Opera and Choral Events

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Your source for classical voice, opera, and choral events

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Week of April 26 - May 3, 2018



Last Met-HD of the season
Saturday, April 28, 2018, 1:00pm
Check for theaters, tickets and local encores:
https://www.metopera.org/season/in-cinemas/

CENDRILLON


DiDonato sang the title role of Cendrillon at the Royal Opera in 2011. “Her performance was thoroughly enchanting.” Now, for the first time ever, Massenet’s sumptuous take on the Cinderella story comes to the Met, with DiDonato starring in the title role. She is paired with mezzo-soprano Alice Coote in the trouser role of Prince Charming, Kathleen Kim as the Fairy Godmother, and Stephanie Blythe as the imperious Madame de la Haltière. Bertrand de Billy conducts Laurent Pelly’s imaginative storybook production. 

Duration: 2 hrs. 47 min.

Stephanie Blythe

Unfractured Fairy Tales: ‘Cendrillon’ at the Metropolitan Opera

What truly created opening night success was Laurent Pelly’s production, which brought a theatrical confidence to the stage. The audience devoured it like a meal of desserts.   Apr 13, 2018

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This week on Rhode Island Public television:
WSBE: (Comcast 294, Cox 808, Full Channel 109, and Verizon 478)


Saturday, April 28, 2018, 8:00pm
Sunday, April 29, 2018 3:00am
Monday, April 30 2018  12:00am



Rusalka
Kristine Opolais stars in Dvorák's "Rusalka," about a water nymph who loves a human prince (Brandon Jovanovich). The cast also includes Jamie Barton as the witch Jezibaba; Katarina Dalaymanas as Rusalka's rival; and Eric Owens as Rusalka's father.
Length: 180


Jamie Barton
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Warm Weather Opera Worth Traveling For

Nowadays, the warm months are filled with a lot of compelling and original opera. This year, the music of Leonard Bernstein (1918–90) is omnipresent, to celebrate his centennial.  Apr 15, 2018

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 NEWS FROM AROUND THE 

WORLD OF MUSIC

UPDATE: Julie Fuchs Forced Out of “Die Zauberflote” in Hamburg; Company Issues Statement



Julie Fuchs responds on Facebook:
Hamburg has unfortunately informed me just this week that the artistic integrity of the Jette Steckel production of ‘Die Zauberflöte’ cannot be maintained if the soprano singing Pamina is four months pregnant.
As you can imagine, I am very disappointed as I am feeling vocally and physically in top form. I am fully committed to fulfilling my contracts as planned and previously announced. I was very much looking forward to making my debut in this role, and singing for all of you in Hamburg. My apologies to those of you who already booked tickets. Whilst I respect the artistic vision of the theatre, I am saddened that we were not able to find a solution to accommodate this slight physical difference which does not negatively affect my vocal or artistic performance. It was my strong desire to find small production changes to make my appearance possible. As is the case with most women, in this second trimester of my pregnancy, I am happy to report that I am feeling full of energy and my good health has been confirmed by my doctors. I look forward to returning to the stage in June to sing Poppea at the Opernhaus Zürich.
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Plácido Domingo's special bond with Verdi and Sonya Yoncheva

Michigan Opera Theatre Announces 2018-19 Opera Season, Celebrating Great Literature!

Remembering Roger Andrews

Opera Meets Film: How James Gray Explores Puccini’s Heroines In ‘The Immigrant’

Far Travelers – Composers Jeffrey Leiser & Andrés Soto on Creating A Brand New Viking Opera

  
The Best New Classical Releases of April 2018
From a lush performance of Debussy’s La Mer to Liszt’s stunning late piano music, here are our favorites from last month.  Apr 25, 2018

7 Pieces That Show Poetry and Music Are Better Together
The lyric qualities of Shakespearean prosody, heart melting lieder and epic tone poems do more than enough to prove poetry and music make for quite the combination. Apr 24, 2018

Building Your Classical Vinyl Collection? Look Out For These Labels
WQXR’s Paul Cavalconte shares some label offerings that any budding vinyl-collector should keep on their radar. Apr 20, 2018

These 5 Cellos Are Perfect for This Hair-Raising Schubert Song
LA-based cello quintet SAKURA presents a cello-centric take on this Schubert classic. Apr 19, 2018

Stereotyping Instruments: Why We Still Think Some Are For Boys, Others For Girls
Even though instruments are genderless, why do we keep stereotyping who should play them? Apr 19, 2018

