Tag Archives: Opera

Five Books About The Opera Business

Posted on September 13, 2015 by Eddie Pensier

Eddie Pensier writes: The Toughest Show On Earth: My Rise And Reign At the Metropolitan Opera Joseph Volpe and Charles Michener Volpe was the Met’s General Manager from 1990 to 2006. In retrospect his tenure may have been conservative, but … Continue reading →

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Manon Lescaut, Five Ways

Posted on November 19, 2014 by Eddie Pensier

Eddie Pensier writes: She done him so, so wrong. L’Histoire du chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut is a scandalous novella written in 1731 by Abbé Antoine François Prévost. Frequently banned and censored, it’s the story of a bourgeois … Continue reading →

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Anita Cerquetti, Five Ways

Posted on October 14, 2014 by Eddie Pensier

Eddie Pensier writes: She never got the press or fame of Maria Callas, whom she famously replaced in a Rome Norma in 1958. She only made two official recordings, both for Decca: an aria recital and a complete La Gioconda. She … Continue reading →

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Diagram Du Jour

Posted on August 4, 2014 by Eddie Pensier

Eddie Pensier writes: Pretty much. By Courtisane. Link thanks to Andrew Langer.

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Carlo Bergonzi, Five Ways

Posted on July 27, 2014 by Eddie Pensier

Eddie Pensier writes: There aren’t many singers who have epitomized the true meaning of bel canto better than Carlo Bergonzi. It literally means “beautiful singing”, and refers to the style or school that emphasizes vocal beauty and line above other … Continue reading →

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Showtune Saturday: “Lonely House”

Posted on July 26, 2014 by Eddie Pensier

Eddie Pensier writes: The late American tenor Jerry Hadley gives us a haunting and wistful rendition of this tune, from Street Scene. Like Porgy and Bess, Street Scene is often the basis for pedantic musical arguments about whether it’s an opera … Continue reading →

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Julius Rudel (1921-2014)

Posted on June 26, 2014 by Eddie Pensier

Eddie Pensier writes: In memory of the titanic Viennese conductor and impresario, who passed away yesterday at 93, here’s a clip of the Hotel Transylvanie gambling scene from Jules Massenet’s Manon, from a rare 1977 New York City Opera telecast. … Continue reading →

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Habanera, Five Ways

Posted on June 17, 2014 by Eddie Pensier

Eddie Pensier writes: Peut-être jamais, peut-être demain. Mais pas aujourd’hui, c’est certain! (Maybe never, maybe tomorrow, But for sure, not today.) Who knew a descending chromatic scale could be so sexy? Carmen’s entrance aria “L’amour est un oiseau rebelle”, better … Continue reading →

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Salve Regina

Posted on May 26, 2014 by Eddie Pensier

Eddie Pensier writes: Francis Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites is a strange opera, and not an easy one. It weaves complex themes of devotion, martyrdom, fear, and politics around the storyline of a Carmelite convent during the French Revolution. It’s very talky, … Continue reading →

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Sydney Symphony Orchestra: “Elektra”

Posted on May 7, 2014 by Eddie Pensier

Eddie Pensier writes: Possibly the key thing to know about Richard Strauss’ Elektra is that this opera is LOUD. Delightfully, magnificently loud. How loud? Well, most Mozart operas are scored for 50-60 orchestra members, most Verdi calls for 70-80, and even … Continue reading →

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