On Today's Saturday Afternoon at the Opera, guest host Paolo Pietropaolo challenged listeners to identify the three Puccini operas these musical excerpts come from.
Send your answers to opera [at] cbc.ca
You might win a copy of Michael Hammond's beautiful book, Performing Architecture: Opera Houses, Theatres and Concert Halls for the Twenty-First Century
The romantic entanglements of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream have inspired movies, novel plots, and, of course, music.
This weekend, two interpretation of the work. On SATO, it's Benjamin Britten's opera from a La Scala this past June, conducted by Sir Andrew Davis and featuring a stellar cast including American countertenor David Daniels, three Canadian singers (Gordon Gietz, Erin Wall and Daniel Okulitch) and a Canadian production team (Robert Carsen and Michael Levine).
On In Concert it's Mendelssohn's incidental music to the play, featuring the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and Vancouver thespian Christopher Gaze, plus the Elektra Women's choir.
And then there's the robot version of A Midsummer Night's Dream. In a recent production by Texas A&M University, seven little robots play fairies alongside the flesh and blood performers.
The director told Wired: "The robots seem more and more like characters that have always been part of the story. To see them flying, spinning and bouncing through the air just adds to the magic and mystery of the world Shakespeare created."
What do you think -- do the wee robots add?
Continue reading "A Midsummer Night's...Robot?" »
If you've followed the story of tenor Rolando Villazon, who underwent surgery on his vocal cords not long ago, you will be thrilled to hear that recently he posted a video on his website saying that all is well. ("My voice is back!" he says, with a small demonstration.)
That's not this video though. This video is of a duet with Vesselina Kasarova from Jules Massenet's "drame lyrique," Werther, a production of which will be broadcast today on SATO.
That's from 2004, so a goodly while before Villazon's surgery. But here's a very exuberant Villazon in that post-surgery video. Sounds like he has every reason to be exuberant now -- the problems with his voice meant he had to cancel many of his 2009 concerts -- and it was feared he would never be able to sing again.
Today, hear him singing with soprano Susan Graham at l'Opéra nationale de Paris at the Opéra Bastille, directed by Kent Nagano. And tune into In Tune today as well -- Katherine has more details about the Villazon voice saga.
If you missed the Graham interview here it is.
Or perhaps you missed last week's great Joyce DiDonato interview. That's posted below as well.
from more on the opera see below...
Continue reading "Villazon's Back!" »
Saturday Afternoon at the Opera, with host Bill Richardson
Saturday November 7, 2009, 1:00 - 5:00 PM (2:00 - 6:00 AT, 2:30 - 6:30 NT) on CBC Radio 2
Beatrice would rather have nothing to do with the avowed bachelor Benedict. But love works in mysterious ways, and gets a lending hand from others, in the comic opera Béatrice et Bénédict, by Hector Berlioz. Berlioz adapted the libretto himself from William Shakespeare's Much Ado about Nothing. On the island of Sicily, Don Pedro leads victorious soldiers home from the war. Amid much celebration couples are reunited, especially Claudio and the governor's daughter, Héro, who immediately plan their nuptials. They use their wiles to help the reluctant lovers Beatrice and Benedict to recognize the true feelings within their hearts.
Sir Colin Davis leads the Orchestre National de France, sopranos Joyce di Donato (as Beatrice) and Nathalie Manfrino (Héro), tenor Charles Workman (Bénédict), Canadian baritone Jean-Francois Lapointe (Claudio) in this concert presentation, produced by Radio France.
We also present the first of a five episode serial opera by the Canadian composer Dean Burry. This CBC commission is based on the story of Baby Kintyre , the mummified infant discovered by a construction crew in the attic of a Toronto home in 2007.
If you missed the episode or would like to hear any of them again, they'll be posted each week on the CBC Commissions website.
for more on this week's feature opera (Béatrice et Bénédict) see below...
Continue reading ""Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps."" »
If you missed the news earlier this week -- you heard it here first. The Canadian Opera Company is expanding its broadcast base, recording all seven main-stage productions in the '09-'10 season with us. Us as in CBC/Radio-Canada.
General Director Alexander Neef told the press earlier this week that "Extending the COC's reach to areas of the country not presently served by opera is one of my main goals at the Canadian Opera Company. The COC has been so successful in getting people into the opera house, that now it's time for us to go to those who can't come to us."
