Week of April 14 - 21, 2016

This Saturday

Live in HD

DONIZETTI

Roberto Devereux

IN A THEATER NEAR YOU* 

Sondra Radovnosky as Queen Elizabeth I

First performed two years after Maria Stuarda and Lucia di Lammermoor, Roberto Devereux shows Donizetti at the height of his musical and dramatic powers. The opera’s story was inspired by a historical incident—the execution for treason of Robert Devereux, the favorite of Queen Elizabeth I—but, as in many works of the time, history is used merely as a springboard from which the operatic imagination can soar. Roberto Devereux mirrors the successful structure of the earlier Lucia di Lammermoor: a first act that lays out the issues at stake and introduces the musical language; a second act fashioned as a single dramatic arc; and three intense shorter scenes for the final act.

England, 1599. Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex and favorite of Queen Elizabeth I, is sent to Ireland with an army to defeat the rebellious Irish chieftains. After an unsuccessful campaign, and against the queen’s orders, he returns to England, where his actions are deemed a desertion of duty. The story of the opera takes its inspiration from the events of the following two years, which are condensed into a few days.

- See more at: 

http://www.metopera.org/Discover/Synopses/Roberto-Devereux/#sthash.9e8lgumB.dpuf

This week on Rhode Island Public television,

WSBE:  (Comcast 294, Cox 808, Full Channel 109, and Verizon 478) 
 *all links are live

Saturday, April 16, 2016, 8:00pm

Sunday, April 17, 2016 3:00am

Monday, April 18, 2016, 12:00am

Great Performances at the Met

Lulu

Alban Berg's "Lulu," a tragedy about a woman (Marlis Petersen) who ruins the lives of those around her.

Length: 210

News from Around the World of Music

Review: Lucia di Lammermoor, Royal Opera House

By Rob Ellis on April 10, 2016 in Reviews

http://www.ayoungertheatre.com/review-lucia-di-lammermoor-royal-opera-house/

Diana Damrau

German soprano Diana Damrau discusses her role as Lucia di Lammermoor

Release date: 8 April 2016

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03qffsf

Royal Opera House audience boo violent production of Lucia di Lammermoor

8 April 2016

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-35995554

♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫

♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫

Congratulations, Fred Plotkin!

View this email in your browser

New York Opera Alliance announces April 27 Kickoff Event for the inaugural New York Opera Fest Event will honor Fred Plotkin of WQXR for his exceptional service to the NYC opera community, and will feature performances from festival participants

April 8, 2016 – NEW YORK, NY – The New York Opera Alliance (NYOA) will officially launch their first annual New York Opera Festival with a kickoff event on Wednesday April 27th, from 6-8pm, at Marc A. Scorca Hall in OPERA America’s National Opera Center (330 Seventh Ave at 29th St). The event will honor Fred Plotkin of WQXR's Operavore (www.wqxr.org/ - !/people/fred-plotkin/) for his exceptional service to the NYC opera community, and will also feature performances from the following NY Opera Fest participants: Bronx Opera, Rossini's Cinderella (La cenerentola) On Site Opera, Marcos Portugal’s The Marriage of Figaro Opera Upper West, Menotti's The Telephone Regina Opera, Puccini's Manon Lescaut The event is free and open to the public, though attendees must RSVP by April 20 at the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/new-york-opera-fest-kickoff-party-tickets-24383651157 The inaugural New York Opera Fest (nyoperafest.com) will take place May-June, 2016, with over 20 New York City-based companies putting on events in venues ranging from bars to playgrounds to traditional theaters. In addition to performances, the festival will showcase behind-the-scenes events where the public can attend open rehearsals, forums, showcases, and masterclasses featuring some of opera’s brightest emerging talents. With the New York Opera Fest, the Alliance will show that opera is not just a great catalogue of works, but a living, breathing community of people who produce new work, develop new artists, and engage with youth and the community. The festival is a chance for New Yorkers to discover the variety and creativity of our local opera companies. For more info, full schedule and tickets, visit: http://nyoperafest.com The New York Opera Alliance works in partnership with OPERA America, the national service organization for opera and the nation’s leading advocate for American opera, based in New York City.

WQXR

Fred Plotkin

How Old Is Too Old for the Opera Stage?

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

WQXR

By Fred Plotkin

Operavore's Fred Plotkin considers ageism in opera, and what singers facing the twilight of their careers can still offer in performances.

http://www.wqxr.org/#!/story/how-old-too-old-opera-stage/

Ailyn Pérez is the winner of the 2016 Beverly Sills Award.

Soprano Ailyn Pérez Wins Beverly Sills Award

Thursday, April 07, 2016

WQXR

By Amanda Angel

The soprano, who made her Met debut last season, is the 11th recipient of the award and will receive $50,000 to help further her career.

'The Deposition of Christ from the Cross' by Rogier van der Weyden is on view at the Prado.

http://www.wqxr.org/#!/story/soprano-ailyn-perez-wins-beverly-sills-award/

Understanding Tragedy Through Art

Wednesday, April 06, 2016

WQXR

By Fred Plotkin

Fred Plotkin explores how art in its various forms can help provide clarity and meaning when the burden of great misfortunes and hardships becomes too difficult to bear.

http://www.wqxr.org/#!/story/understanding-tragedy-through-art/

♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫

♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫

OPERA ON THE INTERNET 

WITH  

DAVE  D' AGUANNO

This coming Saturday afternoon (April 16), the Met will be presenting a LIVE performance of Donizetti's "Roberto Devereux" in HD at local movie theatres. (The performance will also be broadcast on many internet radio stations.) Matthew Polenzani is scheduled to sing the title role, with Sondra Radvanovsky as Queen Elizabeth, Elina Garanca as Sara, & Mariusz Kwiecien as Nottingham.

(www.wrti.org/)

Also LIVE (& available as a video-stream on your computer if you're willing to pay approximately $15 to watch it) is the Vienna State Opera's production of Puccini's "Tosca" starring Angela Gheorghiu, Jonas Kaufmann, & Bryn Terfel in the leading roles. The audio of this performance can be heard on ORF (Austria).

(http://oe1.orf.at/)

In addition to the above Saturday offerings, the Met has scheduled a LIVE performance tomorrow evening at 7:55 of "Elektra" (Richard Strauss) with soprano Nina Stemme in the title role. This opera -- and with Thursday night's cast -- will be shown in HD later this month (April 30).

(www.metopera.org/)

And on Sunday (April 17), Radio 3 (RAI) will be broadcasting a LIVE performance from the Teatro dell'Opera in Rome, the opera(s) being Puccini's "Il Trittico" ("Il Tabarro"/"Suor Angelica"/"Gianni Schicchi") with soprano Patricia Racette singing the female leads in the first 2 operas.

(www.radio3.rai.it/)

In the meantime, a recent performance from Brussels of Berlioz's opera "Beatrice & Benedict" can be seen at the link below, anytime between now and the 1st week of May. As the opera's title may suggest to many of you, Berlioz based the work on Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing."

(http://concert.arte.tv/fr/beatrice-et-benedict-opera-en-deux-actes-dhector-berlioz-au-theatre-de-la-monnaie)

Enjoy!

DAVE

♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫

The Met Saturday afternoon
 radio broadcast 

Saturday, April 16, 2016, 1:00 pm.   

Roberto Devereux

DONIZETTI

Benini; Radvanovsky, Garanča, Polenzani, Kwiecien

♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫♫

No opera on

WGBH this week!

Bill O'Reilly, Fox News