Basil Twist, Christopher O'Riley and Stickman Make A ‘Symphonie Fantastique’
Puppeteer and MacArthur ‘Genius’ Basil Twist teamed up with pianist Christopher O’Riley to bring a little magic to The Greene Space. Apr 19, 2018

Murray Perahia Finds the Drama and Passion in Chopin
Watch the pianist and conductor's commanding and graceful interpretation of Scherzo No. 2. Apr 18, 2018

Think Tax Season is Tough? Bach Wrote Something For That
The pious composer used one of Jesus' more famous lines (hint: it's the one about taxes) as the foundation of the cantata 'Nur jedem das Seine.'  Apr 17, 2018


The 20 Essential Schubert Recordings
Schubert was immensely prolific. He wrote every kind of music — symphonies, piano works, lieder. He’s got something for everyone. Here’s where to start. Apr 16, 2018

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OPERA ON THE INTERNET
WITH 
DAVE D’AGUANNO

Opera fans will be getting an opportunity to kick-start their opera entertainment tomorrow (Thursday) as OperaVision offers a free LIVE video-stream of one of Donizetti's most glorious operatic scores: "La Favorite" as performed in Florence.
(https://operavision.eu/en/library/performances/operas/la-favorite)

If your taste in opera includes interest in some of the lesser-known Russian operas of the 19th century, you may want to tune in to the LIVE performance from Barcelona tomorrow of Anton Rubinstein's "The Demon."
(http://www.catmusica.cat/index_cm.htm?mainContent=http%3A//www.catmusica.cat/pcatmusica/cmProgramacio.jsp%3Femissora%3Dcm)

It probably goes without saying, however, that major interest on Saturday will be on the Met's LIVE HD-transmission of Massenet's "Cendrillon" ("Cinderella") which, in my own humble opinion, is every bit as delightful as Rossini's "Cenerentola." Fortunately, with the talents of Joyce DiDonato in the title role, Alice Coote in the trouser role of the Prince, and Stephanie Blythe in the largely comic role of the Stepmother, this one is practically guaranteed to be winner!
(www.wrti.org/)

Of course, the Met also has a FREE live audio-stream on its schedule for us this week. Tomorrow evening at 7:55, it's "Tosca" time. This one has Anna Netrebko in the title role. (I'm not sure, but this may be a case of last Saturday's audio-stream being re-scheduled.)
(www.metopera.org/)

Besides the Donizetti opera already mentioned, there are 2 more video-streams scheduled for the next few days; however, these may not be available in this country. Nevertheless, they may certainly be worth checking out, just in case! On Thursday, it's Wagner's "Lohengrin" direct from Brussels, and on Friday it's Rossini's "La Donna del Lago" as performed in Lausanne.
(Lohengrin: https://www.worldconcerthall.com/en/schedule/wagners_lohengrin_with_cutler_bretz_fosterwilliams_and_pankratova_from_brussels/40727/)
(Donna: https://www.worldconcerthall.com/en/schedule/rossinis_la_donna_del_lago_with_belkina_cencic_behle_and_gatell_from_lausanne/40763/)

Enjoy!

DAVE
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THE MET SATURDAY AFTERNOON
RADIO BROADCAST AT
 ON WQXR

1 PM

Cendrillon

MASSENET
de Billy; Kim, DiDonato, Coote, Blythe, Naouri
   
GO TO 
 HTTP://WWW.WQXR.ORG/STREAMS
 THEN CLICK ON WQXR 105.9 FM
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NO OPERA ON
  WGBH THIS WEEK!

CNN 's Jake Tapper






Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Week of April 18 - April 25, 2018



🌻🌻🌻

This week on Rhode Island Public television:
WSBE: (Comcast 294, Cox 808, Full Channel 109, and Verizon 478)


Saturday, April 21, 2018, 8:00pm
Sunday, April 22, 2018 3:00am
Monday, April 23, 2018  12:00am

La Traviata


Soprano Sonya Yoncheva stars in Verdi's "La Traviata," about a frail courtesan who sacrifices her happiness in order to spare her beloved (Michael Fabiano) and his family the strife that her reputation could cause them.
Length: 150


🎕🎕🎕


Warm Weather Opera Worth Traveling For

Nowadays, the warm months are filled with a lot of compelling and original opera. This year, the music of Leonard Bernstein (1918–90) is omnipresent, to celebrate his centennial.  Apr 15, 2018



Unfractured Fairy Tales: ‘Cendrillon’ at the Metropolitan Opera

What truly created opening night success was Laurent Pelly’s production, which brought a theatrical confidence to the stage. The audience devoured it like a meal of desserts.   Apr 13, 2018

