This week on Rhode Island Public television,
WSBE: (Comcast 294, Cox 808, Full Channel 109,
and Verizon 478)
Lucia di Lammermoor
Great Performances at the Met
|
Saturday, May 25 -- 8:00pm; Sunday, May 26 -- 3:00am; Monday, May 27 -- 12:00am
Lucia di Lammermoor
Natalie Dessay stars in Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor" as the fragile title character, whose brother (Ludovic Tézier) forces her into an arranged marriage due to his hatred for the family of the man (Joseph Calleja) she loves. Host: Renée Fleming.
DURATION: 150 MIN
DETAILS: [CC] [STEREO]
GENRE: PARENTS PICKS
What Makes a
Great
Tenor?
The tenor Rolando
Villazon takes us inside the world of the sexiest and most risky of all
operatic voices. It's a journey which includes some of the great names of the
past, such as Pavarotti, Caruso and Lanza, and some of the brightest stars
performing today; including Domingo, Alagna and Florez. We hear how they tackle
their most famous roles and what the risks and rewards are. (58:16 minutes)
♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫
Met Opera Dismantles Its Ballet in Buyouts
Members of the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, foreground, in
“Aida” in November. The remaining eight dancers have taken buyouts.
By ALLAN KOZINN
Published: May 20, 2013
The Metropolitan Opera has decided to disband its resident
ballet company, whose roots date back to the opera’s founding in 1883. The 8
remaining dancers of the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, down from 16 in 2011, have
accepted buyout packages and left the company, their union confirmed on Monday.
The American Guild of Musical Artists, which represents the
dancers, said the packages, provided for under the union’s current contract
with the Met, include $75,000 in severance and two additional years under the
opera company’s health and dental care plan. But in contrast to the Met, the
guild asserted that the ballet corps might still have a future.
“From the discussions I’ve had,” said Deborah Allton-Maher,
the associate executive director of the guild and a dancer at the Met from 1982
to 2001, “their goal was not to get rid of the ballet, but to reduce and
restructure it. My understanding was that the Met’s intention was to maintain a
corps de ballet, and we’re about to begin negotiating the terms of how it will
be structured.”
But in a telephone interview the Met’s general manager,
Peter Gelb, described the ballet company as defunct.
“It’s been a gradual reduction of forces,” he said. “There
will always be a significant performance of dance on our stage. But it’s hard
to imagine that we will have a single, resident company because we are using an
eclectic group of choreographers who have very specific styles and needs and
who want to choose their own dancers. It’s impossible to have a company that
suits all these styles.”
Instead of using a resident troupe, Mr. Gelb said, the Met
will hire dancers per production, as it has increasingly in the past few years.
In its most recent season the company engaged 128 dancers — more than 10 times
the number of dancers in its own company, up from 92 in 2005-6. Dancers who
were formerly in the Met’s corps have been among those performing that way.
Choreographers for Met productions in recent years have
included Mark Morris (who used his own company), Christopher Wheeldon, Alexei
Ratmansky, Sean Curran, Graciela Daniele, Crystal Pite and Steven Hoggett,
among others. The guild, which represents the company’s singers, dancers, stage
managers, directors and other performers — everyone but the orchestra — has a
contract with the Met that runs through July 2014. Neither Ms. Allton-Maher nor
Mr. Gelb was able to say when the negotiations on the next contract would
begin.
The dispersal of the dancers does away with a longstanding
tradition, although the Met was able to provide few details of the ballet
troupe’s early history. Although most of the world’s biggest opera companies,
including the Royal Opera, in London; the Paris Opera; and La Scala, in Milan,
have resident ballet troupes, those ensembles operate differently from the Met.
They perform in operas when needed but also present seasons of their own. They
are, in effect, more akin to classical repertory companies like New York City
Ballet or American Ballet Theater than to the Metropolitan Opera Ballet.
The Met has tried to bolster its ballet company’s profile at
various times, and the corps has occasionally offered performances of its own.
