below, or by mailing your donation to our office address:

141 Phenix Ave., Cranston, RI  02920. 

Thank you for your support!

 

The Rhode Island Civic Chorale & Orchestra is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
All donations qualify as a tax deduction under appropriate tax laws.

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COMING TO THE CABLE CAR CINEMA:

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Noon

Starring:  Mariella Devia, Sonia Ganassi, Roberto Scandiuzzi

Director:  Graham Vick

Genre:      Opera

Run Time:       220 Minutes

Release Date: 

Synopsis: Anna Bolena (Maggio Musicale Fiorentino)

Envelope-pushing director Graham Vick describes his production of Anna Bolena as “two women making use of the bed to get to the throne and a man making use of the throne to get to the bed.” The man, of course, is Henry the 8th, and the women are his doomed wives, Jane Seymour and Anne Boleyn. Don’t miss this tale of treachery and scandal, brought to life in Donizetti’s sparkling score. From the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Italy. 

Note:

This production is performed with piano, not orchestra, due to an orchestral strike.

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Noon

Starring:  Orlin Anastassov, Ian Storey, Peter Bronder

Director:  Andrei Konchalovsky

Genre:      Opera

Run Time:       180 Minutes

Release Date: 

Synopsis: Modest Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov is considered the most important Russian opera ever written. Mussorgsky rejected Western conventions in classical music, instead forging a uniquely Russian style that gives Boris Godunov its arresting and unforgettable sound.

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COMING IN AUGUST TO THE JANE PICKENS THEATER, NEWPORT

SUNDAY AUGUST 12^TH, NOON

NORMA

View trailer of Teatro Antico, Taormina

TEATRO ANTICO, in TAORMINO ITALY

You will be redirected toPayPal.com to complete your ticket order.

OVERVIEW

Norma is considered Vincenzo Bellinis magnum opus, and the apex of the bel canto operatic style. The titular high priestess is filled with treasonous desire for a Roman soldier, forcing her to choose between duty and love.  Flowing, lyrical melodies including the infamously difficult soprano aria Casta Diva only add to the passion and heartbreak. Starring Chiara Taigi, Gregory Kunde, Irina Lungu and Giacomo Prestia. From stunning outdoor arena stage at the Teatro Antico Taormina, Italy.

180 minutes

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MET RADIO BROADCAST

Alas, the dog days of summer are here...

The Met Encores are over and there are no radio broadcasts until after the leaves have fallen. 

The 2012-13 Radio broadcasts will begin 

December 8, 12:55pm with Verdi's 

Un Ballo in Maschera 

Listen to the Met Opera Saturday afternoon broadcasts on Harvard Radio, 95.3 in the Boston area or live-streaming online at http://www.whrb.org

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NO OPERA ON WGBH TV 

THIS WEEK! 

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