Also in the excellent news dep't., the operas will be live streamed on the Radio 2 website, as per usual, but also go up at Concerts On Demand for a year after their first broadcast.
Continue reading "SATO, The COC (And The Fly!)" »
On Saturday Afternoon at the Opera on October 24 we spoke with Michael Hammond, Editorial Director of World Architecture News. Hammond is also author of a beautiful and fascinating look at the art of creating opera houses, concert halls and theatres - Performing Architecture - published by Merrell in 2006. The book describes many turn of the century halls that are newly opened, just completing or on the tables.
Image above: Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía (opera house) in Valencia, Spain
You can listen to the interview below and we've also posted some pictures and links of some of the theatres and opera houses that Bill and Michael discuss.
Continue reading "The Art of the Opera House" »
Saturday Afternoon at the Opera, with host Bill Richardson
Saturday October 24, 2009, 1:00 - 5:00 PM (2:00 - 6:00 AT, 2:30 - 6:30 NT) on CBC Radio 2
That's the fate of Belmonte's beloved Konstanze and her comely maid, Blonde. But Belmonte is positive he can rescue the ladies from the seraglio (ie. the harem) of the Pasha Selim, if he can just outsmart Osmin, the famously formidable overseer, in The Abduction from the Seraglio ("Die Entführung aud dem Serail").
This comic masterwork boasts some of the most difficult and delightful arias that Mozart ever penned. The Lyric Opera of Chicago gathered an all-star cast for this new production, staged in March 2009: tenor Matthew Polenzani (Belmonte) has been described as a "Mozart tenor of exceptional beauty and finesse"; Calgary-born soprano Erin Wall (Konstanze) has a voice that "perfectly balances cream and spice"; and bass Andrea Silvestrelli (Osmin) wows audiences with his sonorous voice and larger-than-life stage personality. Sir Andrew Davis is the conductor.
The Buxbaum Family Lyric Opera of Chicago broadcasts are made possible through the generous support of the Matthew Buxbaum family, with matching funds provided by the Crown family, and Richard P. and Susan Kiphart. The broadcasts come to us through the courtesy of WMFT in Chicago.
for more on the opera see below...
Continue reading "Kidnapped by Pirates and now Prisoners in a Pasha's Palace!" »
Saturday Afternoon at the Opera, with host Bill Richardson
Saturday October 17, 2009, 1:00 - 5:00 PM (2:00 - 6:00 AT, 2:30 - 6:30 NT) on CBC Radio 2
Passion, political intrigue and parental love fuel the plot of Verdi's opera Simon Boccanegra. In 13th century Genoa, an intense power struggle has erupted among scheming nobles and commoners. Assuming the title of The Doge (or chief magistrate) is a former pirate, Simon Boccanegra. Years later, as an elder statesman, Boccanegra's political past continues to clash, THIS time with his parental duties, when he is reunited with his long-lost daughter. There's both love and conspiracy in the Doge's court, in this production from the Vienna State Opera. Canadian conductor Yves Abel is on the podium, with a cast that includes Italian baritone Leo Nucci as Boccanegra, and Romanian soprano Roxana Briban, as his daughter.
Following the tpera we have several operatic excerpts including a couple of cuts from a brand new Cecilia Bartoli disc: Sacrificium
Continue reading "Passion, Politics and Parental Love" »
Canadian soprano Adrienne Pieczonka joined host Bill Richardson on Saturday Afternoon at the Opera this week. They spoke about, among many things, her brand new disc of Puccini opera arias out on the Orfeo label. In case you missed it, here it is again.
Last December Chicago opera goers were treated to quite a production at the Lyric of Madama Butterfly, and today SATO fans are treated to a broadcast of same. It features Patricia Racette, and as reported by Opera News, "it was a revelatory performance, one that entirely justified Racette's ownership of the role."
You'll find all of the details about today's production and about the history of Puccini's famous work in the last post, by my SATO colleagues. Right now, as a little preview, here is Racette, singing the famous Un Bel Di Vedremo from Madama Butterfly.
Continue reading "A Revelatory Performance" »
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Home to the famous "Live at The Met" broadcasts, plus fine opera productions from opera houses and festivals in Canada and around the world. Includes artist interviews and the latest opera recordings, presented by host Bill Richardson.
Elmer Iseler Singers: Bach, Taverner, Pärt