Week of March 31 - April 7, 2016

PUCCINI

Madama Butterfly

LIVE in HD*

Kristine Opolais as Madama Butterfly, opposite Roberto Alagna as Pinkerton

The title character of Madama Butterfly—a young Japanese geisha who clings to the belief that her arrangement with a visiting American naval officer is a loving and permanent marriage—is one of the defining roles in opera. Anthony Minghella's breathtaking production has thrilled audiences ever since its premiere in 2006. Kristine Opolais reprises her acclaimed portrayal of the title role, opposite Roberto Alagna as Pinkerton, the naval officer who breaks Butterfly's heart. Ana María Martínez, Latonia Moore, Roberto De Biasio, and Gwyn Hughes Jones star in a second set of performances. Karel Mark Chichon conducts.

Synopsis: http://www.metopera.org/Discover/Synopses/Madama-Butterfly/

*Look at the column to the right for information re: Seeing the MET HD Simulcasts

This week on Rhode Island Public television,

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

Saturday, April 2, 2016, 8:00pm

Sunday, April 3, 2016 3:00am

Monday, April 4, 2016, 12:00am

Great Performances at the Met

CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA/ PAGLIACCI

Savor an opera double-header. Eva-Maria Westbroek joins Marcelo Alvarez in Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana. Patricia Racette sings with Alvarez in Leoncavallo's Pagliacci. Fabio Luisi conducts both operas.
Synopsis: http://www.metopera.org/Discover/Synopses/Cav-Pag/

News from Around the World of Music

A Night (and Many Days) Backstage at the Metropolitan Opera

By JAMES ESTRIN and MICHAEL COOPER

MARCH 29, 2016

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/30/arts/music/a-night-and-many-days-backstage-at-the-metropolitan-opera.html

Other views of Madama Butterfly

Opera expert says Puccini's Butterfly is 'racist'

By Amy Iggulden12:01AM GMT

14 Feb 2007

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1542633/Opera-expert-says-Puccinis-Butterfly-is-racist.html

Opera's Old-Fashioned Race Problem

If the art form wants to stay alive today, it might do well to get rid of centuries-old ethnic stereotypes.

http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/07/its-time-to-stop-using-exoticism-as-an-excuse-for-operas-racism/374900/

Different Opera Productions as Mirrors of Modern Society:

Madama Butterfly as a Case Study

Miho Morioka

Associate Professor, Faculty of Economics, Chuo University

Area of Specialization: Opera production criticism, English literature

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/adv/chuo/dy/opinion/20140324.html

(This is a review of last year's production of Madama by the late Anthony Minghella. Soprano Opalais also stars in this one, but  tenor James Valenti is Pinkerton. The current Met HD live simulcast features Roberto Alagna as Pinkerton.)

Full-Throttle Emotions and Blind Faith

‘Madama Butterfly’ Stars Kristine Opolais at the Met

By VIVIEN SCHWEITZER

APRIL 6, 2014

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/07/arts/music/madama-butterfly-stars-kristine-opolais-at-the-met.html?_r=0

(Roberto Alagna also stepped in to sing Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly when Jonas Kaufmann canceled due to illness. Lucky us.)

Better Call Roberto: Alagna Steps In to ‘Manon Lescaut’

By MICHAEL COOPER

FEB. 10, 2016

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/11/arts/music/better-call-roberto-alagna-steps-in-to-manon-lescaut.html

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WQXR

Living and Learning with 'Madama Butterfly'

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

By Fred Plotkin

Fred Plotkin examines the way in which certain operas change and grow on us as time passes. He remembers how Madama Butterfly changed for him.

http://www.wqxr.org/#!/story/living-and-learning-madama-butterfly/

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OPERA ON THE INTERNET 

WITH  

DAVE  D' AGUANNO

The big news this Saturday is the LIVE HD-transmission from the Met of Puccini's "Madame Butterfly." Soprano Kristine Opolais is featured in the title role and is partnered again (as she was in the recent "Manon Lescaut" HD-transmission) with tenor Roberto Alagna. The opera can also be heard on most internet radio stations.

(www.wrti.org/)

In the days ahead, there are actually TWO free live audio-streams coming to us from the Met. The first one is scheduled for Friday (April 1) at 7:25 pm, when tenor/baritone Placido Domingo can be heard in the title role of Verdi's "Simon Boccanegra." Then on Monday (April 4), we are given another chance to hear Donizetti's "Roberto Devereux" with the all-star cast that is scheduled to appear in the HD-transmission on April 16 (Matthew Polenzani, Sondra Radvanovsky, Elina Garanca, & Mariusz Kwiecien).

(www.metopera.org/)

In a decidedly lighter vein, there's a broadcast of Domenico Cimarosa's most popular opera -- "Il Matrimonio Segreto" (1792) -- in a performance on Radio 4 (the Netherlands).