But such efforts have waned in recent years.
The current guild contract, in effect since the 2011-12
season, allowed the Met to reduce its ballet company gradually, from 16 to 8
this year, while giving the remaining dancers the option to take a buyout. Ms.
Allton-Maher said that all eight had agreed to accept the package.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/21/arts/dance/metropolitan-opera-disbands-its-ballet-corps.html?_r=1&
♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫
OPERA ON THE INTERNET
WITH
DAVE D' AGUANNO
Continuing with its series of broadcasts from the
2012/2013 season at Lyric Opera of Chicago, NPR will be broadcasting a
performance of Massenet's "Werther" featuring tenor Matthew Polenzani
in the title role. The opera was given in Chicago this past November.
Polenzani, as many of you know, was seen in recent HD-transmissions from the
Met this past season -- specifically, as Nemorino in Donizetti's "Elixir
of Love" and as Leicester in the same composer's "Maria
Stuarda."
Another Massenet opera appears on the schedule for
this Saturday. His later opera "Don Quichotte" (from 1909) can be
heard on German Radio in a LIVE performance from Schleswig-Holsteinischen.
Lortzing's 1842 comic opera "Der Wildschutz"
gets a rare outing on internet radio, with ORF broadcasting a performance of
the work that originally took place in Vienna this past April.
Last but not least, fans of 20th century opera needn't
feel left out this weekend as BBC Radio 3 will be broadcasting a recent
performance (given by Welsh National Opera) of Alban Berg's 20th-century
masterpiece "Lulu."
Enjoy -- & have a safe holiday weekend!
DAVE
♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/opera/10053327/Singing-in-English-Its-harder-than-you-think.html?sf13019267=1
Singing in English:
It's harder
than you think
Rupert Christiansen visits The Association of
English Singers and Speakers to explore the many difficulties of singing in
English.
 |
Patricia Routledge (centre) with finalists of The Association of
English Singers and Speakers seniors prize Photo: The Association of English
Singers and Speakers
|
♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫
2013 Summer encores of
Live in HD Broadcasts
Live in HD Broadcasts
2013-14 Live in HD
Season Preview
♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫
Happy 200th Birthday
Richard Wagner
22 May 1813 – 13 February 1883
 |
| Richard Wagner composes Die Walkure |
Hear Birgit Nilsson sing “Liebestod”
from Tristan and
Isolde
♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫
from the Met Opera Shop Facebook page
Opera Dynasties
Today we honor the MacNeils. Cornell MacNeil, Baritone,
performed twenty-six roles in 642 performances at The Metropolitan Opera and
his son Walter MacNeil, Tenor, has performed leading roles at The Met, The San
Francisco Opera, and The Chicago Lyric Opera – watch him HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CrhyUeCN7I
*As we prepare for Father’s Day we take a look back through
The MET’s archives into some of the great men of the Metropolitan Opera and the
children they inspired to join the opera themselves! Check back in every
Wednesday until Father's Day for more!
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.508977169156302.1073741826.155309007856455&type=1&l=8419f4bfcc
♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫
Joyce DiDonato
VOTING IS NOW OPEN for #JoyceAndMe! Select your favorite title!!!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Joyce-DiDonato/207466962440?id=207466962440&sk=app_190322544333196
A few details: Email is required to ensure only one vote is cast per email. (You have my word that you will not be spammed!!) So make your vote count!
So many wonderful titles were offered, but we simply had to cut it off at some point. I'd like to personally offer a few favorites that definitely deserve an honorable mention (and one never knows where they may show up!!)
"Why there is hope in the world" (love this one!)
"Brava! A Retrospective and Current Compilation of Marvelous Metro Arias Guaranteed to Bring The HouseDown!"
"Do Re Mi Fa Di Do Na To" (Beyond Brilliant!)
"DaCapo DiDonato"
"Beauty and the Beast" (Just for the 'what?' factor!)
