The Passion of Opera

It's been a long time since I've posted here. That's certainly not the intention. I do enjoy blogging about opera, be it in D.C., elsewhere in the U.S., or abroad. That said, work has been quite consuming lately. For other purposes, I did just recently write a sort of "introductory guide" to the Ring Cycle , and thought it would make sense to post it here. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen or, as it’s usually put in English, Ring Cycle , constitutes the most substantial undertaking in the operatic world. It is a “cycle” of four operas, Der Rheingold , Die Walküre , Siegfried , and Götterdämmerung , with every opera except the first clocking in at over five hours in length. Usually, the same cast of stalwart singers performs across all four performances, singing over an orchestra of approximately 100 instruments. It’s been called one of the greatest triumphs of mu...

It's been a while since my last post. Life and getting into work somewhat overtook me. That said, I had occasion to write a piece on Washington National Opera's performance of Rossini's La Cenerentola for a work publication and wanted to adapt that here as a review of that performance. This was my favorite performance of the season and a great note to end on. I am looking forward to the momentous season next year with the standard of Carmen , some unusual selections, and the first full Ring  in the city in a single season. I will be out for most of the opera in the area this summer, but hope to make and review a few performances.  General information & synopsis:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Cenerentola La Cenerentola  |  Gioachino Rossini Angelina (Cenerentola):  Isabel Leonard*  (May 9, 13, 16, 19, 21) /  Tara Erraught * (May 11, 15, 17m)           Don Ramiro:...

This was my first time attending Beethoven's Missa Solemnis  in a live performance, a work so often overshadowed by the Beethoven's Sympthony No. 9 , not only throughout history, but on the very night the two premiered simultaneously. Once again, Anne Midgette of the Washington Post offers an insightful review that focuses a great deal on the nature of the work itself; I will focus more on the performance. General information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missa_solemnis_(Beethoven) Missa solemnis | Ludwig van Beethoven Soprano | Julia Sophie Wagner Mezzo-Soprano | Daniela Mack Tenor | Vale Rideout Bass | Kevin Thompson Violin | Nurit Bar-Josef Conductor | Julian Wachner Washington Chorus & Orchestra Presented in the Concert Hall of the Kennedy Center ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The ensemble for the evening was led by Julian Wachner, who conducted with an eco...

First, I apologize for the long hiatus in posts. I have not had much opportunity to see live opera since being back at Lawrence University in Wisconsin and in Arlington, Virginia. The conclusion of my schooling did offer a few of the previous scholarly posts. Now, however, being in Washington, D.C., more actual reviews will be forthcoming. I will be seeing Beethoven's Missa Solemnis  this weekend and will post on that shortly, as well. In the meantime, a review of Washington National Opera's  La boh è me at the Kennedy Center. This was my first time at the Kennedy Center opera house and I was surprised how small it is. All in all, that's really not a bad thing, just surprising for such a key performing space in the United States. I will write my own review, but Anne Midgette's November 2 review in the Washington Post  was spot on, so I've included a link here:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/at-wno-a-la-boheme-that-gets-the-job-done/2014/11/...

Echo: Castrato Virtuosity Recaptured Silviu Purcarete’s 2012 Production of Leonardo Vinci’s  Artaserse              Every opera  performance occurs in a unique historical and cultural context. Despite this, it is possible for a performance to honor the spirit of the work’s era while effectively imparting that spirit to an audience of a different time. [1] Leonardo Vinci’s Artaserse , a setting of Pietro Metastasio’s popular libretto, however, offers particular challenges for modern audiences. A dramma per musica , its musical conventions and betrayal plot were designed to highlight the effusive virtuosity of the five castrati (and one tenor), playing both male and female characters, in the cast of the 1730 premiere. [2] Despite their high vocal range and emasculate characteristics, castrati were perceived more as otherworldly or inhuman than effeminate due to their enormous proportions and mastery of singing th...