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

Plus, Wagner enthusiasts may be interested in the LIVE performance coming to us (today!) from the Vienna State Opera: It's a FREE video-stream of "Parsifal" on The Opera Platform. Please rest assured that, if you miss it today (since it starts this morning at 11 am), you can access it at any time you'd like in the next several months.

(video link: http://www.theoperaplatform.eu/en/opera/wagner-parsifal)

Enjoy!

DAVE

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The Met Saturday afternoon
 radio broadcast 

Saturday, April 2, 2016, 1:00 pm.   

Madama Butterfly

PUCCINI

Chichon; Opolais, Zifchak, Alagna, Croft

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No opera on

WGBH this week!

Diva Sandra Radvanovsky

Week of March 24 - March 31, 2016

 week on Rhode Island Public television,

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

Saturday, March 26, 2016, 8:00pm

Sunday, March 27, 2016 3:00am

Monday, March 28, 2016, 12:00am

Great Performances at the Met

Rossini's

La Donna del Lago

Joyce DiDonato and Juan Diego Flórez join forces for this Rossini showcase of bel canto virtuosity, set in the medieval Scottish highlands. DiDonato is the “lady of the lake” of the title, and Flórez is the king who relentlessly pursues her, with their vocal fireworks embellishing the tragic plot. This Met premiere production is directed by Paul Curran and conducted by Michele Mariotti.

Synopsis:

http://www.metopera.org/Discover/Synopses/Donna-del-Lago/

Co-production of the Metropolitan Opera and the Santa Fe Opera

Duration: 3 hrs. 50 min.

News from Around the World of Music

Five Lessons the Orchestra Can Learn from Museums

Friday, March 18, 2016 - 10:50 AM

WQXR

By Amanda Angel

http://www.wqxr.org/#!/story/five-lessons-orchestra-can-learn-museums/

The Encore Heard Around the World

Monday, March 14, 2016

By Amanda Angel

Javier Camarena performs a rare feat during Saturday afternoon's Met broadcast; listen to Avi Avital perform live; and more to listen, read and watch in the WQXR Whole Note.

http://www.wqxr.org/#!/story/mar-14-encore-heard-around-world/

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Plan ahead for next Saturday--

PUCCINI

Madama Butterfly 

LIVE in HD

Madama Butterfly

Chichon; Opolais, Zifchak, Alagna, Croft

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WQXR

Forty (More) Under Forty: The Next Generation of Great Opera Singers, Part 2

Friday, March 18, 2016

By Fred Plotkin

In the second half of his series looking at today's top young opera singers, Fred Plotkin unveils the names of 25 of his favorite upcoming female vocalists.

http://www.wqxr.org/#!/story/forty-more-under-forty-next-generation-great-opera-singers-part-2/

and if you missed Part 1,

http://www.wqxr.org/#!/story/forty-more-under-forty-next-generation-great-opera-singers-part-one/

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OPERA ON THE INTERNET 

WITH  

DAVE  D' AGUANNO

The opera being broadcast LIVE from the Met this coming Saturday afternoon (March 26) is none other than one of Mozart's most captivating works: "The Marriage of Figaro." As usual with matinee broadcasts from the Met, this performance can be heard on many internet radio stations.

(www.wrti.org/)

Fans of soprano Sondra Radvanovsky (as well as many other opera-lovers) may want to tune in to the Met's FREE live audio-stream tomorrow evening for a performance of Donizetti's "Roberto Devereux" in which Ms Radvanovsky will be singing the role of Queen Elizabeth. With tenor Matthew Polenzani in the title role, mezzo-soprano Elina Garanca as Sara, & baritone Mariusz Kwiecien as Nottingham, this one can surely be regarded as an audio preview of the HD-transmission of this work which is scheduled for area movie theatres on April 16.

(www.metopera.org/)

More Italian opera is available on Saturday, with ORF (Austria) broadcasting last Saturday's performance from Salzburg of Verdi's "Otello."

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

Many of you will remember seeing soprano Sonya Yoncheva singing the role of Desdemona from the Met's HD-transmission of this Verdi work earlier this season. Interested listeners may, therefore, want to check out the broadcast on French Radio this Saturday when Ms Yoncheva sings the title role in Tchaikovsky's "Iolanta" in a performance from Paris that took place earlier this month (March 14).

(www.francemusique.fr/)

One of Benjamin Britten's most popular works -- "Peter Grimes" -- is scheduled for broadcast on RAI (Radio 3) in a performance from Vienna (December 12, 2015).

(www.radio3.rai.it/)

And if the music of Philip Glass appeals to you, you can tune in to BBC Radio 3 for a performance of his 1983 work "Akhnaten" as performed at English National Opera in London earlier this month.

(www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/)

Enjoy!

DAVE

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The Met Saturday afternoon
 radio broadcast 

Saturday, March 26, 2016, 1:00 pm.   

Le Nozze di Figaro

MOZART

Luisi; Majeski, Hartig, Leonard, Pisaroni, Petrenko

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No opera on

WGBH this week!

Senator John McCain (R- AZ)