*The Best of J DiDiddy" (obviously!)
"Color me Diva"
"Over the Rainbow"
"More in love than ever"
"Diva~lution"
As you can see - it was terribly difficult to narrow it down! Choices were made for a variety of reasons, but I loved every single one of your submissions and cannot thank you enough for your thought and imagination.
But this is just the start ... CHEERS!!!
--------------
Some interesting articles
James Levine--back on the podium at the Met
James Levine Master Class: The Song Continues…
Kronos Quartet Workshop with Wu Man: Expanding
the String Quartet Repertoire
Met Summer Events
The Boston Symphony Orchestra has announced
its next Music Director! And the proud MD is... drumroll please... Andris
Nelsons! Hear his most recent appearance with the orchestra here:
Sondra Radvanovsky is a Radiant, Transcendent
Tosca – Los Angeles Opera, May 18, 2013
Sister Act: Fresh from her triumph as Gilda in
Rigoletto, soprano Diana Damrau discusses her role debut as another Verdi
heroine—Violetta in La Traviata.
Christian Tetzlaff Workshop: Unlocking Bach,
Brahms, and Schumann
The Gambler: Director Michael Mayer discusses
his innovative approach to bringing Verdi's Rigoletto to 1960 Las Vegas
András Schiff: A Personal Insight Into Bartók
Carnegie Hall Digital Library_Educational
Materials:Get connected to online educational programs, video interviews, and
more.
The Emerson String Quartet: The Bartók
Quartets
Leon Fleisher: The Late Schubert Sonatas
Concert and Event Calendar
2012-2013 Season
Friday, June 14, 2013 — 8:00pm
Saturday, June 15, 2013 — 8:00pm
Friday, June 21, 2013 — 8:00pm
Sunday, June 23, 2013 — 3:00pm
"Pirates of Penzance
— Featuring —
Samuel - Devon Morin, The Pirate King - Ryne Cherry, Fredric - Joshua Collier,
Ruth - Ana Maria Ugarte, Kate - Arielle Rogers, Edith - Kristen Charpentier,
Mabel - Julianne Gearhart, Major General Stanley - Andy Papas, The Sergeant - Jason Shealy
Stage Director and Choreographer - Nathaniel Merchants • Artistic Director - Rene de la Garza
The Columbus Theatre
Broadway
Providence, RI
Tickets: $35 and $60 per person
For tickets please call the Opera Providence Office at 401-331-6060
July & August 2013
Summer production of
"Elixir of Love"
Exact dates to be determined.
For additional information on our exciting opera season,
to purchase tickets, or to contribute to the Annual Appeal, contact:
Opera Providence
585 Elmgrove Avenue
Providence RI 02906
401-331-6060
*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.
Opera Lovers of RI
Third anniversary!
 |
| Rosie at Lincoln Center Plaza with the Met's Anna Netrebko poster for Anna Bolena |
June 25, 2010, I published my first blog entry. It has been great fun and a tremendous learning experience for me, and I hope, for you as well. In celebration of this anniversary, three years without missing a single week, I am inviting you to join us for a "Dutch treat" lunch at Asian Palace. (I wish I could offer to give a free banquet but I don't make any money from the blog and my day job can't subsidize it.)
Come and meet other local opera lovers. I bet we can get the restaurant to play some opera in the background!
Save the date:
Noon, Sunday, June 23, 2013.
Please send me an RSVP;
if we get enough people,
if we get enough people,
we'll reserve the banquet room.
RSVP to me: drpegueros@gmail.com
Asian Palace is very reasonable and has a huge menu that includes Chinese, Thai, and Japanese selections, including a full sushi bar. Keep in mind that they only have the regular menu on weekends, not the lunch menu. The website includes directions: http://www.
*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.
The Met radio broadcast season is
over for now...
check this space the first week
of December.
♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫
NO OPERA ON WGBH TV
THIS WEEK!
No comments:
Post a Comment