Tan fiera, tan fragil/ So Wild, So Fragile: La vida de Maria Callas/ The Life of Maria Callas (Spanish Edition)
Vancouver Opera Blog (Free subscription) | 11/28/2009
Norma is without a doubt an icon defining role. Hasmik Papian has joined the legendary ranks of Joan Sutherland and Maria Callas as the world's go-to Norma. Click here to check out Georgia Straight's write up on Hasmik Papian. ~ Ling Chan, Assistant to Managing Director
Vancouver Opera Blog (Free subscription) | 10/31/2009
An active tenor with Vancouver Opera Chorus, John Arsenault has appeared in minor roles in Salome and Fidelio . John recently turned heads as Pinkerton in Vancouver Island Opera's production of Madame Butterfly . JOhn will help kick off the season with his role of Flavio, a centurian, in Vancouver Opera's Norma . Guilty musical pleasure? I love lots of different music, and I don’t believe in...
Linera Lucas (Free subscription) | 10/29/2009
from The Little, Brown Book of Anecdotes , edited by Clifton Fadiman. When Maria Callas was singing at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, she was interviewed by a reporter who said, "You were born in the United States, you were brought up in Greece, you are now practically an Italian. What language do you think in?" Miss Callas replied, "I count in English."
Vancouver Opera Blog (Free subscription) | 10/28/2009
Norma is one of the great bel canto masterpieces. Vincenzo Bellini’s haunting melodies, dramatic scene-painting and tender and intense emotions have been praised by no less than Richard Wagner, who loved the opera’s rich flow of melody and deep glow of truth. The role of Norma is considered one of the most difficult in the soprano repertoire, not only for the vocal control required, but...
escapegrace (Free subscription) | 10/17/2009
Jeanette Winterson writes in praise of the crack-up . The stories are well known; Vincent Van Gogh cut off his ear and went mad. Sylvia Plath gassed herself. Anne Sexton committed suicide. Emily Dickinson was manic-depressive. Virginia Woolf worked through alternating bouts of madness and depression for most of her life. The mad, bad and dangerous wild boys of high art and popular culture make great...
The Classical Beat (Free subscription) | 09/29/2009
In this profile of Peter Gelb from the past weekend, the Metropolitan Opera's general manager yet again puts forth an idea that seems to have become a cornerstone of his PR campaign: in the old days, opera singers didn't use to act, but under my great new regime they do. I get more annoyed by this ridiculous claim every time I read it. I think it shows considerable ignorance of opera and theater. First,...
operaman's blog (Free subscription) | 08/11/2009
Opera In the Park For the last two or three years I have been meaning to make a trip to the amphitheater in Washington Park during the summer for one of the outdoor opera performances that form a part of the annual Portland Summer Fest. Each year it has somehow got away from me. This year I have a friend, Diane, who I am re-introducing to opera and this year's performance of La Traviata seemed like...
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