♪♪♪♪♪♪




🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻



 NEWS FROM AROUND THE 

WORLD OF MUSIC

Professor Beth Denisch

Many years ago, when I was a music student, I studied counterpoint; the textbook was dense and forbidding. My dear friend Beth Denisch, professor of composition at Berklee School of Music, has produced a book on counterpoint that is clear and even beautiful, a bargain at twice the price.--Rosie

Contemporary Counterpoint: Theory & Application

(Music Theory: Counterpoint)

by Beth Denisch (Author)
Paperback – September 1, 2017


Interview with Beth Denisch by Fred Bouchard as a 

part of the Berklee Oral History Project.  

Recorded January 13, 2011.








How Playing an Instrument Benefits Your Brain



Benjamin Zander: The transformative power of classical music


Think Tax Season is Tough? Bach Wrote Something For That
The pious composer used one of Jesus' more famous lines (hint: it's the one about taxes) as the foundation of the cantata 'Nur jedem das Seine.'  Apr 17, 2018

The 20 Essential Schubert Recordings
Schubert was immensely prolific. He wrote every kind of music — symphonies, piano works, lieder. He’s got something for everyone. Here’s where to start. Apr 16, 2018

Study Explores Relationship Between Music Education and Academic Performance
A team of Dutch neuroscientists conducted the first longitudinal a study tracking the impact music education has on students' academic performance.  Apr 14, 2018

Listening to 'Soundtrack to Spring' From The New Yorker
Tom Gauld’s spring-themed cover features Beethoven, Vivaldi and Stravinski — and is utterly befitting of the season. Apr 13, 2018











The Sounds of War: Listening to Battle 
Music
Visual art and drama may spring to mind when you think of artistic depictions of war, but for several centuries, composers found a way to capture battles in music. Apr 12, 2018


Luciano Pavarotti sings Nessun Dorma,
click here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTFUM4Uh_6Y

Memories of Pavarotti From His Personal Butler
Simeon Rossett may have an understanding of the tenor unlike any others. Apr 11, 2018

Open Ears: Get to Know “the Dean of Black Women Composers”

Keith Lockhart Talks John Williams and the Boston Pops
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OPERA ON THE INTERNET
WITH 
DAVE D’AGUANNO

Coming up this Saturday (April 21), there are 2 operas being offered to us by the Met. First of all, the matinee broadcast this time around is a performance from last fall of Thomas Ades's newest opera "The Exterminating Angel" which many of you may have seen when it received an HD-transmission several months ago.
(www.wrti.org/)

Later on the same day -- at 7:55 p.m. -- you can hear a LIVE performance from the Met of Puccini's "Tosca" with Anna Netrebko in the title role and with her real-life husband Yusif Eyvazov in the tenor role of Cavaradossi.
(www.metopera.org/)

Besides the Ades opera, there's actually another 21st century British opera on Saturday's schedule as BBC Radio 3 brings us the world premiere of Mark-Anthony Turnage's latest: "Coraline." This so-called "children's opera" was heard just last month in London.
(www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/)

The Austrian station ORF, on the other hand, keeps us firmly in the mid-19th century with the February 11, 2018 performance from Berlin of Wagner's "Tristan & Isolde."
(http://oe1.orf.at/)

Two more 19th century operas appear on the schedule later on. One of them is "Benvenuto Cellini" by Hector Berlioz, as performed LIVE on Sunday in Paris.
(www.francemusique.fr/)

The other one happens to be yet another Met broadcast. On Monday evening at 7:25, the Met's FREE live audio-stream features Gounod's "Romeo & Juliette."
(www.metopera.org/)

Enjoy!

DAVE

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THE MET SATURDAY AFTERNOON
RADIO BROADCAST AT
 ON WQXR

APRIL 21, 2018
1:00 PM
The Exterminating Angel

ADÈS
Adès; Luna, Echalaz, Matthews, Bevan, Coote, Rice, Davies, Kaiser, Antoun, Portillo, Moore, Gilfry, Burdette, Van Horn, Tomlinson
   
GO TO 
 HTTP://WWW.WQXR.ORG/STREAMS
 THEN CLICK ON WQXR 105.9 FM
🎕🎕🎕🎕🎕🎕🎕🎕




🎕🎕🎕🎕🎕🎕🎕🎕

NO OPERA ON
  WGBH THIS WEEK!


Former FBI Director James Comey