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Tag Archives: Opera
Five Books About The Opera Business
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
Manon Lescaut, Five Ways
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
Anita Cerquetti, Five Ways
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
Posted in Music, Performers
Tagged aida, andrea chenier, anita cerquetti, five ways, la wally, norma, Opera, soprano, Tom Hanks, un ballo in maschera
2 Comments
Diagram Du Jour
Eddie Pensier writes: Pretty much. By Courtisane. Link thanks to Andrew Langer.
Carlo Bergonzi, Five Ways
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
Showtune Saturday: “Lonely House”
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
Posted in Music, Performers
Tagged elmer rice, jerry hadley, kurt weill, langston hughes, lonely house, Opera, showtune saturday, street scene
3 Comments
Julius Rudel (1921-2014)
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
Posted in Music, Performers
Tagged beverly sills, julius rudel, new york city opera, nicolai gedda, Opera, rip
2 Comments
Habanera, Five Ways
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
Posted in Music, Performers
Tagged bizet, carmen, Dorothy Dandridge, Elina Garanca, five ways, habanera, Maria Callas, muppets, Opera, Svetlana Zakharova
6 Comments
Salve Regina
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
Posted in History, Music
Tagged dialogues des carmelites, francis poulenc, French Revolution, metropolitan opera, nuns, Opera
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Sydney Symphony Orchestra: “Elektra”
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
Posted in Music, Performers
Tagged aeschylus, Australia, christine goerke, elektra, Opera, Richard Strauss, Sophocles
6 Comments